Welcome to The Toy Chest
The Toy Chest is a thoughtfully curated collection of books, games, and playful invitations created to support children’s connection with Earth through curiosity, kindness, and shared wonder.
It is offered as a space to explore together, honoring that each child connects through play, imagination, movement, and story in their own unique way.
Some offerings invite reading, others invite play or watching and noticing, and others invite stepping into the world together. All are shared with care, and all are optional.
Read and Wonder
For quiet moments, bedtime reading, or curious questions, these stories invite children to explore nature, kindness, and Earth connection through words and images.
Each offering is shared as an invitation to wonder together at a pace that feels comfortable and unhurried.
Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists: Conservation with Jane Goodall
Written by Maureen McQuerry
This thoughtful, accessible book introduces children to the idea of caring for Earth through curiosity, compassion, and everyday choices. Centered on Jane Goodall’s lifelong relationship with the natural world, it offers gentle insights that invite conversation, noticing, and a sense of shared responsibility rooted in love rather than fear.
Jane Goodall: A Kid's Book About Conserving the Natural World We All Share
Written by Mary Nhin
This warm, encouraging book introduces children to Jane Goodall’s love for animals and the Earth through simple language and heartfelt storytelling. It offers a gentle reminder that caring for the natural world begins with small acts of kindness, curiosity, and noticing, making it an easy and comforting read to share.
Written by Ben Hoare
This beautifully illustrated book invites children to notice the many small and extraordinary details of the natural world, from plants and animals to landscapes and changing seasons. It encourages curiosity and quiet observation, making it a wonderful companion for reading together and sparking gentle conversations about Earth’s living systems.
Written by Gabbie Dawnay
This soothing collection of short ocean themed stories invites children to explore life beneath the waves through gentle storytelling and beautiful imagery. Designed for brief reading moments, it offers a peaceful way to wind down together while sparking curiosity about sea creatures, water, and the living world of the ocean.
Play and Explore
For moments of movement, imagination, and hands-on discovery, these playful offerings invite children to explore Earth through noticing, creating, and doing.
Each activity is shared as an open-ended invitation to follow curiosity, learn through play, and connect with the natural world in ways that feel joyful and alive.
Hapinest Find and Seek Scavenger Hunt Card Game
This playful scavenger hunt card game invites children to slow down and notice the world around them through simple prompts and observation. Designed to be used indoors or outdoors, it encourages curiosity, movement, and shared exploration, making it a lighthearted way to turn everyday moments into gentle adventures together.
Nature Scavenger Hunt Cards Set
This simple card set invites children to explore the outdoors through gentle prompts that encourage them to notice shapes, colors, textures, and living details in nature. Designed for open-ended play, it supports curiosity, movement, and presence, turning walks, yard time, or park visits into shared moments of discovery.
Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids
This engaging activity book provides a range of creative prompts that encourage children to explore the outdoors through drawing, building, observation, and experimentation. Designed to spark curiosity and imagination, it supports hands-on learning while inviting children to connect with nature through play and creative expression.
This compact guide offers simple, hands-on ideas for exploring nature wherever you are, from backyards and parks to trails and quiet outdoor corners. Designed to be easy to carry and easy to use, it encourages spontaneous discovery and playful learning through direct connection with the natural world.
Inspired by the spirit of Jane Goodall’s own field journals, this interactive journal invites children to observe animals, record discoveries, and notice patterns in the natural world. It encourages curiosity, listening, and respect for wildlife, offering a playful way for young explorers to connect with animals through observation and reflection.
A portion of the proceeds from this book supports the work of the Jane Goodall Institute.
Watch and Wonder Together
For moments of rest, curiosity, and shared attention, these films and shows invite children and caregivers to pause and wonder together.
Each offering is meant to be enjoyed slowly, creating space for awe, quiet conversation, and noticing the living world through story and image.
Narrated by David Attenborough
This visually stunning nature series invites children and caregivers to witness the beauty and diversity of Earth’s landscapes and wildlife together. Told with a sense of reverence and curiosity, it encourages quiet awe and shared noticing, offering a gentle way to explore the living world through story, sound, and image.
Narrated by David Attenborough
This immersive ocean series invites families to explore life beneath the waves through slow, attentive storytelling and breathtaking imagery. It creates space for quiet awe and shared curiosity, offering a peaceful way to notice the rhythms, creatures, and vast beauty of the sea together.
This imaginative children’s series follows a young girl inspired by Jane Goodall as she sets out to protect endangered animals through curiosity, compassion, and teamwork. Blending storytelling with real-world themes of care and conservation, it offers a gentle, age-appropriate way for families to explore kindness toward animals and the natural world together.
This playful, educational series invites children to explore the animal world through adventure, curiosity, and imaginative storytelling. Blending real wildlife footage with animated journeys, it encourages wonder, respect for animals, and shared learning, making it an engaging way for families to discover Earth’s creatures together.
Explore with Your Community
For moments when curiosity reaches beyond the doorstep, these community-based offerings invite children and caregivers to explore, learn, and care for the world together.
Each link offers a gentle way to connect with nature through shared experiences, local discovery, and collective care, always at a pace that feels supportive and optional.
National Wildlife Federation · Connecting Kids and Nature
This family-focused program offers simple, accessible ways for children and caregivers to connect with nature through everyday outdoor experiences. With resources designed to support curiosity, play, and environmental awareness, it encourages connection with the natural world in ways that feel approachable, local, and rooted in shared discovery.
National Park Service · Kids in Parks
This family-friendly initiative invites children and caregivers to explore national parks and public lands through simple activities designed to spark curiosity and appreciation for the natural world. By encouraging exploration at a child’s pace, it offers meaningful ways to build relationship with Earth through shared experiences, movement, and noticing together.
American Community Gardening Association · Find a Garden
This directory helps families locate community gardens and shared growing spaces in their area, offering opportunities for children and caregivers to experience connection with Earth through planting, tending, and shared care. These gardens invite gentle participation, seasonal learning, and a sense of belonging rooted in place and community.
Audubon Society · Audubon for Kids
This family-friendly resource invites children and caregivers to learn about birds through observation, storytelling, and simple outdoor activities. By encouraging listening, watching, and curiosity about local wildlife, it offers a gentle way to build relationship with nature through everyday encounters close to home.
Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics · Family Programs
These family-centered programs offer simple, age-appropriate ways for children and caregivers to explore the outdoors with care, respect, and awareness. Through gentle guidance and shared experiences, they invite families to learn how to enjoy nature thoughtfully while nurturing a sense of responsibility rooted in love for the places they visit.
Thank you for spending time here, and for meeting these offerings with curiosity and care.
The Toy Chest exists to support moments of connection, play, and shared wonder between children, caregivers, and the living world.
May whatever you carry with you from this space invite gentler days, deeper noticing, and meaningful moments of belonging with Earth, in ways that feel joyful and true for your family.
A gentle note on links:
Some links in the Toy Chest are affiliate links, which means Lumina Soul Works may receive a small commission if you choose to explore or purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.
Many offerings are shared simply because they feel meaningful and aligned with this space.
All recommendations are offered with care, and following any link is always optional.