Summer Scavenger hunt for kids (free printable!)

Want to get outside this summer? Go on a fun scavenger hunt! Here’s how to plan a Summer Scavenger Hunt for kids and a free PDF printable!

Summer is hot. We live in coastal South Carolina and it is REALLY HOT!

Time outdoors can be great, but it can honestly get pretty miserable pretty quickly.

As a parent, I try not to structure my kids time too much, but sometimes they need some kind of activity or we all quickly get restless.

One of my favorite outdoor activities is a nature scavenger hunt (and then later, nature art!)

Be sure to check out my rainbow color scavenger hunt for kids!

My kids LOVE scavenger hunts and my 3 year old boy is often asking us to print out or make him a new backyard scavenger hunt!

The beauty of a nature hunt is basically an i-spy game. Give them a list of things to look for, and then let them run wild and find the items and really lead the play.

Summer is a great time to get outside because things are alive! Plants, animals, kids on summer break – at least in our neighborhood, it is a happening time of year to be outdoors.

Check out my 101 summer bucket list ideas!

As far as summer activities with kids go, this is a super fun and absolutely free one.

Need to beat the heat inside? Don’t miss checking out this free printable summer alphabet tracing booklet! Perfect for keeping those skills up all summer long!

Summer Scavenger Hunt Free Printable PDF

Get a free printable PDF to take on your scavenger hunt with you! Click here to sign up for access to our free printables library! We have LOTS of other scavenger hunts in there!

Summer Scavenger Hunt Ideas

Nature-based items will vary depending on your location. We live in South Carolina and so these are all items that we have in our neighborhood in the spring.

Here are some things that you might look for on your spring outdoor scavenger hunt:

• Leaves – green, brown
• Bugs – ants, spiders, butterflies
• Animals – squirrels, chipmunks, birds
• Nature – sticks, rocks, pine cones, flowers
• Decor – flags, sprinklers, watering cans, rain boots

Depending on where you are hunting, you may be able to bring home some of your finds! We love bringing home sticks, leaves, and other goodies to use for nature paintings!

Plus, our kids have a big bucket in the garage they fill with their finds and once it’s full we go throw them (one by one) into the pond!

How to do a nature summer scavenger hunt

First, make a treasure hunt list. You could use our free printable or make your own.

Then, head outdoors! Go to a woodsy type area if possible. We like to go on the far side of a pond in our neighborhood on a dirt trail.

Look and see what you can find!

For older kids, consider discussing:

• What does the object feel like?
• What does the object smell like?
• Was this thing here in the Fall? In the Summer?
• Is it heavy? Light?

Summer scavenger hunt printable

Get our free printable PDF to take on your scavenger hunt with you! Click here to sign up for access to our free printables library!

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