The Best Kids’ Outdoor Clothes and Gear (2024)

Updated June 10, 2024 08:57AM

Let’s be clear: The toys do not make the summer. It’s the intention we as parents put into spending longer days outside with the kids once the school year ends that can make the season feel special. We can say, though, that the toys do make summer easier.

Gear that’s designed specifically for kids and thoughtfully built with smart performance details can make or break your littles’ first camping trip or hike, and make picking up a new sport a lot more fun. We vetted kid-specific bikes, clothing, surfboards, and adjacent gear to bring you the best bet to maximize summer fun.

At a Glance

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Isle Nugget Surfboard

Pros and Cons
⊕ Durable
⊕ Works for kids and adults
⊗ Removable fins are hard to get in/out

It is rare that a product fulfills the needs of both an advanced and beginner in a sport, but the Nugget managed that feat. With a soft exterior coupled with a rigid interior, this versatile board catered to all skill levels and kids from 40 pounds to adults of 180 pounds.

We taught two kids under 6 how to surf on this 5’4” quad fin soft top board last summer. It’s an ideal longboard for littles to learn on and also proved to be a fun shortboard for adults. The Nugget’s top features a 1.3 millimeter Polycarbonate “skin” that gripped little feet without sticky wax and was burly enough that it showed little wear and tear after living under a big Douglas Fir for most of the summer. Adults were able to pump it down the line on heavy shore break thanks to the rigidity from two Fiberglass stringers molded into the EPS core.

Prevelo Zulu 4 Mountain Bike

Sizes: Zulu series has bikes ranging from 20-inch wheels (Zulu 1) to 26-inch wheels (Zulu 5)
Weight: 22 lbs

Pros and Cons
⊕ Nimble
⊕ Great transition bike for kids getting off-road for the first time
⊗ Big investment for a bike a kid will grow out of

This fully-featured mountain bike has all of the pieces to make the intimidating (for kids and parents) transition from kiddo cyclist to kiddo mountain biker. The large 24-inch tires and front fork with 100 millimeters of travel proved key in teaching one eight year old how to trust a mountain bike’s ability to absorb rugged terrain.

While the Zulu 4 was beefy enough to eat up baseball sized rocks, it still proved manageable enough for a sub 100-pound rider thanks to the aluminum frame’s low and narrow geometry.

Shredly Littles Shorts

Pros and Cons
⊕ Fast drying time
⊕ Versatile
⊗ Light colorways show dirt

Multi-sport days can be a key element of the alchemy of summer, but changing your kids’ outfits between those sports can be a pain and ruin the momentum of a fun day. The secret to success is a versatile piece like Shredly’s Littles Shorts.

These quick-drying shorts made from recycled polyester spandex became a go-to for all summer activities, from pool sessions, to long days at the beach, to mountain biking. The high elasticity in the waist and slightly baggy cut allowed our kid testers to move freely, earning a thumbs up from one five-year-old who wore the Littles during a pump track session and then right to gymnastics class.

CamelBak Kids Mini MULE Hydration Pack with Crux 1.5L Reservoir

Pros and Cons
⊕ Smartly built for kid-specific carry
⊕ Highly adjustable to grow with the kiddos
⊗ Reservoir can be tough for kids to fill

Getting a kiddo of any age to stay hydrated during summer adventures is as important as it can be challenging. This recycled 200-denier polyester reservoir pack proved low profile enough that even sub 35-pound testers didn’t complain about lugging it around for multi-hour bike rides.

The sternum strap and stretchy body materials were adjustable enough that testers from 32-pounds to 90-pounds were able to dial in a comfortable fit. The Mini MULE’s main compartment holds a 1.5 liter bladder, which is plenty to hydrate kiddos for three to four hour adventures, and two exterior pockets hold a sun hat, snacks, and extras like a pocket notebook and colored pencil case.

The Mini MULE’s mesh arm straps, harness, and cushy, porous back panel proved highly breathable and produced no complaints from a five year old tester during a nearly hour long ride in 95-degrees.

Helly Hansen JR Marka Fleece Jacket

Pros and Cons
⊕ Wide temperature range
⊕ Highly breathable
⊗ Light pilling after a few months of heavy use

This fleece made from two-way stretch, 100-percent recycled polyester covers a wide temperature range, making it a great emergency layer to keep in the back of your car for just-in-case moments.

It was a nice little comfort bump for five year old Jojo on nights that dipped into the mid-fifties and even proved enough over pajamas on a 42-degree early morning bike ride. Credit the medium-high loft coupled with the porousness of the fleece’s exterior. Other smart design features testers loved: a supple chin guard to protect wee faces from the zipper, as well as a raglan sleeve and hyper-stretchy elastic cuffs and waist for freedom of movement.

Cotopaxi Kids Teca Half Zip Windbreaker

Pros and Cons
⊕ Highly packable
⊕ Kangaroo pocket for storage
⊗ Some testers became obsessed with constantly opening/closing the velcro kangaroo pouch

A solid kids windbreaker can be a lifesaver in a freak summer rainstorm but isn’t worth lugging around if it’s bulky. Enter the Kids Teca Half Zip, a lightweight windbreaker that has everything an ambitious child adventurer needs—a face-hugging hood and a kangaroo pouch to stash snacks—in a package that weighs only 1.2 pounds and squishes down to the size of a tangerine.

It’s not waterproof, but it kept one kiddo mostly protected from the elements when a sudden thunderstorm hit on a hike (the kid tester got back to the trailhead a bit wet, though she stayed warm).

Hoka Speedgoat 5 Kids Trail Running Shoe

Pros and Cons
⊕ Excellent breathability
⊕ Sturdy support
⊕ Fantastic traction
⊗ Expensive for a shoe your kid will grow out of

Kids hiking and running shoes have a track record of being underbuilt—not the case with the Speedgoat 5 Kids. Jakob Schiller’s kids appreciated the burliness of this shoe’s durable rubber outsole and lugs while scrambling up myriad class three routes on hikes in New Mexico.

The woven mesh upper with 21 percent recycled polyester breathed well enough that the kiddos’ feet didn’t get too hot during nearly triple digit hikes, and the 30-percent sugarcane midsole hugged young soles with that lovely cushion that caused parent testers to fall in love with Hoka.

Patagonia Baby Capilene Silkweight Hoodie

Pros and Cons
⊕ Excellent fit
⊕ Well-designed hood
⊗ Holds onto stink if not washed regularly

Keeping an infant shaded from the summer sun is no small feat, especially when you’re hiking or playing in the water. This UPF 40+ hoodie’s extra long drop tail hem, oversized sleeves, and three panel hood did the trick. The four-way stretch fabric (94-percent polyester 6-percent spandex jersey) was both pliable and supple enough next to skin that an 18-month-old tester wasn’t bothered by the hood—and actually kept it on—for a four-hour excursion to Ashland, OR’s swimming reservoir.

Opinel No. 07 My First Opinel Folding Knife

Camping trips and outdoor adventures are a great time to give your kiddo a little more agency over their day to day as well as take on new risks—like getting their first knife. Opinel’s My First Folding Knife proved sharp enough along the front blade to actually cut everything from kindling to cheese, was great for whittling, yet dull enough at the tip that it was safe for the littles to use after a little conversation around knife safety.

Our tester’s sample lived in Jojo’s pack all summer and she spent more time showing friends its safety features (like a rotating locking mechanism at the top of the handle) than actually cutting or whittling. Though it hasn’t seen extensive use yet, her parents agreed it was still a great investment.

Backpacker’s Pantry Three Cheese Mac and Cheese

Pros and Cons
⊕ Easy way to pack in calories
⊕ Long shelf life
⊗ More expensive than grocery store Mac and Cheese

Childrens’ blood sugar can define a trip. Having quick and easy Mac and Cheese on hand felt like a super power on camping trips. Even our pickiest three-year-old testers did not turn up little noses to this tender elbow pasta and parmesan, romano, and cheddar treat.

The 510-calories per pouch packed enough of a punch that it could feed three young kids, and its 10-year shelf life meant that parents didn’t have to think twice about pulling it out of a camp box and whipping it up as hunger fueled meltdowns reached a fever pitch. Preparation requires just one cup of water and takes a total of 15 minutes. A note on allergens: it does contain eggs, milk, and wheat.

How We Test

We camped a lot to test kids’ gear and determine how each performed out in the elements last summer. Our cadre of ten child testers put in over 75 combined days camping in spots from the Northern Californian coast, to the rivers and woods of Oregon, to Penasco, New Mexico. We brought all the gear and notebooks, set the kids loose, then listened to what the wee ones had to say.

We depended on parents to coordinate the testing, but relied on the kids for performance feedback. We’ve found that paying close attention to the children’s opinions about their gear while adventuring in the elements yields the best testers’ notes. Unlike most adults, kids are readily willing to display their displeasure and do not have any brand loyalty or biases.

Meet the Lead Testers

Category manager Joe Jackson has been testing gear professionally for Outside for over a decade. He was the managing editor for gear guides past and was Outside’s longest running Gear Guy columnist.

Jackson’s daughter Jojo, Josie, or “The Joj,” has been testing gear for this publication since the day she left the hospital after she was born. She just turned six and can explain the performance differences between cotton and a synthetic next-to-skin layer to an adult in a meaningful way.

Jakob Schiller has been testing outdoor products professionally for as long as Jackson and was his boss at Outside for two years where they bickered like brothers about gear. He is raising four children that come with him on most of his wild southwest-based adventures.

The Best Kids’ Gear for Summer Adventures