Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids

We love going for a hike in the forest. Choosing a trail that the kids can handle often limits where we can go. A nature scavenger hunt is a great way to add interest to a place you’ve frequented before. Or use the nature scavenger hunt to explore a brand new place.

Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Before you head out, download the Nature Scavenger Hunt PDF. You can use this for your own personal or classroom use. Save paper by looking at the list of items on your phone. Or you can give the kids a print out to check off items they find.

We like to do the scavenger hunt as a family activity. I’ll call out something from the list that I see nearby. Then, the kids can search for it. This helps make the hunt a little more manageable and keeps them interested for longer. A list of 20 items can be overwhelming if they’re trying to find everything all at once.

We were creative with some of the tasks. Can you find a rock bigger than your thumb? Aiden succeeded in this task.

And so did Elon. Although he didn’t just find one. He spends a lot of his time in the forest picking up rocks and then throwing them.

The kids had fun pointing to the items when they spotted them. Aiden stuck this pose after he found a vine. Do you see it?

Remember to look up. Can you spot the squirrel nest in the picture below?

Can you find an interesting rock? Lily found this specimen. Aiden was quick to identify it as sandstone because of its rough texture. It feels like sandpaper!

You don’t have to have a list of items to find the next time you’re out in the forest. Play a game of I Spy instead. Call out something you see and then have the kids find it. Let them take a turn choosing something for you to find, too.

Storybook Science

This activity was inspired by The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare by Sam McBratney. Little Nutbrown Hare and his dad go on lots of adventures in the forest. This book tells us about four of them. If your kids fell in love with Little Nutbrown hare in Guess How Much I Love You, they’ll enjoy following him through more adventures.

The first week of our Storybook Science series features Sensory Science. A nature scavenger hunt is all about using yours sense of sight (touch, smell, and hearing, too)! Follow along with the rest of the Storybook Science here. Bloggers will be sharing a new science idea inspired by a children’s book throughout the month of March.