Like most parents I try to get my kids outside as much as possible but it’s not exactly easy! This printable outdoor scavenger hunt made it so much more enjoyable though and kept both my kids busy for ages.
The free PDF comes in both UK and US English spellings for a garden or backyard so your kids can enjoy it no matter where you’re based.
We’ve shared a lot of scavenger hunt ideas on this blog because they’re a great way to keep your kids busy no matter the occasion. They’re always popular with my children and I hope they will be with yours too.
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What You'll Find on This Page
Garden Scavenger Hunt
With so many lockdowns, school closures and everything else over the last couple of years I’ve found it really hard at times to keep my kids entertained.
And it’s more than fair to say that my kids had a lot more screen time than I would have liked.
I do this kind of stuff a lot so I should theoretically have 100 ideas up my sleeve and I do have a lot ideas but I’ve also been trying to balance doing stuff with the kids with work, housework and keeping us all vaguely sane – it’s not always that easy!
What I loved about these scavenger hunt printables was that they were super easy to prepare, just printing them off and then we could get outside and get some fresh air while we have some fun together.
Plus even better, once we had finished hunting for all the different things outdoors they wanted to stay outside longer to play.
Colouring in these printables also meant that they took a little bit longer for my kids to complete them, if you’ve planned an activity with your kids you’ll know how it feels when they race through it in two minutes.
Unlike a traditional scavenger hunt which just has a list of items to find, the color in design also means that this printable scavenger hunt is a great activity for people of all ages.
Younger kids can look for the images that they recognise and older kids are able to read the word net to each item as well as the bonus hunt.
There are some things on the printables that you’ll find pretty easy to look for – clouds were definitely a quick win for us, but there’s also things on it that will take a little bit more effort and a bit more of a hunt outdoors such as ants and snails.
We couldn’t find everything but we certainly had a good time trying!
As always, this printable is totally free for you to download and you can print as many copies as you like so it’s perfect for use at home but you can also use it in your classroom, preschool or kindergarten if you need an excuse to get your kids outside.
What is a Scavenger Hunt?
Scavenger hunts are a really easy activity to do with your child. Simply grab a list of items to find and then go on a search to find them and tick them all off your list. They’re like a treasure hunt but in this case the treasures are natural objects which are already out there.
Our outdoor scavenger hunts include specific items like leaves and flower pots but also ones which allow for a little bit of creative thinking like looking for different textures, something round or something soft.
Where Can You Do A Nature Scavenger Hunt?
While this was designed as a backyard scavenger hunt but you could take it anywhere outdoors.
Why not try taking your printed scavenger hunt with you to alocal park or take a walk locally and use this as a neighborhood scavenger hunt to see what you can find near your home.
Nature hunts are a fun way to keep kids entertained and we love to use them if we’re going to woods or on a hike, it makes it feel a bit more like an adventure!
You could use these on playdates or even on a birthday party – maybe with an insect net or nature book as the prize for whoever finds the most items.
What You’ll Need:
Your scavenger hunt PDF (see the links below)
Coloring pens,pencils or markers
You may also like to take a clipboard to lean on and how about grabbing some binoculars or a magnifying glass?
We have loads of free printables including games, colouring sheets and crafts so if you like this activity make sure to check them out.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt List:
- Butterfly
- Flower
- Leaf
- Snail
- Flowerpot
- Ladybird (Ladybug on the backyard scavenger hunt)
- Watering Can
- Cloud
- Twig
- Bee
- Ant
- Stone
- Worm
- Grass
There is also a bonus hunt section that asks kids to look for something soft, hard, spikey, shiny, round and smelly.
If you feel that this list might be a little long for your child then why not check out our outdoor scavenger hunt for toddlers which has less items and larger pictures making it perfect for younger children.
Kids Books About Nature:
Spending time outdoors is a great way to encourage your child’s interest in nature. Whether it’s fiction or factual books that your child is into there’s always a book you can share that can help to carry on that interest when you are back indoors.
The first two of these are ones that my kids are currently enjoying while the third is just one that I think looks gorgeous and is one we’ll be adding to our reading list!
- Lift The Flap Questions and Answers About Natureby
- Superwormby Julia Donaldson
- We Are The Gardenersby Joanna Gaines
More Free Printable Activities for Kids
We share loads of freeprintablesfor kids crafts and activities because as a mom myself I know how expensive keeping your kids entertained can be! We have lots offree printable scavenger huntsbut you’ll also find lots of craft templates and printable crafts and games too. Here’s some that you might like to get started with!
Our free indoor scavenger hunt is great for those days when the weather is bad and you can’t get outside. Look for toys, books and lots more other items together.
Our color scavenger hunt is also a great choice because it’s so adaptable, you can use it at home or out on an exploration. Maybe you’ll find a black feather in your yard, a brown pinecone or acorn on your local nature trails or some yellow sand at the beach!
One of our PDFs that can be used again and again is this free tree printable and we’ve got loads of ideas for across the different seasons.
Theserainbowtemplates are really cheerful and we’ve got lots of rainbow crafts that you can make using them too.
How To Get Your Free Printable Backyard Scavenger Hunt
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Both thebackyard scavenger huntand thegarden scavenger huntare included in the PDF – just print the one you want!
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FREE OUTDOOR SCAVENGER HUNT
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