As a homeschooling mom and former librarian, I am always on the look for educational materials and books for my children. I am a huge fan of National Geographic Kids. My daughter and I have read many books from the publisher, and I always know that my kids will learn something new from the materials. Thus, when recently offered the chance to review an “Explore the Outdoors” set of materials from National Geographic Kids, I eagerly accepted the opportunity. I received National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn), Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide), Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids), and National Geographic binoculars.
National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn)
My son is almost eighteen months old. Like his big sister and mother, he already loves books and reading. Although he is fairly gentle with paper books, I prefer to give him board books whenever possible to allow him to explore the pages and illustrations by himself. Recommended for little learners between the ages of 1 and 4, National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn) guides young readers through the development of a monarch from a cute caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly through simple, age-appropriate language in a colorful board book.
Both my kids love looking at the colorful photographs in Caterpillar to Butterfly. When I asked my preschooler daughter her opinion of the book, she said that she liked the pictures because the orange butterflies are pretty. My son also liked looking at all the colorful illustrations in the book. My daughter enjoyed listening to me read the text aloud, and she asked quite a few questions about the life cycle of a butterfly. The text is a bit complicated for beginning readers like my daughter, but she was able to figure out many of the words on her own. She also had run with the matching activity at the end of the book.
At $6.99, National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn) is comparatively priced to other similar science board books. I would definitely buy more National Geographic Kids board books at that price. In fact, my daughter saw the list of a few other titles available on the back of the book and immediately asked to check some out from the library. Caterpillar to Butterfly is already a hit in my household.
You can purchase National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn) on Amazon via my affiliate link.
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide)
I enjoy watching the neighborhood birds fly around my yard and hang out in my trees and bushes, and my son absolutely loves birds of any kind. While spending time in New York City this past winter, he loved pointing out the pigeons and seagulls. Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide) is the perfect reference book for my budding bird watcher. Recommended for kids between the ages of 8 and 12, the book is a fun, photo-filled, fact-packed bird guide that helps kids find the feathered friends in their own backyards. From ducks to hawks, sparrows to sandpipers, kids will learn how, where, and when to spot birds all over the United States.
Although neither of my young children are ready to read Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds yet, both enjoyed looking at all the photos of the birds throughout the book. I also enjoyed reading and learning about birds in the United States, many of which I can see in the area. I recently hung a bird feeder in my front apple tree, so I am excited to have a guidebook to help me figure out the birds visiting my neighborhood. The information is easy-to-read and contains tons of information such as scientific names, range maps, interesting facts, and more. With his current interest in birds, my son will probably enjoy looking at and reading this field guide as he grows up too.
At $12.99, this field guide is reasonably priced for a reference book full of info and interactivity prompts. The book is durable and portable, perfect for the backyard, camping, or hiking. You can purchase Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide) on Amazon via my affiliate link.
Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids)
I love using interactive workbooks with my daughter during homeschool time. I especially love workbooks with a variety of activities. Recommended for kids between the ages of 6 and 9, Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids) offers cutouts, games, stencils, stickers, and more with an outdoor theme. My daughter will be 4 1/2 this summer, but, because she is academically advanced for her age, Get Outside Creativity Book will be a perfect activity book for her during the warmer months. I already envision us sitting outside on our back patio at our umbrella table, working on a few pages of the book each morning.
Through a big, bright spiral-bound activity book, Get Outside Creativity Book encourages kids to get outside and play with stencils, stickers, stickers, pull-outs, games, trivia, puzzles, and cutouts that encourage exploration and learning in the great outdoors. The format dazzles young learners with a combination of fun and whimsical design and world-famous National Geographic photography. When I showed her the workbook, my daughter immediately wanted to start working on the activities. She was most excited about the stencils and the games. She cannot wait for summer to come so that we can start working on the activities together.
At $8.66, Get Outside Creativity Book is more than reasonably priced. I have been considering buying a second copy for my son when he gets older. Many workbooks with a variety of activities cost much more, so this book is an absolute steal. You can purchase Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids) on Amazon via my affiliate link.
National Geographic Binoculars
In addition to the three books, I also received a pair of National Geographic 8×21 Pocket Binoculars. The binoculars feature fully coated BK-7 optics and solid mechanics that enable true color picture replication. These pocket binoculars have a compact and attractive design and come with a functional bag and neck cord. My daughter is super excited for the binoculars, which she has wanted since seeing Curious George with a pair. These binoculars offer a clear view of objects pretty fair away. I am not binocular expert, but I think this pair is pretty good, especially for bird watching and for use by kids. At $35.97, the National Geographic 8×21 Pocket Binoculars are moderately priced compared to other similar binoculars.
You can purchase National Geographic 8×21 Pocket Binoculars on Amazon via my affiliate link.
Final Verdict
My kids and I love the books and activities in the National Geographic Kids “Explore the Outdoors” set. Both my toddler and preschooler enjoy reading the board book Caterpillar to Butterfly, and my son already loves looking at all the bird pictures in Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide). My daughter is super excited to start working on Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids) — which offers cutouts, games, stencils, stickers, and more with an outdoor theme — this summer. The National Geographic binoculars are a fun addition that go perfectly with the bird field guide. If you are looking for educational materials to help get your kids outside, I highly recommend these four “Explore the Outdoors” materials from National Geographic Kids.
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Image Credits
National Geographic Kids “Explore the Outdoors” Review © 2016 Heather Johnson
National Geographic Kids “Explore the Outdoors” © 2016 Heather Johnson
National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn) 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn) 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn) 3 © 2016 Heather Johnson
National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Caterpillar to Butterfly (Look & Learn) 4 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide) 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide) 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide) 3 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorers Field Guide) 4 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids) 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids) 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids) 3 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Get Outside Creativity Book (National Geographic Kids) 4 © 2016 Heather Johnson
National Geographic Binoculars © 2016 Heather Johnson
