7 APPS
to Get Kids Outside Exploring this Summer
F or kids, summer means one thing: freedom.

For most parents, this freedom begs the
question: “How am I going to keep the kids
entertained all break?”
These top-rated exploration apps will lure your
kids off the couch and outside in nature for
hours of boredom-crushing adventure!
Girl: andresr/E+/Getty Images; Illustration: MicrovOne/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
You can only plan so many summer activities
and trips to the pool before it becomes an
exhausted eff ort. And it’s unrealistic to
think that you need to keep your kids busy at
all times — children benefi t from being able
to entertain themselves.

Yet, when their idea of personal entertainment
turns into frequent “veg” sessions in front of the
TV playing video games or watching back-to-
back episodes of “Paw Patrol,” you might want
to guide them in a more active direction.

28 June 2018
washingtonFAMILY.com



3. Meet the Insects:
Forest Edition
1. Disneynature Explore
Disneynature Explore encourages
kids to discover
nature from an
animal’s perspective
with a fun augmented
reality experience. Choose between
fi ve diff erent animals to experience
their lives out in nature and observe
their wildlife behaviors. The exciting
3D animal animation lets users see
what it’s like to go hunting with
a lion in the backyard, fi nd bear tracks
along the driveway, crack nuts with
chimpanzees and view the world from
up high through a butt erfl y’s eyes.

The app also includes a Spanish-
language option. Ages 4-8.

2. Plum’s Photo Hunt
In this PBS developed
app, a friendly alien
named Plum sends
kids outdoors on
photo missions to
capture all kinds
of wonderful things found in nature
like fl owers, trees, insects, shadows
and more. With safety in mind, the
app instructs kids to ask a parent’s
permission before starting any
photo mission. Once a photo hunt
is completed, users can submit their
pictures to be displayed on the PBS
Kids’ Plum Landing website. Ages 6-9.

This interactive
app is jam-packed
with resources on
everything your
kids would ever
want to know
about insects. Let them discover fun
facts, watch mind-blowing videos and
interact with animations by making
insects come to life with the tap of
a fi nger. Kids can also test their bug
knowledge with photo quizzes and
start their own observation journal to
become an insect expert. Age 7+.

4. Leafsnap
Developed by
researchers from Columbia
University, the
University of
Maryland and the Smithsonian
Institution, Leafsnap is one of the
most extensive tree-identifying apps
available. Its visual recognition
software and collection of striking,
high-resolution images help kids
easily identify a wide-variety of
trees and plants out in nature. It also
provides fun games to help sharpen
identifi cation skills. Age 6+.

5. Nature Cat’s Great Outdoors
Based on the
PBS KIDS show,
Nature Cat’s Great
Outdoors is an app
that will defi nitely
get users excited to
explore the vastness of nature. Your
kids won’t get bored with over 100
daily adventure prompts catered to
inside or outside play and specifi c
weather conditions. Earn achievement
badges and create an in-app art journal
to store photos, notes, recorded nature
sounds and digital drawings. Age 5+.

6. Star Chart
This virtual star
chart is the perfect
companion for
family nights out on
the patio. The app
uses GPS technology
and accurate 3D simulation of the
visible universe to calculate in real
time the location of every star, planet
and moon visible from Earth. Simply
point the device at a star to identify it.

In addition, you can virtually explore
all the planets of the solar system and
88 constellations with Star Chart’s
dynamic visual eff ects and beautiful
artwork by 17th-century astronomer
Johananes Hevelius. Age 7+.

7. Geocaching
Make it a whole
family outing by
taking part in this
massive, worldwide
geocaching adventure. This app
takes you on a real-life treasure hunt
to fi nd containers called geocaches that
are hidden throughout almost every
country on Earth. Once you fi nd one,
you sign and date the logbook and
hide the item again. The free intro app
walks you through the process with
helpful tips, hints and instructions.

You are likely to fi nd the fi rst few
geocaches right in your neighborhood!
This app is recommended for children with
adult supervision.

washingtonFAMILY.com June 2018
29