Summer Outdoor Scavenger Hunt with free printable
It is time for a summer activity and we have the perfect summer outdoor scavenger hunt printable for you to use.
Whether you want to take your kids on a nature walk as a parent, youth group leader, or just want something structured to offer as an activity in the woods, get outside see how many of these items the children can find.
Ways to use a scavenger hunt at this time of year
There are many ways that you can use a scavenger hunt in the summer. Here are some ideas:
- Use it as a way to get your kids outside. Print out the list, attach it to a clipboard, and watch their excitement as they tick things off
- It is the perfect game for an outdoor summer birthday party
- Bring it along to a local park as an activity
- It is a perfect forest school enrichment activity for the children to do as part of their outdoor exploring.
For older children, turn the activity into a scavenger hunt or a timed race, or ask them to use their phones to capture photos of the items on the list. Then you could have a photo competition where the group votes on the best image.
This a beautiful PDF worksheet. It is colorful and has some great pictures to help show the children what to look for.
What’s on the PDF Summer scavenger hunt checklist
Download the printable list and take copies out with you so you can tick off the signs of summer. Take it with you when you wander around the woodland, forest, or even your local urban area.
Slap on a hat and some sunscreen and get outside! Can you spot these things?
- Dandelion clock
- Caterpillar
- Butterfly
- Yellow petals
- Purple petals
- Ant
- Green leaf
- Two different types of grass
- Fruit growing
- Ladybird
- A twig shaped like a letter
- Animal tracks
- Worm
- Dragonfly
- Bee
Tips for Summer scavenger hunts
It can be very warm and sunny this time of year so remember to wear a good hat and apply sunblock on a regular basis. Take a bottle of water with you and make sure you know where you are going. Rain is always a possibility so be prepared!
Remember: Only collect from the forest/woodland floor or with your eyes! And of course don’t collect living creatures and steer clear of mushrooms.
About the author: Jon Borley
Jon qualified as a Level 3 Forest School Leader with the Sussex Wildlife Trust. He works independently as a practitioner running forest school clubs and also within schools both in a forest school capacity and as an outdoor learning teaching assistant, working with preschoolers to secondary-aged children. He has previously led sessions for adults as part of professional development events for the Sussex FSA, and is a member of MIAS.