Backyard Safari Outfitters Review

ABOUT:

Backyard Safari Outfitters equips young explorers with all the essential field ear 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!  The collection includes over 30 different essentials to make it a great nature play experience for kids to enjoy on their own or share with friends and family.

MY THOUGHTS:

When I was younger, I was fascinated by lighting bugs and ants.  I didn’t want to touch either but I loved to watch them.  Since I have two boys I figured it was only a matter of time before they wanted to touch and play with the bugs outside our house, so I was excited when I got the chance to try out a few of the Backyard Safari Outfitters products.

Land & Water Mega View Periscope

This full-view periscope allows stealth viewing over boulders, high bushes, backyard fences, and around corners. Three rugged, light-weight sections telescope for a reach over 4 feet high to let you see all those out-of-reach views.

EXCLUSIVE WATER FEATURE! Flip the Mega View Periscope upside down and a full 16 inches is submersible for underwater viewing—on docks, poolside, lakes or beaches. A fish eye view…but without all that water in your ears.  (Retail $24.99)

My son loves this Periscope the best.  He drags it all over and tries to lift it so he can see.  He just laughs every time he looks through it!  We haven’t tried the water feature yet, but I know it will be a hit when we bring it over to my parent’s pool.  We keep it in the backyard so he can explore the area by his treehouse and he thinks he is so cool!  I love that it is pretty lightweight and durable.  The ability to expand 4 feet is nice too!

Bug Wrangler’s Extreme Suction Bug Vacuum

There are THOUSANDS of crawling, flying, buzzing bugs in your backyard – catch them LIVE with your Bug Vac! Look at bugs UP-CLOSE with built-in magnifying Glass! CAPTURE CORE attaches to the Bug Habitat (sold separately) for easy transfer of your insects.  (Retail $19.99)

I admit I was skeptical about this, because I was afraid my son would suck up bugs and then bring them inside, but so far he has been good about letting them go free when he is done.  The vacuum suction is not that powerful where you could really hurt the insects but it does slowly suck them up.  They then wander around in there and you can look though the magnifier with it.  Aidan is so funny as he chases bugs around and tries to catch them!  He thinks it is pretty cool!  I wish the one clear piece attached a little better to the vacuum because it seems to be able to pulled off a little too easy, but Aidan enjoys it and doesn’t notice.

Essential Field Gear Cargo Vest

It’s your most essential piece of field gear. It’s rugged, and tough enough for all your outdoor adventures. Plenty of cargo pockets means lots of space to load up. Six D-Rings and two shoulder epaulets let you clip and hang more essential gear. A large zipper pocket stores your trusty binocs and a clear-view chest pocket stores your Pop-Up Field Guides™. The back of the vest features a one-size-fits-all adjustable strap and two extra mesh pockets for storing extra gear. It’s the must-have for every BACKYARD SAFARI™ kid.  (Retail $19.99)

I think this vest is absolutely adorable and a must have for any outdoor explorer!  It has so many pockets, hooks, and quickly zips on and off.  Aidan immediately put this vest on and pretty much wore it all day, putting fruit snacks, cars, and other random objects in his pockets.  I think as he gets a little older he will use the pockets to collect leaves or other outside objects.  Very cute and adjustable!

BONUS

Each Backyard Safari Outfitters Kit includes a detailed Pop-Up Field Guide that it small enough to carry around in your pocket and pull out as needed.  The guide contains illustrations and information for every subject related to outdoor and nature exploration, such as Field Communication, the Solar System, Butterflies, Fossils, and Beetles.

You can find Backyard Safari Outfitters on Twitter and Facebook!

BUY IT: Backyard Safari Outfitter is available at Toys R Us, WalMart, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Target.  For more information about Summit Toys and a complete list of Backyard Safari essential field gear, visit www.summittoy.com.

Mama’s Money Savers Disclosure:  I was sent these products for a Team Mom review.  This review is 100% my opinion and I was not compensated in any other way.