Whether you’re a teacher looking for an engaging outdoor classroom activity, a parent planning a fun day outdoors with the family, or simply searching for an adventure during extra recess or a field trip, this free winter scavenger hunt is the perfect activity. Packed with winter-themed items, it not only encourages children to explore the great outdoors, but also provides a fantastic opportunity for learning and identification. Easily adaptable for indoor use to teach kids about winter around the world.
Be sure to check out our Winter Activities for Preschoolers Cards for another fun family activity.
It’s winter, the coldest season of the year! Despite the freezing cold, it is also a fun season to go out, sleigh, and explore. Research has found that a snowy kindergarten playground becomes an alluring and exciting space through the eyes of the little ones. As the children navigate and play in this dynamic winter environment, they not only enhance their skills but also gain essential insights into the world around them. Through their movements and interactions with the snowy landscape, they are essentially learning about the socio-material context of their surroundings. In simpler terms, they’re becoming winter children, gradually getting acquainted with the unique experiences and knowledge that winter brings. Just be sure to bundle up in winter gear and wear your mittens for an enjoyable and frosty adventure outdoors!! Click here to read more about children being and becoming well-versed in snow and ice.
Printable Winter Scavenger Hunt
Target Audience
There are a variety of different objects that are associated with winter! This scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to help children identify these characteristics and the names of these winter things. It will keep your children engaged and excited about being able to cross off everything on the list.
Be sure to have some fun winter scavenger hunt prize ideas ready. This free printable scavenger hunt is perfect for big kids, teens, and more!
This is also an activity that the whole family can join in. When it comes to family fun, this free printable winter scavenger hunt needs to be at the top of your checklist! It’s a fun game and a great way to spread the last of that holiday cheer.
Classroom Use Of Scavenger Hunt
Are you a teacher who is looking for an engaging winter activity? This Winter Scavenger Hunt is a great addition to any field trip or if you are learning the various winter elements. Kids learn best through hands-on activities.
Benefits of Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a huge hit with older and younger kids! It’s like an adventure that sparks curiosity – nothing is more fascinating than the great outdoors. Here are some compelling benefits:
- Scavenger hunts contribute to the development of critical thinking skills.
- The hunts offer an opportunity to connect with nature, which ultimately helps to reduce stress and mental fatigue, promotes increased blood flow, appetite, and sleep regulation. In an age dominated by screen time, this connection becomes vital for reducing stress and mental fatigue.
- As your little one embarks on a sensory scavenger hunt, they explore the world through all their senses. Imagine hot chocolate in a mug, snow on a roof, or a scarf around your neck. Sensory regulation becomes a playful adventure—finding something green and soft, something wet and cold, or something smelly and heavy.
- Lastly, scavenger hunts are a mind and body exercise. Children engage their problem-solving skills as they interpret hints and choose where to search for information. Organising, sequencing, and problem-solving skills all rolled into one exciting game. Not to be overlooked is the physical component; outdoor scavenger hunts offer an excellent chance to disconnect from technology and engage with the natural world. It’s remarkable how much further a child will walk when playing a game.
Here are more Reasons To Have a Treasure/Scavenger Hunt With Children.
Preparing The Winter Scavenger Hunt
Prepping this scavenger hunt is super easy. You just need to print out the page. This resource includes both color and black and white options to suit your individual printing needs.
For classroom use, one option is to laminate the printable and use dry erase markers for longevity. Another option is to slip them into dry-erase pockets instead of laminating them.
Children can use any writing utensil that they would like to mark each item. Step outside and go on a nature walk around the neighborhood or your own backyard. Once the objects are found, they can be checked off. The same can be done in a schoolyard.
Winter Items Included:
- Kids in Coats
- Candy Canes
- Icicles
- Soft Caps
- Scarf
- Ice
- Snowflakes
- Snow On Trees
- Snow On Roofs
- Cold
- Snowman
Your children will love using this scavenger hunt to help them learn all about winter.
Best Tips for Parents and Teachers
- This does not have to be a mission! You can pull out the activity during a simple winter walk, on a snowy day, in your very own backyard or local park.
- If you do not experience snow and ice during winter, modify the activity for an indoor winter scavenger hunt to teach kids about winter around the world. I suggest turning it into a ‘winter photo scavenger hunt;’ the kids will have to find images of each item. Use the ones from the printable, cut them out, and hide them. Set the scene with pinecones, sleds, brown leaves, and winter berries if you can!
- One of my tricks to make the game last longer is to play I Spy. Each kid says something that they identify that is not on the list. From a bird’s nest, evergreen trees, mud, snow shovels, and Christmas lights, this keeps the fun going.
- Share a fun winter story; it could be fact or fiction. Whether it’s a hibernation story or something about penguins and polar bears, this creates an association in a child’s mind and reinforces their idea of winter.
Don’t forget to check out my Winter Activity Pack for a ton of engaging, hands-on math and literacy activities.
Objectives of a Scavenger Hunt
- To build problem-solving skills. A scavenger hunt will let a child practice these skills more tangibly. They will apply methods or information that their parents or teachers have taught them and retain it.
- Let children learn the value of teamwork. If you make this a group activity, it lets the kids work together to find the items. Learning to work with other people is an essential life skill, so why not teach it in a super fun way?
- Foster ownership of learning. These hunts create internal motivation and will guide children into taking more ownership of their learning. It teaches them to lead and if their ideas don’t work out, they will reflect. This allows them to become more self-directed learners.
- Enhance observational skills. Scavenger hunts engage curiosity and encourage children to explore – observational learning is a good way for children to become more attentive, notice details, and be more self-motivated.
- Have fun. I know that this is implied, but we at Fun with Mama are all about developing a love for learning in kids!
Where to get this printable
GET THE WINTER SCAVENGER HUNT HERE
Winter Activities Pack
GET THE WINTER ACTIVITIES PACK
Looking for more Winter ideas? Here are some of our favorites.
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