Scavenger Hunts
Encourage children to explore, observe their surroundings using their senses and tools (magnifying glasses), and ask questions about what they notice. Find all the items on their scavenger hunt checklist can promote a sense of independence as well.
- Audience
- Caregiver
- Subject
- Nature & Outdoor
- Age
- InfantKindergartenPre-KPreschoolToddler
- Languages
- Brazilian PortugueseEnglishHaitian CreoleSimplified ChineseSpanishVietnamese
- Materials
- Markers or crayons, paper, tray or clipboard, magnifying glass (optional)
Try doing scavenger hunts with your child!
Activity
- Work together to make a checklist of things to find. You can write words or add simple drawings. The list can include specific materials from nature, like leaves, buds, rocks, and birds. You can also add ways to use different senses, like something smooth, bumpy, colorful, or that smells good.
- Go outside to explore with a tray or clipboard. Also bring a marker or crayon. Explain any rules to your child, like where they can explore and what they can collect. Remind them not to pull leaves off plants or touch animals.
- Encourage your child to use their senses—look closely, listen carefully, touch gently, and notice things from far away. It’s okay if they don’t find everything. You can work together to help each other
Try this with babies
- Make a bin with safe natural items like pinecones, leaves, flowers, rocks, or shells. Babies who can sit up can explore the bin, or you can place items in front of them during tummy time.
Need simpler ideas?
- Instead of making a list of what to look for ahead of time, you can make a list of what you find together as you take a walk.
Want more challenge?
- Add items that are harder to find to the list, like something that moves, grows, or is their favorite color.
- Introduce magnifying glasses. Show your child how to use one to look closely at objects. Let them practice with a few items on a tray.
Ideas for different weather
- If you can’t go outside, spot items through the window or bring natural objects indoors.
- Hide items around a room for an indoor scavenger hunt. Children can still explore, look closely, and enjoy discovering things safely inside.
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EducatorGuidePlayful by Nature – Educator Guide
You can incorporate nature-based education anywhere! You don’t need to live in a rural area, or have a forest in your neighborhood, or even have a yard at all. Nature can truly be discovered in unexpected places.