This sensory motor outdoor scavenger hunt for kids is the perfect way to explore the senses and the outdoors!
One of my favorite memories from childhood is going out on walks with my mom, collecting leaves, sticks, and other bits of nature along the way and then assembling it all into a “nature collage” when we got home.
As a pediatric therapists, we like to put a different spin on activities for kids like this one, creating new ways to target skills that are important for child development. Today, we’ll take the traditional outdoor scavenger hunt for kids to a whole new level!
This Sensory Motor Outdoor Scavenger Hunt will get kids moving, touching, listening, noticing, and interacting with the outdoors in a totally different way! It’s a great way to show kids how to explore many of their sensory systems at once!
It’s also awesome to try inside on a rainy or snowy day!
What you’ll need:
-Outdoor Sensory Motor Scavenger Hunt Printable (fill out the form below with your first name and email address)
-pencils or crayons
What to do:
Scroll down and fill out the form to download and print the outdoor scavenger hunt list, round up your little ones, and head outside! Give everyone a pencil or crayon to bring along so they can mark off the things they have found.
The kids will notice right away that this isn’t just any old scavenger hunt. Rather than just finding and collecting items on a list, they’ll have to find the listed objects and perform a variety of gross motor tasks.
They’ll use all of their senses, looking, touching, and maybe even getting a little messy along the way. Who will be the first one to find everything on the list?
How to change it up:
-Make it a photo scavenger hunt! Take a picture of your child performing each activity and pictures of each of the items they found to complete the list.
-Make it a team effort – have two groups competing against each other to find everything on the list!
-Too windy or rainy to make it an outdoor scavenger hunt? No problem! Try this same scavenger hunt in the classroom or around the school building or around the house! But definitely give it a try outside in the snow during the winter months!
For Virtual Sessions:
Simply print the downloadable PDF or pull it up on screen share and have the child find items around their house to fit the different descriptions. Have them bring the item to you to show you and complete the action for you to see. Or encourage them to move away from the screen with their caregiver to find the different objects and complete the actions in different parts of the house, returning to the screen for their next instruction.
Skill Areas Addressed:
Gross motor skills, coordination, balance, motor control, sensory integration, proprioception, visual motor integration, visual perceptual skills
Did you like this scavenger hunt? Check out the whole Printable Sensory Motor Scavenger Hunt Pack! This great little activity pack has scavenger hunts for looking, listening, feeling, and moving!
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