If you and your family enjoy spending time in the great outdoors it is worth investing in a few books to encourage your children to engage with what they are seeing  and to help you answer those tricky ‘What’s that purple flower?’ questions.

‘Usbourne Spotters Guide to Nature”

• A  guide to most common flowers, trees, birds and insects with an easy to use layout.
• Acts both as a reference guide and as a ‘bingo’ where things can be ticked off when they have been spotted.
• Ideal for children aged 6 -10.
• Fairly bulky, not too big but not pocket size either.
• Lovely clear illustrations and extra information about things like bird migration, identifying trees etc.
• Rolls some of the other Usbourne guides into one, so good value from £7.67 on Amazon.

‘I SPY Nature’

The ‘I SPY’ books are a great classic some of us will remember from our childhoods.  They are small and portable with the added ‘Bingo’ element.  We have ‘I Spy Nature’ but I have just noticed the box set which at only £6.20 for 4 books and a notebook in a sturdy box seems an absolute bargain.  Could be a perfect stocking filler!

• A simple mostly pictorial layout.
• Great for 4-8 year olds.
• It will help your child engage with nature but don’t expect an in depth guide.
• An absolute bargain at £2.50 for the single book.
• Perfectly portable size, even for little hands.

‘Food for Free’

Ever fancied a little foraging whilst on a walk or camping?  You’d be amazed at how much edible stuff you pass by.

• This great, classic guide is now available in the ever handy Collins Gem size.
• It advises what to look for, where and what to do with it once you have found it.  I always take it with me.  One day we will make an entire Ray Mears style meal.  In the meantime it’s just fascinating to know what is out there!
• Did you know you can eat goose grass (you know the sticky stuff you can hilariously stick to the back of your friend’s jumper), ground elder and cow parsley!
• Only £3.74 for a Gem edition or £16.24 for a luscious, hard back edition to keep at home.