Nature
Seek by iNaturalist
Kids seem to spend their time aiming a camera at leaves, beetles and birds, then filing each find into a growing collection.
On a short walk with Seek, the pattern is easy to see: a child holds the phone up to a leaf or a beetle, and the app narrows things down step by step, from a broad group like plants or insects toward a family and, with luck, a species name. Finds land in a personal collection alongside photos and a few facts. Badges look designed to reward variety, so kids may start hunting for a fungus or a frog they haven’t logged yet, and the maker describes monthly challenges with a theme to go looking for. iNaturalist says its suggestions lean on what is commonly recorded nearby. It looks like a natural companion for a park, a trail or a backyard, and families who already enjoy wandering outdoors together will probably get the most from it.
- Ages
- Families exploring outdoors together
- Works on
- iPhone and iPad app; Android app
- Topics
- Nature, Science
- Languages
- English
- Listed
- 2026-10-18
What kids do
- Aim the camera at a plant to get a name
- Add new species to a personal collection
- Chase badges for birds, insects and fungi
- Go out on a themed monthly challenge
Who it suits
Families exploring outdoors together.
Notes for parents
Comes from iNaturalist, the nonprofit citizen-science network. It runs on a phone or tablet with a camera, and pre-readers will likely lean on a grown-up to read the species names aloud.
What you need
- iPhone, iPad or Android device
- Camera
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- Journey North: Kids report the monarchs, hummingbirds and other migrants they spot, then watch sightings sweep across a live map.
- National Geographic Kids: National Geographic Kids mixes animal profiles, short videos, quizzes and puzzles on a browsable discovery site.
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers has animal and plant profiles, zoo stories, facts and printable activities.
- Natural History Museum: Activities for All: The Natural History Museum’s Activities for All page lists ways to explore nature at home or close by.