20 easy ideas for a creative autumn treasure hunt

Fresh air and outdoor play does wonders for kids. After a good fun play session outdoors they seem to behave better, learn better and sleep better. Personally, I do find it occasionally a bit difficult to motivate my six year old move away from cosy indoors and the screens. Once we are out she is happy to stay out and won't want to come back inside anymore, but it is the getting her out which can be a bit tricky sometimes. That said, I have finally found a way to get her excited about going outdoors, and it is an outdoors treasure hunt!

A treasure hunt, or a scavenger hunt if you wish, is a great way to get kids out and about with something to do, and even better if there is a little prize at the end of ticking all the boxes. All you need ahead of going is to grab a piece of paper, a pen and write down some things they have to find on your adventures outdoors. And off you go!

I've shared some of my ideas for a fun scavenger hunt here, with things to find and do while outdoors. There are some fairly simple ones and also more challenging ones where you have to use your imagination and skills. Thanks for the inspiring this post goes to the Wild about Autumn Blogger Challenge created by AliKats Mountain Holidays and Going Wild authors Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield

So here are my 20 easy ideas for an autumnal scavenger hunt!

1. Find a puddle or a pond.
2. Spot a squirrel or another furry animal.
3. Find a stick that looks like a man.
4. Collect five different colour leaves.
5. Poke at a mushroom.
6. Collect a pinecone family.
7. Find an especially shiny conker or an acorn.
8. Discover a bug of some sort.
9. Dig a hole with a stick.
10. Find wild berries.

11. Spot a flock of birds.
12. Find a feather or something a bird would eat.
13. Build a tower with three small rocks.
14. Make a leaf rain (tip: throw them in the air).
15. Kick leaves up, as high as your head.
16. Collects sticks and make a pyramid out of them.
17. Find a face on a tree.
18. Make a face on the ground with leaves, sticks and pinecones.
19. Find a place that would be a perfect home for a fairy.
20. Find a piece of litter and take it to the bin.

I particularly like these nature treasure hunts as they are so easy for the parents. Just a few of these ideas will keep your kid entertained for a while and all you, as a parent, have to do is follow them along and let them blow steam. I noticed that about 5-6 ideas were enough for 30 minutes of outdoor time, and of course once you are out there kids will find lots of other fun things to do and see too. 

I hope there are a few fun ideas to get your kids excited about going outdoors!

What would you put on an autumn scavenger hunt list?

You might also like: Autumn walks and muddy bottoms

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