Not only are scavenger hunts fun for children, they’re also a great way to turn those frowns upside down when the excitement of the Easter egg hunt is over.
Honing your children’s observation and problem-solving skills can’t be overstated either. A scavenger hunt is a wonderful tool to make them more aware of their surroundings. Every parent knows the “I can’t find it” followed by “if you just opened your eyes” scenario, so why not give them some additional practice?
A scavenger hunt is as easy as one, two and three.
What you’ll need:
- Scavenger Hunt List
- Clipboard (depending on how fancy you’d like this to be)
- Pen or Pencil
- Bucket or Basket
Step 1
Planning the hunt and what your list is going to be made up of, taking your child’s age into account is the first step. Your list can be as simple as “stone, feather, leaf, etc.” or as complex as solving rhymes and riddles to get them to first guess what they need to find before sending them out hunting. Just remember that the more time and effort you put into the planning, the longer you’ll keep those little feet in the garden.
Perhaps creating a list that includes things like a bucket, spade, gloves, fork, seeds, fertiliser etc. to make up a little gardening starter kit for them to end off by making a small garden they can nurture past Easter and the hunt.
Step 2
When you’re armed with your list, you can clip it onto your fancy clipboard if that’s the route you’re going, and you’re ready to rock and roll. If you’d like to pick up some items that are more exciting than a stone and leaf, head on down to your local accredited garden centre in good time, so you can hide the items along with the Easter eggs.
Step 3
When your children have finished trawling the garden for their Easter eggs, are probably experiencing a sugar high second to none and looking to you for some entertainment, would be the perfect time to whip out your scavenger hunt card.
Grab the clipboard, pen or pencil and send the little scavengers out for more fun garden time. Now it’s your turn to sit back, relax and let them come to you with their spoils.