Take the fun outside with an outdoor scavenger hunt for kids that works in a backyard, a neighborhood park or along a quiet street. These six printable sheets cover a picture list, a big-picture page for preschoolers, clue cards with an answer page, two bingo cards and a write-it-down hunt. The pictures are things you can find in most places, such as trees, birds, clouds, bicycles and mailboxes, so you can use the sheets in almost any neighborhood. Each outdoor scavenger hunt for kids uses pictures, so younger children can play too.
Quick answer: print the picture list, give children a pencil and a clipboard, and set a time of 15 to 30 minutes. They tick each box when they spot something, and then you check the finds together. Use the preschool page for the youngest children and the clue cards for older ones.
Printable outdoor scavenger hunt for kids (PDF)
Six sheets, each a PDF. Click a picture to open it. The clue cards PDF has two pages: the clues and the answer key.
Where to use these sheets
| Place | Best sheet | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Backyard | Picture list or bingo | Mark off small things like ladybugs and seedlings. |
| Neighborhood walk | Write it down | Ask children to describe what they see instead of collecting it. |
| Park or playground | Clue cards | Read a clue at each stop, then guess before looking. |
| School yard | Bingo cards | Give each team a different card. |
How to run an outdoor scavenger hunt for kids
- Choose the area. Pick a space where you can see everyone, such as the yard or one corner of the park.
- Set boundaries. Tell children where they may go and when to come back.
- Look, do not collect. Children tick or photograph what they find and leave plants, nests and animals where they are.
- Give a time limit. Fifteen minutes works for ages 3 to 6, and 20 to 30 minutes for older children.
- Finish with a share. Ask what was easy to find, what was hard and what surprised them.
Backyard and park scavenger hunt ideas
- Photo hunt: children take a picture of each item on the list with a phone or tablet, with an adult nearby.
- Team race: two teams use the same sheet and see who ticks the most boxes in 15 minutes.
- Sound hunt: add a line to the write-it-down sheet for something you can hear, and check that off too.
- Color hunt: after a picture hunt, ask children to find something in each color of the rainbow.
- Counting hunt: ask how many birds, clouds or cars there were on the walk.
Safety on a neighborhood walk
Keep the hunt close to an adult. On a street walk, stay on the sidewalk, cross only with a grown-up and let children use their eyes, not their feet, to spot cars and bicycles. Dress for the weather, bring water on a warm day and remind children not to touch animals, mushrooms or berries. If a picture on the list is not around, skip it and move on.
What children learn on an outdoor hunt
- Observation: noticing small details such as the shape of a leaf or the color of a bird.
- Vocabulary: naming plants, animals and things in the neighborhood.
- Movement: walking, bending and reaching while they look.
- Teamwork: sharing one sheet and deciding together what counts.
How these sheets are made
Every sheet is generated by a program from lists we wrote for this page: the picture lists, the bingo cards and the clues are original. The pictures are Noto Emoji artwork from Google, used under the Apache License 2.0; the project is on GitHub. A credit line is printed on every page.
Take a clipboard and pencil on your outdoor scavenger hunt for kids, so the sheet stays flat while they tick things off.
Frequently asked questions
7 quick answers
Is this outdoor scavenger hunt free to print?
Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own children or class, with no account or sign-up.
What age is it for?
The big-picture sheet suits ages 3 to 5, the picture list and bingo cards suit ages 5 to 10, and the clue cards and write-it-down sheet suit ages 6 and up.
Do the clue cards come with answers?
Yes. Page 2 of the clue card PDF lists the answer to every clue.
How is this different from the nature scavenger hunt?
The nature hunt focuses on plants, leaves and wildlife. This outdoor hunt covers everyday things in a backyard, park or street, such as bicycles, cars and mailboxes.
What if the weather is bad?
Try the indoor scavenger hunt page instead. It uses things you can find around the house.
Can I use the sheets in a classroom?
Yes. Print a set for each team and use the bingo cards or picture list for a school-yard hunt.
Which sheet works best for a backyard scavenger hunt?
The picture list or the bingo cards suit a backyard best. Children can mark off small things such as ladybugs and seedlings, and a time limit of about fifteen minutes works for ages 3 to 6.
More hunts and outdoor activities
- Indoor scavenger hunt for kids for rainy days.
- Nature scavenger hunt for leaves, plants and wildlife.
- Fall scavenger hunt for autumn walks.
- Color scavenger hunt and shape scavenger hunt.
- Camping bingo and road trip bingo.
- I spy printables.
- Every puzzle and brain teaser on PrintSheetLab.
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