Looking for a way to get the kids engaged in being outdoors? An outside scavenger hunt for kids is just the thing. Instead of fighting with the kids to get off their devices, have them use their cell phones/cameras to explore where they are, and photograph the world around them. This photo scavenger hunt is also great for camp or nature-themed birthday parties.
Fun Picture Scavenger Hunt for Kids
Get our free outdoor scavenger hunt printable to get started. It’s perfect to use in your neighborhood, a local park, a hiking trail, camping, or just about anywhere you are. For those with cameras and/or cell phones, have each person taking part take a picture of each item on the list. If they don’t have a camera, just pointing it out is enough.
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Photo Tips and Ideas:
- If your cell phone has a portrait mode, try using that mode to capture close-up details like these frozen flower heads or landscapes. This mode provides a little background blur to bring what’s in front more focus.
- Turn off your cell phone’s camera flash. The flash adds too much little and the resulting picture looks dull and one-dimensional.
- Use the free Foodie App to make it easy to auto-adjust lighting and add preset filters without having to use Lightroom or another photo editing app.
- Use a background eraser tool or app to eliminate what’s behind the main image to reduce noise.
- If you have shaky hands or are too active to stay still (younger children), shoot a short video and then screenshot a still image from that footage.
Post pictures of your family’s scavenger hunt finds on Instagram if you are on the platform. This makes it easy to document what you’ve found and where you’ve been. You can even make it into a competition. You can even add a highlight for all the finds you discover. If you use our hashtag #nochildleftinside and tag us @lilfamadventure, we may feature you and your family’s adventure!
Take a look at this photo scavenger hunt list. Can you find these things?
- flying insect
- geocache find
- your reflection in water
- squirrel
- songbird
- hole in a tree
- really tall tree
- body of water
- leaf with 3 points
- trailhead marker
- rock as big as your hand
- crawling insect
- bumblebee
- bird nest
- sunset
- wildflowers
- fluffy clouds
- butterfly
- animal track
- animal shaped rock
- snake or lizard ( or a stick that looks like one)
- pinecone
- something red
- stick shorter than your hand
- spiderweb
- pine tree
- flowing water
- something yellow
Create a Trip/Travel Keepsake
After the game, gather together all the photos and create a travel memory. It could be a slideshow or a photo book. Either way, it’s a fun way to look back on the day and share stories together.
Get this free printable and a blank version so you can fill it in with your own photo scavenger hunt ideas.
Want more family fun ideas? Check out these family fun activities.
This scavenger hunt idea is brilliant! It’s a great way to get kids off their devices and into nature. I remember doing something similar on a camping trip. We had so much fun exploring and finding the items on the list. What’s the most unique item you’ve ever had on a scavenger hunt?