Fun Friday: Summer Nature Scavenger Hunt

Gorgeous pomegranates

Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.

Treasure hunts are popular in our family – so much so that we’ve already taken winter and spring nature scavenger hunts. For our summer nature hunt this week, we took our adventure to grandma’s backyard for a change of scenery.

Plenty of bugs hanging out here

Before heading out, I grabbed a list of items to search for, then personalized it a bit to be appropriate for our area.

The explorers had a ball exploring every nook and cranny of grandma’s backyard in an effort to check off all the items on their list.

“Must cross everything off the list …”

What makes this nature scavenger hunt so engrossing is that it requires use of multiple senses. Not only were they asked to see an insect on a tree or leaf, they also needed to listen for the sounds of a bird chirping and touch something cool.

They also had to change up their perspective on things, getting down low to sniff grass, then looking up to the sky to search for birds. But most of all, they loved smelling and touching everything.

Take-Home Tips

• Take your time. The longer we stayed outside exploring, the more we heard and saw. Nature’s funny that way.

An orange in the making

• Make the adventure toddler & preschooler friendly. Having grandma along meant that the little explorer had someone to ask him to find the items on the list, as well as someone to point out things to touch, listen to and smell. If you’re solo parenting, try using pictures of items to find instead of relying on a list.

More Ideas for Summer Outdoor Fun

• Roast up a solar s’more, Family Fun
• Make a bow & arrow, Imagine Childhood
• Celebrate mud with one of these 30 dirty kid activities, Hands On: As We Grow
• Or check out Your A-to-Z Guide to Summer Backyard Nature Fun for even more inspiration

And if you live in the Los Angeles area, celebrate America the Beautiful on a family stroll through Franklin Canyon. A naturalist will guide kids 3 through 8 on a FREE hike, with a nature-inspired craft to follow. Meet at the Sooky Golman Nature Center. Sun., July 3, 10 a.m. to noon.

Happy exploring!