Children can now get up-close and personal with nature right in their own backyard or nearby park. Backyard Safari Outfitters equips young explorers with all the essential field gear they could possibly need for scoping out local “wildlife,” from insects in the grass to birds in the sky to frogs in a pond — and more!  Kids can choose from a broad array of fun gear and tools, including the practical and very snappy looking Cargo Vest, as well as the cool Bug Vacuum, Mega View Periscope – among dozens of other choices.

I wish I’d had a video camera in hand when I opened the box from Backyard Safari Outfitters so I could have recorded the excited little faces peering inside. Lucas instantly proclaimed he was a “bug explorer” and begged to head outside to “suck up some bugs”. Unfortunately, an argument over who got to wear the vest first happened and they had to wait a few days to try out the goodies.

Now that they’ve been playing with them for a couple of weeks and they’re still amazed and love to go “exploring”. The periscope has been the biggest hit, and all the kids love to use it in the swimming pool to peek up over the side to see who’s coming to get in, though they haven’t tested the underwater abilities of it yet. Apparently it’s pretty difficult to hold your nose, hold the periscope, and look through it all at the same time lol. They’ve also determined it’s perfect to watch the bunnies and squirrels that come into our yard, without scaring them away… though chasing them is still pretty tempting lol.

Logan "spying" on a squirrel.

The vest has been the next favorite and Lucas has determined that the pockets are perfect to carry his flashlight, binoculars, toy cell phone, favorite stuffed toy, snack, and whatever else he can shove inside lol. It’s not just for exploring outside, it’s for going to Grandma’s, getting ready for bed, and pretty much any time of day when you’re awake. The vacuum has been fun for the boys, but it doesn’t really vacuum many bugs up, but it makes a great place to keep your lightning bugs

Here buggy, buggy, buggy...

Would I recommend the Backyard Safari Outfitters toys? Absolutely! They’re a little more than we typically spend on toys, but they’re well made and have held up well through many “my turns” and tosses in the toy box and even getting stuffed under the seat in my truck.  As a matter of fact, I’ll be ordering Lucas the Backyard Safari Outfitters Bug and Frog Habitat 2-IN-1 Habitat for his birthday, in hopes that he stops using my plastic containers to put his frog friends in.