Scavenger Hunt With Kids

A scavenger hunt is a simple activity that doesn’t require anything for you and your kids to really enjoy other than a little bit of time and a bit of imagination. This is an activity that you can easily tailor to your child’s age and energy levels, so it’s great for really any age. If you are looking for a fun activity for any time of day, then a scavenger hunt is a great choice to fill that time.

Decide where you’re doing your scavenger hunt

The first step is to determine where you are headed on your scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts can be completed just about anywhere that you want. You can complete them in your own home, in your own yard, outdoors anywhere, or going from home to home. You can do scavenger hunts inside of a store or a shopping center as well. It’s really up to you.

You can also go to multiple places on your scavenger hunt. You may start inside and then move outside, or you may start at a park and end up at home. Once again, it’s up to you and how ambitious you’re feeling about where you go. Keep an open mind though - there shouldn’t be really any limitation on where you go (obviously if you’re not up for driving or leaving your home and/or neighborhood, then that’s fine).

Decide what you’ll be looking for on the scavenger hunt

Once you know where you’re going, you can put together a list of items to gather. If you are in your own home, then put together toys, utensils, clothes, and anything else that you want your children to find and gather. Outdoors will usually involve rocks, sticks, leaves, and other such items. Going from door to door is usually an activity that teenagers complete, although there’s nothing saying that you can’t do it with your kids.

If you go to the store, then a camera is probably in order to take pictures of all of the things that you find as you probably don’t want to buy all of the items on your list. However, you could certainly do a scavenger hunt at a new store for your grocery shopping trip as well.

Make a list of all of the items that you’ll be collecting as part of the hunt. If your kids are old enough, let them make the list along with checkboxes so that they can mark them off as they’re completed. Help them to spell and write the items. If they need some ideas then provide that as well. Ultimately, let your kids drive the activity as much as they can.

Make bags to collect your items

Once you know what you’re collecting, you can create bags for collecting your items in. Paper lunch bags may work, depending on what you’re collecting. If that’s too small, then a paper bag from the grocery store is another option. Something that your kids can color and draw on for their collection bag is what you want. This gives you a pre-activity to the actual activity. Let them put their name on the bag and whatever else they want.

You don’t have to design or create bags. You can use a basic plastic bag or really anything else that you want to collect items on your scavenger hunt. It’s simply another fun way to keep the kids engaged and occupied before the actual scavenger hunt.

Make up a story about everything you collected

If you want to have an after activity for your scavenger hunt, or something to do at a later time because you’re worn out immediately after, then keep all of your items together that you collected. You’re going to create a story from everything that you found.

Once you’re ready to get started, take all of your items out of the bags and place them all out where you can see all of them. Have your child start by choosing one item and starting a story. Have the next person go, choose an item, and continue the story that the first person started. Do this for as long as you’re able to think up silly things to say. Be creative, and help your kids as needed to be creative as well.

Conclusion

A scavenger hunt can be done easily, and it can allow for a day full of fun if you want. You can also make it quick and easy. Whatever you choose to do, have fun with your kids hunting for unique things.