Articles > At School > Scavenger Hunt
Header Image for Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunts are are a fun game that children love and teachers can use to promote early literacy and language skills.

There are many ways to do a scavenger hunt. Here are many template idas to get you started. Have fun!

 

Picture Cards

Print selected LessonPix picture cards based on the current unit of study or theme. (Laminate if desired) Hide the pictures around the room or designated area. Have students hunt for these pictures. Here are some variations of a scavenger hunt game with picture cards used to develop early literacy skills in young children.

  1. Picture to Object: Give each child a picture. Have the students hunt for a matching object.
  2. Picture to Picture: Give each child a picture. Have the students hunt a matching picture.
  3. Word to Picture: Give each child a word. Have the students hunt for a matching picture.

 

 

Picture Schedules

Use a checklist schedule. Students can search for items or picture cards and check the item off  the list when found. 

  1. Teams: Divide the class into groups. Give each group of children a list of things to find. This list maybe pictures or words depending of the age level of the students.
  2. Offer Clues: Divide the class into groups. Give each group of children a list of clues about things to find. For example: "I am an animal that rhymes with hat." (cat)

 

 

Menus and Lists

This template allows for up to 10 items and offers many adorable themes for different times of the year. 

 

 

Picture and Word Cards, Task Cards, Playing Cards, or Flashcards

Pass out one or more cards to individual students. Students look for the item on their card. 

  1. One card at a time. Person with most cards at end wins!
  2. Each student receives 5 cards. Person finished first wins!
  3. Divide in to teams and give each team a stack of cards. Teams work together to determine their strategy to all search for each item or divide the cards. The team to find all of the items wins. 
  4. Use clues rather than names: "find something blue", "that has 3 corners", "that starts with a D"
  5. Search for the item on the card in picture books.

  

 

Matching Books

This material includes picture cards that can be glued on to each page. Hide the cards. As you read the book together, students search for the picture card to go on each page of the book. 

 

Bingo Dauber

Use a bingo marker, coins, or playdough to mark each item that you find in a scavenger hunt. 

 

 

Sorting Mats

Create 2+ mats. As students find hidden objects or picture cards, they can place on a corresponding mat. 

 

 

Play Tools

Great for remote learning and telepractice, this new feature allows the items in the tray to be used in "Play Tools" such as spinner, dice, and draw cards. Learn more about our Play Tools Here. 

In this sample, click on the material and then click, "Load All" to load the symbols in your tray. Go to "Your LessonPix" and Open "Play Tools". Choose Spinner or Draw Cards to see what to search for. Works well on a phone or in remote learning.  

 

 

More ideas for Scavenger Hunts

  1. Verbal Clues to Find Picture: Have the students hunt for pictures based on verbal directions. Then the students return to the full group with their picture and tell about their their picture. For example, "Find a picture hiding around the room of something that starts with D"
  2. Obstacle Course: Create an obstacle course on a playground. Have students find pictures placed around the obstacle course. Focus on preposition words "in", "on", "under", "beside"... etc.
  3. Pics on Sticks: Place picture cards on popsicle sticks.  Push the popsicle sticks into the ground around the playground. Have students hunt for pictures. When they return to the group with their pictures, they can describe their pictures and where they found them.

 

Most of all, have fun playing and learning together!