Happy Hunting: Unique scavenger hunt ideas

By Stacie Gaetz

If you are like me, you might be wondering what you are going to do with the kids once they are out of school for the summer.

We all have that list of places we want to go and things we want to see, and hopefully at least one vacation planned for this summer (now that COVID isn’t causing restrictions anymore).

But what can you do on those “down days”? You know, the lazy days where you are at or around your own home with not much else going on.

Scavenger hunts are a great way to pass some time.

The idea of a scavenger hunt is nothing new but there are countless ways to make them more exciting than just a checklist with the words “tree” and “bird” that you mark off on a walk or drive around your community.

Here are five unique scavenger hunt ideas for some summer fun:

1. Movement

Want to get your kids moving? I find one of the best ways to get my kids to do something active is to prompt them with “I bet you can’t…”

This is exactly what a movement scavenger hunt does. It challenges kids to find something to climb over, under, walk on, jump over, pick up, throw, etc.

2. Drawing

Have a little artist on your hands? Give them a sheet of paper broken up into squares (or a sheet of paper for every item if they need more space) and split it up any way you want. Draw something blue, something round, something fuzzy, something big, something you love etc.

3. Secret codes

This one is my family’s favorite and includes searching for hidden clues that come together to create a message. You hide items/symbols and give age-appropriate clues to find them. Then each participant gets a sheet of paper that shows what words the item/symbol corresponds to.

You can also switch this one up by hiding pieces of a puzzle that come together to create a message or image. I like the message or image to show what we are going to do next, like a puzzle of an ice cream cone or the message, “We are going to the zoo.”

4. Living things

This can be done by listing the bug or animal itself or by incorporating colours or abilities. “Look for a green bug” or “Find an insect that flies/jumps.” For animals, you can say “Look for an animal that tweets” or “Search for a pet that walks with a leash.”

5. Senses

Get them thinking about all of the thing they can touch, taste, hear, smell and see. The possibilities truly are endless with this, but some examples include:

• Something smooth
• Something bright
• Something loud
• Something sour
• Something that smells sweet

Bonus Ideas: Why not do your scavenger hunt in the dark to make it more fun? Attach the items/clues/symbols/ideas to glow sticks and get your glow on!

Other educational easy themes include letters and numbers but instead of just saying, “Look for the number 3,” you can say “Look for the answer to 2+1.” Instead of “Look for the letter A,” try “Look for the second letter in your name.”

Colors and shapes can be adapted in this way too. “Look for something that is the same shape as the sun” or “Search for an item that is the color of your room.”

Another easy one is an opposites scavenger hunt where they need to find something huge and something tiny, something round and something square, something hot and something cold.

The best things about scavenger hunts is their versatility. They can be indoors or outdoors, cost nothing to do, can run as long or short as you would like and can be done almost anywhere.

So have some fun with it! Your kids may even start coming up with their own ideas for what to look for. Let them take the ball and run with it.

Happy (scavenger) hunting!