Tree Identification Walk for Kids

A regional tree identification guide (printed or an app like Seek by iNaturalist)

A notebook dedicated to tree records

A pencil and crayons for bark rubbings

Tape for attaching leaf samples

Paper for bark rubbings

Before your walk, find or print a simple tree ID guide for your area. Focus on the 10-15 most common trees in your region. A plant ID app works too — just point the camera at a leaf.

Head to a park, nature trail, or tree-lined neighborhood street. Bring your notebook and supplies.

Stop at the first interesting tree. Examine it together: What shape are the leaves? Smooth or serrated edges? How many lobes? What does the bark look like — smooth, furrowed, peeling? Any seeds, nuts, or fruit?

Use the guide or app to identify it. Write the name in your notebook. "This is a red oak. See how the leaves have pointed lobes?"

Tape a leaf sample in the notebook. Hold paper against the trunk and rub with a crayon to capture the bark pattern. Add the date and location.

Move to the next tree and repeat. Aim for at least five different species. By the end of the walk, your child will be pointing out trees they recognize.

Start with obvious, distinctive trees — maples (helicopter seeds), oaks (acorns), birches (white bark), pines (needles instead of leaves).

The Seek app by iNaturalist is free and identifies trees from photos. It feels like magic to kids.

Revisit the same trees in different seasons. Watch leaves change color, fall off, and regrow. Record these changes in the notebook.

Challenge your child: "Can you find every tree on our street and name it?" Neighborhood mapping combines walking, observation, and geography.