You can find more of our nature books recs for kids here (and for adults here!). This link will take you to some of our favorite camping gear for kids.

Trees! Right now trees are all the rage at our house. I just finished reading The Overstory (more on that soon), and it left me feeling all sorts of feelings about trees. At the same time, I found myself playing a tree-centered game with the boys, reading them a few great books about trees, and we’ve been doing all sorts of playing IN the trees. Read on to see our latest tree-related recommendations. 

First, let’s just talk about the amazing things we’re learning about trees. They communicate with each other! The video above is the short kid’s version of this longer TED talk.  Those videos focus on communication through the underground mycorrhizal network. But there’s more! This episode of The Wild podcast focuses on tree communication. Listen and you’ll hear other bits of awesomeness, like how trees share information about water access.

• The Magic & Mystery of Trees – this is not so much as storybook as it is a great reference book for kids.
• Tree – a beautiful book that tells the story of the life of a tree throughout the year.
• One Small Place in a Tree – the story of a hole in the tree. I particularly love this book because the story continues past the life of the tree, showing that even dead trees provide important services within the forest ecosystem.
• Everything You Need for a Treehouse – a fun book for every kid that dreams of building a treehouse. We have one of those kids in this house and he’s often talking about the treehouse he’s going to build “when (he’s) a teenager”.
• Photosynthesis – we love this game! Where should you plant your tree? how long should you let it grow? Is it shading out your other trees? It’s for older kids, but with a little bit of help, our 5 yo was even able to play.
• Hanging Tent – let’s call this the “prehouse” for our kiddo that desperately wants the treehouse.
• Saucer Swing – hang it on a strong branch and it’s fun for everyone.
• Hanging Ladder – let them climb into the trees!

TREES! We love them.