Looking for a fun spring activity for toddlers and preschoolers?
Then you need to try this free scavenger hunt printable!
This printable includes a list of items to find paired with real-life pictures.
The best part?
It’s free to download!
Why are scavenger hunts so much fun for little kids?
Toddlers and preschoolers have a lot of energy to burn, so it’s important for them to get outside as much as possible.
And what better way to get them outside than with a scavenger hunt?
Hunting for things is something that comes naturally to toddlers and preschoolers.
This free printable scavenger hunt is perfect for springtime.
It includes a list of items to find, such as flowers, bugs, and birds, paired with real-life pictures.
What is a scavenger hunt?
A scavenger hunt is an outdoor game where players collect items on a list.
The items can be anything, but it’s often things that can be found outdoors, like leaves, sticks, or flowers.
Scavenger hunts are a great way to get kids active and explore the great outdoors while working on many other skills as well!
The Benefits of Doing an Outdoor Spring Scavenger Hunt
Your little one can learn so much from this simple activity!
First off, it is a great way to build early literacy skills.
Oftentimes we think reading books is the only way to do that when actually doing an activity like this we are working on some of those same skills!
When you see the spring scavenger hunt list your child sees pictures paired with words.
Having them check off the boxes also works on pre-writing skills.
This spring scavenger hunt printable is also a great way to introduce new words and build vocabulary.
A new season is a great opportunity for your child to learn new words that they may have not heard before.
When doing an outdoor scavenger hunt your child is also working on refining gross and fine motor skills.
They will have to navigate their environment by stepping over things and practicing balance when they squat down to pick up items off of the list.
They will use fine motor skills as they feel new textures while exploring and using their fingers to grasp their writing utensil while checking off the boxes.
Have more than one child doing the scavenger hunt?
It can be a great way to get little ones to work together and even explore taking turns.
How to Use the Printable Spring Scavenger Hunt
You can download the printable spring scavenger hunt here.
Once you have it downloaded print it off and grab a writing utensil and head outside.
You and your little one will then try and locate each item on the sheet.
Watch how your little ones does and provide support or help when needed.
If you think you will want to do the nature scavenger hunt multiple times then you may want to laminate it or put it in a plastic sheet and use a dry erase marker with it.
If you are looking for more games like this make sure to check out my Spring Learning Pack!
Go Enjoy the Day!
The benefits of using a scavenger hunt for kids are limitless!
They’re great because they allow your child to get outside, explore the world around them, build literacy skills and vocabulary, work on pre-writing skills like fine motor control in their hands as well as gross motor skills by stepping over things or squatting down to pick up.
For more parent support and resources make sure to check out my group for Mindful Parent of Babies and Toddlers!
Frequently Asked Questions
If your child is able to understand simple instructions and follow basic commands, they are ready for an outdoor spring scavenger hunt!
You can always modify the activity to fit your child’s development.
For example, you could do this spring scavenger hunt with a young baby by just pointing to the pictures and then finding them together.
They will still be learning new words just by doing it together!
If your child can identify common objects by name, they are most likely to be able to do a simple scavenger hunt with little to no assistance.
You can make this activity harder by adding items to this list that may be more challenging to find.
You could also increase the number of items on the list.
When doing an outdoor scavenger hunt with your child always be aware of their surroundings.
Make sure they are not running into traffic, going too close to water or climbing on dangerous objects.
If you are doing the nature scavenger hunt in a new environment make sure to orient your child as to where certain items may be located.
When doing this activity with young children you will also want to make sure that they do not put non-food items into their mouths.
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Kayla O’Neill has a master’s degree in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis in early childhood education. She has been working as a developmental therapist with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2012. She is also a mom with two young children.