It can be great to get outside with the kids when the summer arrives. Even if you live in the middle of a city, there are usually lots of places to take a fresh look at if you have the right piece of technology with you, and the right inquisitive mind.
Below are just a few apps (free, and available on iTunes or GooglePlay) to get you thinking.  I have selected a couple that focus on identifying plants, trees and one which allows you record any sounds you hear when out to help make an audio scrapbook.
Like that Garden
This is a handy little app that can identify the plants by taking a picture of the leaf. In a few little tests it did find and link to the names of a few randomly selected foliage outside our house (in Ireland), along with a link to a wiki page to find out more about them. A good way to make a short walk fun if you manage to get outside this summer.
Trees Pro
This follows a similar concept, in that you take a photo of the tree, and it tries to identify it. This does have some in-app purchase options to download more trees, but for basic functionality, it can get the conversation and discovery going.
iNaturalist
Despite the name perhaps signifying something more risque, this app is a great little tool to help catalogue what you may see when out and about. It can link into a wider community of users to help you identify something which you have found also.
In general, you can get outside, and explore with your family, however sometimes instead of forcing it and leaving the phone at home, or putting it away in your pocket (where it silently calls to you), perhaps use it to enhance your day out.
These few apps only came to light as I searched for something to identify a plant in the garden. There are a lot more along similar lines.  Have you come across any that you would recommend? If so, please let us know.
Thanks,
Joe