Whether it was following instructions to find a buried Matchbox car in our backyard, or finding my Easter basket with string, scavenger hunts are some of my favorite memories from childhood.
In close to 30 years of working with children, I’m not sure I can think of a single child who didn’t LOVE an age-appropriate scavenger hunt! From the thrill of the search, to the joy of the find… most children are giddy to find the treasure!
As a teacher, you can do so much with scavenger hunts. They are fun for the children, relatively easy to create for parents, and an excellent immersive educational experience! Here are some ways to jazz up your average scavenger hunt!
Make It Visual
Scavenger hunts by visual category are fun for all ages, but especially great for Seeds & Roots. Since they don’t require reading, they are the perfect way to engage your younger learners.
Try Scavenger Hunts By:
- Color – Collect things by color.
- Letter – Collect items which start with each letter of the alphabet.
- Shape – Group items by shape.
- Size – Group items by size.
Use Your Five Senses
Doing scavenger hunts by your senses is a fun way to challenge your students. This helps your children focus in a different way, using senses they may not typically rely on.
Try Scavenger Hunts By:
- Touch – Use a blindfolded or a box to put the items in
- Sound – Close your eyes and listen
- Smell – This would be a fun way to talk about flowers
- Taste – Potluck anyone?
- Sight – I Spy style!
Collect Your Checklist
Have each child grab a brown paper bag or tote bag, and collect their items in it! Or, use technology to “capture” each item on their list. They could even turn their found items into a special project.
Try Scavenger Hunts By:
- Collecting & Labeling Specimens
- Photographing Specimens
- Video Scavenger Hunt
- Create An Art Project From your Finds
- Make a Display from the Finds
Add Difficulty
For older children, or those especially adept at scavenger hunts, add some difficulty to make it even more challenging and fun!
Try Scavenger Hunts By:
- Making it Timed
- Adding Puzzles to Solve
- Finding a Clue
- Creating Riddles to Solve
Change Up The Location
Scavenger hunts are an exciting way to explore a new place. Use these ideas to add some more interest to field trips, vacations, or new areas your family is exploring.
Try Scavenger Hunts By:
- Destination Scavenger Hunt – Make the kids figure out where you are going by clues
- Gathering Information – Great for field trips to historic places
- Road Rally Style – They must complete a task, take a picture of it, and return in a certain time period. Gaining points for each completed thing. (Was this anyone else’s favorite event in youth group!?)
Scavenger hunts are a fun way to engage your children in learning. I hope these ideas help make your scavenger hunts enjoyable!
