12 Scavenger Hunts!

Let's go on a scavenger hunt! Scavenger hunts are fun for children of all ages, and they can be educational for children of all ages as well. Our collection of 12 printable scavenger hunts is perfect for exploring both outdoors and indoors, and they can be done at home, in public parks, or on home school field trips.

Grade Level(s):

This resource is suitable for children in grades K through 7. Children in lower grade levels will require additional guidance to complete their scavenger hunts, while children in upper grade levels should be able to complete them independently.

Why to Use:

Use this resource to help children explore their environments, think creatively and independently, and move during the school day.

How to Use:

Do one scavenger hunt at a time. Bring a pencil, marker, or crayon (or bring multiple colors), and guide children to color in a square when they find an item.

When to Use: 

These scavenger hunts can be used throughout the school year. Consider doing one per week or one per month on a regular schedule (i.e., on Friday afternoons). Do outdoor scavenger hunts on nice days, and do indoor scavenger hunts on cold or rainy days to avoid restlessness inside.

Parent-Educator Tips:

These scavenger hunts are supposed to be educational and fun. Encourage children to look for items themselves first; and, if they start to get frustrated, provide support without doing the scavenger hunt for them. For example, if your child is looking for red objects, ask them, “What would be red?”, or look in the direction of a red object and say, “I think you might be able to find one over here.”

If you can’t do any of the outdoor scavenger hunts at home, consider incorporating them into field trips. Or, do these as an online scavenger hunt instead to practice typing and critical thinking skills.

After completing each scavenger hunt, talk about what your child found. Try to link their findings to recent lessons or areas of study (and plan to use these scavenger hunts in connection with specific lessons when it makes sense). This could include lessons about math, colors, nature, the environment, and a wide range of other topics.

Please note: All of our resources are for the purchaser’s use only. While we encourage you to use all of our resources as many times as you want to (including year after year), we ask that you do not provide copies to other people.