Several months ago, on a rainy day, I tried doing a scavenger hunt inside with the kids. I drew pictures of where they had to look for clues and there was a small prize at the end. They had fun doing the hunt, but I decided to tweak the idea a bit to make it a little simpler the next time.
With Dora the Explorer in mind, and the fact that my little preschooler LOVES maps, I drew out a “map” of what they were looking for:
This time around I kept the list of items to things I knew they’d find easily and fairly quickly.
Peanut found something yellow right away…
A few minutes later she also found a stick; little brother was chillin’ in his car… 
I didn’t think he even knew what we were doing until he pointed out these flowers:
They found all 6 items on our walk to visit Mamaw next door, and they had lots of fun! They couldn’t wait to tell Mamaw what they had seen.
Since fall is in the air now, I’m thinking another scavenger hunt is in the near future. We can look for leaves in different colors, grasshoppers, and as the leaves fall, maybe we’ll spot a bird’s nest!
Have you tried a scavenger hunt with your kids? What did you do differently?
Elizabeth says
I love doing scavenger hunts with the kids! It is such a sweet thing that I think they remember long after they have grown (or at least I hope they will). Love the picture clues! My children are a little bit older, so I make riddles as the clues.
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admin says
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Jennifer says
This is a great idea! I had never thought to do this. My daugher isn’t a fan of Dora, but in a few months, she might understand/communicate enough to do this. I will have to keep this in mind. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer Johnson says
Do you have any tips for scavenger hunts for older kids? Mine are 8 and 10, but they would still enjoy doing something like this. And I know the time is coming soon when I won’t be able to entice them to do family activities such as a hunt!!
admin says
I have yet to make a scavenger hunt for those ages, but I love clues that rhyme… Maybe make a set of clues describing a set of objects they must find and collect?
Jennifer Johnson says
I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe I can make as part of the hunt-getting them build something out of legos in a certain room, or drawing a picture from a rhyming clue….Thanks for the inspiration!!
admin says
Love it! Good luck and have fun!