Two things kids love: Scavenger Hunts and Nature. I created this Nature Scavenger Hunt as a fun activity for my daughter and I to enjoy together and of course I had to share it with you guys! Scroll to the end to download your free copy of this Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable.

I have no problem getting my daughter to play outside. She, like many other kids, loves to be outside splashing in muddy puddles, digging in the dirt for worms, and making wishes on dandelions, but if your kid is not as big a fan of the outdoors a fun activity like this scavenger hunt helps to spark interest.

Your child will be encouraged to look closely at the ground to find things like seeds and pinecones and up high in the trees and sky to find birds and clouds. They will be turning over rocks to find worms and ants. Along the way they are sure to fall in love with nature!

The best part of this printable is how many opportunities there are to use it. Take it to a local park, use it in your back yard, take it camping or bring it to your family reunion for a fun competition!

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What a Nature Scavenger Hunt teaches

Gross Motor Skills – During this activity kids will be squatting down to look under rocks and reaching up on their tiptoes to look in trees. They will be walking or running as they search for items.

Small Motor Skills – Your little ones will be practicing their small motor skills by checking off items on their list as well as pinching off flowers or picking up rocks.

Sensory Play – Nature is full of different textures, sounds and scents.

Mindfulness – Being in nature gives us an opportunity to be present and to take in the sounds of birds chirping and the wind in the trees.

Observation – Our first introduction to science is usually in nature. We learn how plants grow, how the weather changes and are introduced to ecosystems. They will learn along the way while searching for the items. There are lots of opportunities to have conversations while searching.

Critical Thinking – If your child is having a hard time finding something you can give clues to help them. An acorn or pinecone will likely be beneath a tree. A spider web might be underneath a picnic table. Etc.

What you need to have a Nature Scavenger Hunt

All you really need for this project is:

• FREE NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT PRINTABLE
• A writing utensil.

Optional:

• Laminator to make the printable reusable.
• Dry Erase marker to wipe clean the printable.
• Clipboard
• Egg carton or basket to collect items as you find them.
• Magnifying glass to observe the items up close.
• Binoculars to look up high in the trees.
• A notebook to list observations.

More ways to use this Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable

• Get a group together and split up into teams to see who can complete the scavenger hunt the fastest.
• Use an old egg carton, a basket or bucket to gather as many of the items on the list as possible.
• Use a magnifying glass to investigate each item further. Then you can put them on a nature display shelf to enjoy for longer. We have jars of items we’ve found like rocks, sticks, feathers and even robin’s eggs!
• Make a nature journal by drawing each item you find using colored pencils, crayons or even paint. Older kids can practice handwriting writing the name of each item or even writing down their observations.

Here is your your FREE NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT PRINTABLE.

Click here for some of my favorite books to to encourage a love of nature.

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