35 Best Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids

Don’t fear the next rainy day. Instead, keep this on hand, which challenges kids to find objects that are probably already around the house. The list is flexible, with categories like something “squishy” or something “that lights up,” so they can do it over and over again and never have it be the same twice.

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Keep fresh copies of this one in the car for those long car rides — it’s full of things that kids can see out the window, which will keep them occupied during your next road trips.

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Arm them with a magnifying glass and send them out into nature to find the not-so-creepy crawlies living around them. Turn it into a STEM activity by having them count the legs, wings or dots.

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Forget about the flash cards and work sheets — this scavenger hunt is a fun way to get them to practice their phonics. For this activity, kids hunt the letters and use them at the end to create words.

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Set up a grid of 10 boxes, and challenge kids to find objects that come solo, in pairs, in a group of three, in a group of four and so on. Not only does this reinforce early math concepts, it’s easy and can be done basically anywhere.

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Usually, a scavenger hunt list comes with a set of pictures printed on it already. Little artists will love this one because they have to fill in the pictures themselves, inspired by what they see around them.

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Little ones will get a kick out of this bug-themed scavenger hunt —and learn to tell the difference between their upper and lowercase letters in the process.

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This fun color-themed scavenger hunt can help toddlers learn their colors, while older kids discover all the different hues that can be found all around them.

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For another take on a sensory hunt, add some additional movement, like in this version, which features fun — and active — to-dos, like looking for objects to jump over, crawl under, or roll across the ground. It was created by an occupational and physical therapist.

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Kids will love pointing out the circles, triangles, squares and lots of other fun shapes they find while on an outdoor walk, thanks to this shape-themed scavenger hunt. On rainy days, you can easily modify this to do indoors.

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Take your child’s love of reading up a notch with this book-themed scavenger hunt, which includes 25 diverse prompts, including finding out friends’ favorites or trying different genres.

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Break out those flashlights and headlamps for this at-home scavenger hunt — and see what kids can, well, see at night as they search for rocks, leaves and other backyard staples.

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Next time you head out on a family hike, take along this fun nature scavenger hunt and challenge your kids to spot everything from bugs to butterflies.

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This one is meant to get little shutterbugs out there with their cameras. When you take a walk around the neighborhood, see if they can get snaps of all the items on this list.

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Forget the cupcakes! Put your muffin tin to new use with this outdoor scavenger hunt idea. Bonus: it’s a fun way to introduce kids to what a mandala is — and how to put them together.

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Lions, and tigers, and … monkeys, oh my! Kids will get the chance to up their animal-spotting skills while at the zoo, thanks to this zoo-themed scavenger hunt, complete with adorably-designed wildlife.

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If the weather is chilly in your neck of the woods, don those hats and gloves and go on this fun winter scavenger hunt, where kids can search for cold weather favorites like pinecones and icicles.

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There’s no need to wait for the Big Game to try this football-themed scavenger hunt — just cue up a game and kids can start pointing out the quarterback, a touchdown and more. It’s great for little siblings who have to watch big siblings play in their games.

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Looking for signs of spring? We’ve got one: This spring-themed scavenger hunt, which is the perfect way for kids to spot buds and bunnies.

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Break out the boards and hunt again when the weather starts to cool! A fall scavenger hunt will have you looking for colored leaves, pumpkins and other seasonal delights.

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They’ll stay out of the kitchen and out of your way when they take on this scavenger hunt, which is something they can easily do while everyone waits for the turkey to be finished in the oven.

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When kids are waiting to open presents, the minutes feel like hours. Give them a way to entertain themselves with this Christmassy scavenger hunt.

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Or, in the run-up to Christmas, you can use this Holiday Hunt when you walk or drive around your neighborhood checking out all the decorations.

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