DIY Scavenger Hunts and I Spy Games - Modern Parents Messy Kids

Scavenger hunts (whether outdoors, in the car, or just in the living room) are a perfect kid activity. Along with being a fun way to pass some time, they also provide children with opportunities to practice skills like observing, sorting, and classifying. Today I’ve rounded up 9 creative posts to help you get in on the fun. Click through for the goods.

First up is this super simple nature scavenger hunt from Curly Birds. Head over for the easy instructions and free printable. You can also expand on the activity by making additional hunting guides of your own.

They had the same idea, with a slightly fancier execution, over at I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar. I think kids will love this egg carton photo scavenger hunt for both the detailed photos and the built in handy-dandy treasure holder.

A photo scavenger hunt game would also make a lovely kid gift – especially if it turns out as nice as the one over at Saltwater Kids. Along with their great DIY on how to make a very polished set of photo cards, they also have a pretty cool treasure bag tutorial. Make both and you’ve got a great present.

For bigger kids, there’s this stellar post by imagine childhood on how to put together a scientific scavenger hunt.

Scavenger hunts don’t all have to be done on foot. This road trip version from ohdeedoh is meant to be used in the car. The bubble popping element is a brilliant touch, perfect for entertaining the kids during your vacation travels.

And speaking of road trip boredom busters, you absolutely have to check out these Rainbow DIY I Spy Books from Delia Creates. Everything about this tutorial (the awesome design, inexpensive materials, how easy it is to follow) is remarkable.

Keep in mind that your scavenger hunts don’t have to be item specific. You can also send kids on the hunt for things based on color, size, function, etc. Check out this post by The Artful Parent on how to set up a super easy color scavenger hunt.

And this post at Littlest Birds Studio provides some great inspiration on how to set up a group color hunt. It also has great art ideas on what to do with all the kids’ finds.

Finally, don’t forget that a camera and a scavenger hunt can be combined to make the perfect rainy day activity – as demonstrated by yet another post from I am Momma, Hear Me Roar.