Fall is officially here; the air is getting crisper and days are getting shorter which provides the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy these nice afternoons. My son loves being outside all the time, so I am always on the hunt for new fun things to do to spice up our activates. I recently did a historical scavenger hunt while on a business trip in NYC and had so much fun, which inspired me to think about fun ways to do a toddler based scavenger hunt.
One quick search on Pinterest and I found tons of fun ideas, but I came across the idea of a Fall nature scavenger hunt which sounded so fun and easy and perfect for Toddlers. All you need is your favorite park or trail and a few key items:
✓ Printed Checklist
✓ Clipboard & Crayon- Optional but makes the checklist experience fun
✓ Bag to collect items from list
FALL SCAVENGER HUNT CHECKLIST
To take the idea one step further, you can use your fun nature items for art and craft activities like:
Making a Fall Sensory Bin I love this example with adding the leaves, pine cones, acorns and festive popcorn kernels. You could even through in some small pumpkins or squashes for extra fun. Would recommend this for older toddlers, and perhaps replacing popcorn kernels with sand for younger ones who may be tempted to try and eat the kernels.
Make A Fall Wreath Use your scavenger hunt items along with some standard craft items (tissue paper, felt, glue) to set up a fall wreath making station! My son is obsessed with gluing, I am excited to try this one at home with him.
Painting with Nature This one might get a bit messy, but it looks like a lot of fun. Simply use your nature items as paint brushes. All you need is paper, paint and an open space to get messy!
Have fun exploring and crafting with your little wonder!