Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Leaf collecting goes high tech with free field guide app.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Leafsnap
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
Nature-loving kids can use Leafsnap to help identify trees. Kids pick a leaf, lay it on a sheet of white paper, and snap an image with their device. When a list of similar-looking leaves appears on the side of the screen, kids compare details to choose a match -- some of which appear much more likely than others. Kids then choose their match and read more detailed information about the tree, save the image to their own catalog, and keep building their online leaf collection.
Is It Any Good?
This isn't a perfect leaf ID'ing tool, but LEAFSNAP can definitely help kids become more familiar with leaves and trees. And the catalog and games are solidly educational with beautiful photos. If you're taking your phone out on a hike to use this app as a field guide, be prepared to bring a white sheet of paper or something with you because you have to take the photos of leaves you want to identify on a white background. Currently, this app focuses on areas in the Eastern United States, but it promises to include leaves from the entire continental U.S. soon.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Walk a local park with your kid, choosing leaves of trees to snap for the app. Don't forget to bring a white sheet of paper for photo background.
Start a leaf collection the old fashioned way, taping leaves on paper and labeling them with the info you find on this app, as well as tactile info such as smell and feel of the leaves.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Science : plants , Arts : photography
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence , applying information , hypothesis-testing , Tech Skills : using and applying technology
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : June 5, 2015
- Genre : Education
- Publisher : Columbia University, University of Maryland, and Smithsonian Institution
- Version : 1.07
- Minimum software requirements : Requires iOS 5.1.1 or later.
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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