Do you like a scavenger hunt? These are so much fun to do! Not only are they a way to get outside together and have an adventure, but they are also low prep.

There are many health benefits of being outside…..it chases away the blues, increases vitamin D, boosts the brain, it’s good for the eyes and good for sleep. I am a big believer in kids being outside. Check out my video on outdoor learning and being outside. 

HOW DO YOU MAKE A SCAVENGER HUNT? 

You can make nature hunts based on several different factors:

• Color
• Texture
• Animals
• Flowers
• By the alphabet
• What you see in the different seasons

Scavenger Hunts do not have to be complicated.

Based on your child/children’s ages, you can do 5-10 objects or 15-20. You can have simple lists or incorporate a greater level of difficulty by asking them to find something a certain size or length (an awesome way to include math). 

HOW TO DO IT

There are so many ways in which you can hunt – as a team, as an individual, with points, without points, timed, no time limit……honestly, it is up to you. Mix it up. Have fun with it. 

My girls love a scavenger hunt with a prize. Sometimes I will assign a point value to different items and, knowing that they might not be able to find everything, the one with the highest point total gets the prize (also please note that in the interest of fairness, both get a prize!) 

You could have your children just check off what they see. Or they could draw a picture of the object, or take a photo. It really is up to you.

If you don’t want to make your own list, I will have some printables on my website of some different lists.

But if you want to create your own lists, I have put together a list of items that you can draw from. This is what I do – draw from a larger list. I try to change up what we do each time. 

A nature scavenger hunt is truly a great way to get outside, get some vitamin D and fresh air. It puts you in touch with nature and lets you see something different. If you don’t live near a nature reserve or national park, etc. you can do a scavenger hunt in a park. Don’t feel that you can’t do a scavenger hunt because you are limited with options. Improvise and do what you can.

Here’s a list for you

Here is a list of items that you could choose from to create your own nature scavenger hunt:

Want to print something out? Here are a couple of printables I put together for you.

Check out these other related posts:
Diggle and Doe’s List of Fun Things to Do this Summer
Putting Together Scavenger Hunts