Scavenger hunts

[Bumpkin]

Scavenger hunts can take place anywhere, but I was thinking it would be fun to plan one this summer for my family to help teach my daughter about different things in nature. I was thinking of bringing back different types of leaves, moss, etc. What else would you suggest to add to the list?

[TroyS]

I've actually been doing some research on some scavenger hunt ideas for my son's upcoming birthday party. Found this suggestion on combining something like an Amazing Race and a scavenger hunt in one: Scavenger Adventure.

Hope this helps you.

[Gabbie]

That sounds like it would be a lot of fun and educational at the same time. What a great idea! We use to do a lot of scavenger hunts in our family but haven't in quite some time now. I would like to get them going again.

[ejdixon]

Last time I did a scavenger hunt was with my nephews. My dad gave him this book on the different kinds of trees and plants and we used the book as our little map to see which ones we could find. It's definitely a great and educational way to keep the kids busy while you're camping.

[Hikenhunter]

Something to think about is that in many public areas you could get in trouble for picking live plants, even mosses and the like. A better way is to give the hunter groups a cheap digital camera and have them take pictures of the items on your list. By doing this you can add many items that you would not otherwise be able to include such as a deer track or a picture of a certain bird etc... I bought my grandchildren Digital cameras at Big Lots for 8.88 last year because of how tough the rangers in our state parks can somtimes be and even my 7 year old grand daughter learned how to use hers quite easily. now we do scavanger hunts with the cameras even when we aren't camping and the kids love it. Just make sure that all the pictures are deleted before the next hunt.

[rayne]

We have a national forest close to where I live and there is a park with talking trees. A well marked trail takes hikers all around the park and along the way, there are places to stop, push the button and hear about a particular tree or biome or rock or some other wonder of nature. Do you have anything like that close by?

[TroyS]

Talking trees? Now that definitely sounds interesting. Which park is that rayne? I'd love to take my kids there.

[Grandpa]

I talk to the trees
But they don't listen to me
I talk to the stars
But they never hear me

The breeze hasn't time
To stop, and hear what I say
I talk to them all
In vain (as sung by Clint Eastwood in Paint your Wagon)

No talking trees out here that I have found. But I have seen trails with numbered posts. You can get a guide brochure at the check in box and read about interesting "stuff" at each number along the route.

[carmen]

We have a fairly large back yard so when we do big get together's with friends and family, everyone takes part. We have little gifts labels for kids or adults, if you get the wrong one, you have to re-hide it too.

[HikerJoe]

One time as leader of a boy scout troop, I hosted a scavenger hunt. Among the items were: poison ivy, a Bald Eagle and fur from a grizzly bear. The next year the didn't ask me back for some reason.