by Meg Leave a Comment
Turn your next walk around the block into a fun adventure with this free printable neighborhood scavenger hunt. It’s perfect for getting kids outside for some sunshine and exercise this spring…or any time of year!
Note: This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if purchases are made through those links.Please see my full disclosure to learn more.
Ever since my kids were babies, going on walks has been a regular part of our routine. I need my daily dose of sunshine and exercise, and so do my boys!
Little legs get tired quickly though, especially after a long winter, and it can be helpful to have some distractions to help boost their stamina. Enter…scavenger hunts!
For more than a decade now, I’ve been using scavenger hunts with my kids. There are SO many different types, and my boys love them all. Here are a few reasons why scavenger hunts are so great:
Why Scavenger Hunts?
- Encourages movement and exercise: Doing a scavenger hunt as we walk helps keep kids’ minds occupied, so they don’t complain about how far they are walking. In fact, my boys often won’t let me take them home until we’ve found everything on our scavenger hunt. They want to triumph over the list, no matter how far they have to go!
- Educational Fun: Scavenger hunts aren’t just about keeping kids busy either—it’s also a valuable learning experience. From identifying different colors and shapes to learning about common neighborhood features, scavenger hunts offer so many opportunities to make observations and connections to the world around them.
- Promotes Language Development: As children search for items on the scavenger hunt checklist, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice their language skills. Name the objects as you find them, describe what you see, and ask questions. All of these discussions will help build your child’s vocabulary!
One of the very first hunts I created for my boys was a traditional neighborhood scavenger hunt. It used terrible clipart, but it did the trick. Today, I’m sharing a new and much improved neighborhood scavenger hunt you can enjoy with your kiddos!
There are twelve items to find, which is perfect for the attention span of preschoolers, though you could certainly use it with older kids as well. It includes items that can be commonly found in most neighborhoods, so hopefully you’ll spot everything on the list!
Ready to go hunting on your next neighborhood walk? Click the button below to download the free scavenger hunt, and read the full instructions below!
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Materials Needed:
- Free printable neighborhood scavenger hunt
- Pencil or pen
- Clipboard (optional, but I think every mom needs a stack of them. We use them all the time!)
How to Get Started:
- Download and Print: Download and print the free printable neighborhood scavenger hunt below. I’ve designed the scavenger hunt with preschoolers in mind, featuring simple images and matching word prompts. No need to cut or prepare anything else. Just print and play!
- Explore Your Neighborhood: Armed with your scavenger hunt checklist (and a pencil to mark off the items you find), set out to explore your neighborhood. Encourage your child to use their senses to observe the world around them and search for each item shown on the page.
- Celebrate Your Discoveries: As you find each item on the scavenger hunt checklist, mark it off! Take a moment to celebrate your child’s achievements, and encourage them to describe what they’ve found.
Pro Tip: For some kids, especially young ones, keeping track of all the items on the hunt can be challenging. If your child is struggling to remember what to look for, it can be helpful to focus their attention on looking for just one or two items at a time. (For example: “Let’s see if we can find any cars or people on this street. Do you see any?”) Once you find those, pick a couple more and keep going!
More ideas for fun & learning:
- Make it a PHOTO scavenger hunt! Give your child a camera (or just let them use your phone) and let them take pictures of the items they find.
- Want to add an extra challenge? Try to find the items in order from top to bottom, left to right. If you find something out of order, you can’t count it unless you walk back by that spot later. It’s a great way to build memory skills!
- Once you find all the items on your list, try playing follow the leader on the walk home! Let your child choose how to walk, run, gallop, etc….and you follow their actions!
- Have older kids? Challenge them to draw a map of your neighborhood after your walk. Can they write directions to lead someone from your house to school or a friend’s house?
Want more printable scavenger hunts?
Grab the Preschool Scavenger Hunt Bundle! It includes 10 unique printable hunts that will keep kids entertained and learning. Snag yours from the shop and let the fun begin!
More great activities for preschoolers:
- Rainbow color scavenger hunt for preschoolers
- “Trace the alphabet” scavenger hunt (upper and lowercase)
- Alphabet Kaboom! (a simply brilliant preschool game)
- Free Printable Alphabet Bingo: A fun game to help kids learn their ABCs!
related posts:
Previous Post: « How a rotating chore wheel transformed our after-dinner routine
