Scavenger hunts
Are you worried about how you’ll entertain your kids over winter? Wondering how to pass the colder months without crawling the walls? Me too!
Since last winter I’ve gotten into a really nice little routine where we get out each morning for some socialising, fresh air and fun. We then go home for lunch, the kids get some sleep (Henry not so much, these days) and then afternoons are spent doing chores or crafts, chilling out, making dinner, getting ready for the big excitement of the evening: Dad coming home!
We can’t rely on sunshine anymore, so we have to find ways to enjoy the big outdoors in the cooler weather. I’ve been researching fun activities which can be done outside in winter and I’ve also found some which can be moved indoors on rainy days. Because I’m a very generous and caring person with a heart of gold, I thought I’d share some of my best discoveries with you.
- First up, some great scavenger hunts from the Department of Conservation’s website, which is a terrific tool for nature-loving parents. There’s a wonderful downloadable booklet, Exploring Nature With Children, and some great PDF sheets including the Conservation Week Treasure Hunt and the Beach Scavenger Hunt.
- Great for toddlers, a Colour Hunt can be adapted to any location like your backyard, a park, a shopping centre, even your house if you can’t get outside. Check out this free printable from coffeecupsandcrayons.com for instructions.
- Playing I Spy is a fun way for kids and adults to interact and these I Spy Printables from mothersniche.com will even come in handy on long car rides.
- This Scavenger Hunt list is ideal for injecting some fun into your walks, listing items such as a police car, a tall building and a person wearing a hat.
- Stuck inside? Use your puzzles to create a really simple scavenger hunt where kids can learn their numbers or letters at the same time. The idea comes from the Melissa and Doug blog, using their 1-20 numbers puzzle. I like this idea for reignited kids’ interest in their puzzles after they’ve gotten tired of them.
- And one last one which is a great end of year project. Check out notimeforflashcards.com’s Memory Scavenger Hunt where you print out pictures of things you did throughout the year. Kids hunt around the house, collect the photographs and afterwards you can sit down as a family and talk about all the memories you’ve made that year. Isn’t that sweet!?
My Lucky Stars 
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