Best Field Guides for Kids and Families

Discover the best field guides for kids and families to explore and learn about North America's wildlife, plants, and natural wonders. Our top picks offer fun, educational tools for outdoor adventures and help foster a love for nature and God's beautiful creation. Perfect for families, nature lovers, and young explorers!

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3/5/202512 min read

Best Field Guides for Kids and Families

Don't you just love a good adventure? Time spent outdoors looking, noticing, identifying, and exploring? I sure do! Field guides are a great tool to enhance your outdoor explorations. They can be used by kids, adults, or as a family! Field guides give you tips and guidance as they help you to identify the amazing plants, animals, and rocks all around us. This post will share some great field guide books that are easy to use and informative. Find out what can be found in your neck of the woods! Note: These guides are geared toward North American species and specimens.

The product ideas on this page will be grouped into categories to guide your browsing! The categories are:

Notes: I recommend products on this page. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases (at no additional cost to you).

Christian parents, while many of these field guides may stick solely to plant, animal, and specimen identification, most are not printed from faith-based companies. As such, there may be references to worldviews that do not align with your beliefs. Sometimes this can lead to great opportunities for discussion with your kids! I just wanted to point this out ahead of time to give you a heads up.

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Tree Field Guides

Geared Toward Kids

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Trees (National Geographic)

This field guide is geared toward 8-12 year-olds, and it is filled with fun photos and interesting facts. Kids will learn how to observe and identify the trees all around them! Trees across the United States are included. This book is durable and perfect for backyard exploring, hiking, camping trips, or family vacations!

Tree, Leaves & Bark (Take Along Guides)

This book is perfect for beginning tree enthusiasts! It gives tips for where to find specific types of trees. It also provides visuals for the leaves, bark, and seeds for each type of tree. There are also a few fun tree activities for kids included!

For Any Age

The Sibley Guide to Trees

This guide is beautifully illustrated. It is concise and organized by tree family. This helps the reader to learn which families are closely related and to gain a deeper understanding of those families. It's concise nature makes it easy to use and easy to pack for outdoor adventures!

National Geographic Pocket Guide to Trees and Shrubs of North America

This basic field guide provides descriptive information and key facts about trees and shrubs in North America. The information is easy to access and find. Photos and graphics help readers identify various species. This guide is handy, useful, and perfect to bring along on your next outdoor adventure!

yellow leaves on brown tree branch during daytime

Tree Identification Guides (Series with Books for Various States)

These guides are great for focusing on trees found in specific states. Thirteen states are included. The guides are by Stan Tekiela, and they include information on native trees in the state, as well as common non-natives. Thumb tabs show leaf type and attachment type. This guides users to the correct section of the book to further identify the tree. These guides are fact-filled and easy to use.

Wildflower Field Guides

Geared Toward Kids

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Wildflowers (National Geographic)

This book's reading level is aimed at 8 to 12 year-olds. This field guide is fun, fact-filled, and the perfect companion for spotting and identifying wildflowers all around! It is packed with info, facts, and even jokes! This book is perfect for family adventures, picnics, hiking, camping, or just time spent romping around the backyard!

For Any Age

Wildflower Identification Guides (Series with Guides for Various States)

This series of guide books contains wildflower identification guides for seven different states. The species are organized by color and then by size to make identification quick and easy. The guides contain many fascinating facts about each species, as well as colorful photographs that help you with accurate identification.

National Audubon Society Wildflowers of North America

This guide book covers over 800 species of wildflowers. Each species contains colorful photographs to aid in identification, as well as information on the species' range, season, flowers, stems, fruit, and conservation status. This book has a great deal of information to help you not only identify wildflowers in your area, but learn about them as well.

Insect Field Guides

Geared Toward Kids

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Insects (National Geographic)

This field guide is geared toward 8 to 12 year-old kids. It is filled with interesting facts and fun photos that will make kids stop and really think about the insects that are found right in their own backyards! Kids will learn how, when, and where to identify insects. This durable book is a perfect companion for camping, hiking, or backyard exploring!

Caterpillars, Bugs & Butterflies (Take Along Guides)

Kids love bugs, and this book is perfect for helping young kids to identify the insects all around them. It is geared toward younger kids (mainly 8 and under). The book is grouped into categories: butterflies, bugs, caterpillar (and moths). Each section gives tips on where to find the creature, what it looks like, and what it eats. Any young bug enthusiast will find enjoy this book.

For Any Age

Bugs & Slugs: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar North American Invertebrates

This 12-panel folding pocket guide is perfect for those who want the quick and simple, most needed to know info to identify insects in their area. This guide identifies 140 common species of beetles, bugs, flies, aquatic insects, and spiders. It is laminated for durability, portable, and handy for all “bug” enthusiasts. Made in the USA.

Butterfly Identification Guides (Series with Guides for Various States)

This series of guide books contains identification guides for five different states. Each guide is easy to use and informative. 102 species of butterflies are organized by color for easier identification. The guides include detailed photographs and a “compare” feature to help you compare look-alike species. Life-size silhouette images are included to provide info on size, and range maps show you where each butterfly is most commonly seen.

selective focus photography of green insect

Mammal Field Guides

Geared Toward Kids

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Mammals (National Geographic)

Kids ages 8-12 will love this information filled field guide. It is full of color photos, and it will help kids to identify the mammals right in their own backyards. It is durable, and it is perfect for family fun or solo backyard identifying.

Tracks, Scats & Signs (Take Along Guides)

Any young explorer will enjoy this book. It is geared toward kids ten and under, and it includes many tips to help kids identify signs of creatures in their area. The book is organized by area, helping kids think about what they may find in the forest, field, or by a pond. Within each section, common animals are shown, along with tracks, scat, and other signs that may help to identify them. This book is perfect to bring along on a family camping or hiking adventure!

Wildlife Pocket Guides for Kids (Series with Guides for Various States)

These guides are great for focusing on mammals found in specific states. Eight states are included. The guides have quality photographs, and are full of information to help you figure out what has been in your area. You will read about animal habitat, range, and preferred food sources. There are also fun facts included! These guides are fact-filled and easy to use.

For Any Age

Animal Tracks: A Folding Pocket Guide to the Tracks & Signs of Familiar North American Species

This handy folding pocket guide will help you to identify the tracks and signs of animals around you. This beautifully illustrated collection features the tracks and signs of 65 common and familiar North American species as well as a handy ruler to help with measuring tracks and signs. This guide is laminated for durability, portable, and extremely useful in the outdoors. Made in the USA.

Mammal Identification Guides (Series with Guides for Various States)

These guides are great for focusing on mammals found in specific states. Ten states are included. The guides are by Stan Tekiela, and are full of information to help you figure out what has been in your area. You will read about times each animal is most likely to be active and signs that it might leave, such as rubs and scrapes. There is also info on track patterns and scat. These guides are fact-filled and easy to use.

brown squirrel on branch of tree eating nut

Bird Field Guides

Geared Toward Kids

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic)

This bird field guide is aimed at kids ages 8-12. It is full of pictures and interesting information. Kids will learn how to identify birds from all over the United States. It is durable and perfect for backyard bird spotting, hiking trips, and camping adventures.

The Kids' Field Guide to Birds

This guide is full of species profiles, bird-watching basics, and fun facts. It is organized by showing birds found in common settings (urban, marsh, woodland, etc.) to help kids identify birds based on where they are while bird-watching. This guide will be a great resource to use, wherever your family is exploring!

Backyard Bird Watching Book for Kids

This book is a bit unique in that it contains QR codes with bird calls! Your kids can use their sense of hearing to help identify birds while out exploring. In addition, this guide contains beautiful illustrations, interesting facts, and fun projects and activities for kids to enjoy.

Birds, Nests & Eggs (Take Along Guides)

This book is aimed toward the younger bird watcher (mainly under 8 years old). It will help children identify 15 birds, as well as give information about how and where birds build their homes. Additionally, the book features fun activities and a scrapbook section.

For Any Age

The Sibley Guide to Birds

This guide is concise and beautifully laid out and illustrated. It shares excellent information, and that information is arranged taxonomically, making it easier to see similarities between related bird species. Be sure to tuck this guide away on your next bird-watching adventure!

Record-Keeping

Beginning Birdwatcher's Book: With 48 Stickers

This is a fun way for your budding birdwatcher to keep track of species identified! This book includes space on each page for a sticker illustration of the bird identified, along with information about the bird, as well as the date, time, and location of the sighting. It's a great way to combine fun, learning, and record-keeping!

Reptile & Amphibian Field Guides

Geared Toward Kids

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians

This field guide aimed at 8-12 year-old kids is full of beautiful pictures and fun-filled facts. Young explorers will learn how to identify the reptiles and amphibians that are right in their own backyards! Perfect for hiking treks, camping trips, and simple family fun.

Snakes, Salamanders & Lizards (Take Along Guides)

This guide is geared toward younger explorers (8 years old and younger). It is organized into three sections: snakes, salamanders, and lizards. Each section has information about common species. The book gives readers tips about what the creature looks like, where it can be found, and what it eats. It also provides safe-viewing tips. Additionally, the book has activity pages as well as a scrapbook section!

Frogs, Toads & Turtles (Take Along Guides)

This book is from the same Take Along Guides series, and is aimed at children 8 years old and younger. It is organized by species type, and it provides info about what the creatures look like, where they can be found, and what they eat. It also provides interesting facts, activities, and a scrapbook section!

For Any Age

Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians (Eastern and Central North America)

This field guide contains excellent identification information about many species. It includes detailed pictures and illustrations to help with identification. It also provides clearly laid out tips about behavior and range. It is a must-have guide for any wildlife lover!

Fish Field Guides

For Any Age

Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Freshwater Fish

This guide gives information about 140 of the most common freshwater fish species found in North American rivers, lakes, and streams. It shares information about identification, habitat, size, and diet. It is a useful tool for any fishing enthusiast!

Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish

This guide is full of colorful reference images, and it provides fish enthusiasts with an easy-to-use guide to help identify the most common species found off the North American coastlines. It is arranged alphabetically by species, and each entry includes identification tips, as well as information about size, distribution, habitat, behavior, and feeding habits of each fish.

Fish Identification Guides (Series with Guides for Various States)

These guides are great for focusing on fish found in specific states. Fourteen states are included. The guides provide quality illustration, fascinating facts, and detailed information to help you identify fish in your area. You can learn about identification tips, spawning behavior, feeding habits, and more.

Ident-I-Cards Fish

These cards are waterproof and pocket-sized, making them perfect to bring along on your next fishing adventure. They include full color pictures and represent different fish species. They are an easy-to-pack, must-have tool!

Rock & Mineral Field Guides

Geared Toward Kids

Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals (National Geographic)

This field guide has a reading level aimed at 8 to 12 year-olds. It is full of fun photos and information, and it teaches kids how to identify different rocks and minerals that they may find right in their own backyards! Your little rockhound will love to bring this book along on hiking trips, camping trips, or even while just playing around the house!

For Any Age

Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides (Series with Guides for Various States)

This series contains rock and mineral identification guides for nine states! Each guide has color photographs to help with identification. The guides contain common characteristics of each rock or mineral, as well as maps to show the range in which the specimen is typically found. These are helpful tools for any rock enthusiast!

United Scientific Mineral ID Kit

This kit provides you with useful tools you may need as you try to identify various minerals. The kit includes a glass plate, streak plate, dropper bottle, magnet, nail, and hand lens. You can use the tools to determine a mineral's hardness, streak color, magnetic properties, and more!

Useful Tools!

Bushnell H2O 10x42mm Binoculars, Waterproof and Fogproof Binoculars for Boating, Hiking, and Camping

These binoculars are great for outdoor family adventures. They are waterproof and foldable, making them easy to use and store in various conditions. They have excellent contrast and resolution. They are easy to use for both kids and adults. You will find them a useful tool as you try to spot and identify species that may be a distance away!

Nature Journal for Little Explorers

This nature journal gives little explorers a place to record what they discover while they are out adventuring! There is space to describe what was seen, to record details of the day, and to sketch and take notes. It is a perfect place for kids to log their discoveries!

Refillable Handmade Leather Notebook

This handmade notebook is absolutely gorgeous and is perfect for the older kid or adult who wants to keep a record of their outdoor adventures. The outer covering is made from genuine leather and uniquely crafted. The refillable inserts are made from premium paper and include blank pages, lined pages, and kraft paper. This is a beautiful notebook that makes a perfect gift for the nature-lover in your life.

Osprey Ultralight Collapsible Stuff Pack

Every adventurer needs a sack to hold all of their tools! This backpack is perfect for a day outing. It is lightweight, weighing only 5.2 ounces. It can hold up to 18 liters. It includes a sternum strap to help with weight distribution, and it has pockets to store your water bottles. It also self-stows into a built-in storage bag. It is a go-to back for your next adventure!

I wish you and your family the best as you head out on future adventures! There really is nothing quite like exploring God's beautiful creation with those you love. There is so much to see, so much to discover, and so much to appreciate about this beautiful, wild, amazing world in which we live.

~Happy adventuring!

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