One of my favorite activities to enjoy with preschoolers is a simple walk. Whether it’s a walk to the park, a walk around the neighborhood, or a walk on some nature trails, the fresh air lifts our spirits and presents so many learning opportunities. Especially when you have one of these no-prep preschool scavenger hunts in the back of your mind!

While your little one is searching for colors, shapes, numbers, and more, they’re building their vocabulary, learning to follow directions, and enhancing their observation skills. The excitement of finding something new encourages them to express themselves, describe what they’ve found, and ask questions—an essential part of language development. Plus, these hunts help sharpen their ability to focus and think critically, all while soaking in the beauty of the outdoors.

It’s no wonder that lots of scavenger hunts are incorporated into my preschool program, Play into Kindergarten Readiness. They are such a powerful learning tool!

Play into Kindergarten Readiness is my step-by-step, thoughtful, and wholesome curriculum for 3 to 5 year olds. Over seven months, you explore monthly themes with your little one while covering all core skills through 20 minutes of play a day. Take a peek and grab your copy right here: https://shop.howweelearn.com/collections/everything-preschool

Free Nature Scavenger Hunt Printables

Before we get into the 5 no-prep preschool scavenger hunts, I also wanted to share these printable nature scavenger hunts with you! There is one for each season, perfect for bringing along on your next nature walk:

Fun, No-Prep Scavenger Hunts for 3-5 Year Olds

Without any further ado, here are five fun, no-prep scavenger hunts to enjoy with your preschooler! These ideas are perfect to enjoy at the park, on a walk, or simply in the comfort of your own home.

Preschool Scavenger Hunt #1: Colors

Go on a color scavenger hunt outside and look for one color. Find as many different green things as you can! This is fun to do while walking on a nature trail.

After you have gathered lots of different green things, for example, see if you can sort them from lightest to darkest, building vocabulary and comparing the items as you do. Which is the lightest green? Which is the darkest green? Is one shade of green ‘slightly’ darker than another?

You can also take this opportunity to compare your items in other ways. Are any of your treasures soft? Hard? Bumpy? Smooth?

Preschool Scavenger Hunt #2: Numbers

Go for a walk in your neighborhood (or visit a nearby neighborhood) and go on a number hunt. With your child, look for the numbers 1 to 9. Try to find them in order on license plates, addresses, or on signs.

If your child is unclear on the number you are looking for, use a stick to draw it in some dirt as you are walking.

Have your little one share what their favorite number is!

Preschool Scavenger Hunt #3: Shapes

Head to the park and go on a shape hunt. Most children’s parks have shapes all over the place! A tube has a circle at the beginning and the end, platforms are often square or rectangular, stairs that go in a circular shape are often triangular.

Draw a shape together in the dirt with a stick, then have your child hunt through the park to see how many of that shape they can find.

Preschool Scavenger Hunt #4: Sounds

Go on a “walk and gather” scavenger hunt. First, walk around and gather items in a basket that all start with one sound. See if your child can guess your gathering rule (perhaps bather a ball, a banana, and a book—all items that start with the sound /b/). Next, have your child walk around and gather items starting with a certain sound.

Remember, at this age, the key is building phonological awareness! This means that you’re only concerned with the sound that is made at the start of each word—the /b/ sound—not the actual letter name. If the term ‘phonological awareness’ is brand new to you (or you want a little refresher), you can read all about these seven important skills right here: https://www.howweelearn.com/what-is-phonological-awareness-and-how-do-i-teach-it/

Preschool Scavenger Hunt #5: Size

Okay, so this one isn’t exactly “no prep” but the prep required will take you all of 30 seconds. Promise! Put two lines of painter’s tape on the ground. One of the lines should be quite small and the other one longer. That’s it for prep! Now, have your child go on a scavenger hunt to see if they can find objects that are close in size to those lines.

This is a great opportunity to build that math language and vocabulary by adding in comments like, “Oh! Your cow stuffed animal is longer than the little line, but shorter than the big line!”

Teach Your Preschooler through Play!

If you want more activities that are engaging, fun, and planned for you day-by-day, you’ll want to check out Play into Kindergarten Readiness! This wholesome curriculum for children ages 3 to 5 years old covers all core skills in ONE 20-minute activity a day: https://shop.howweelearn.com/collections/everything-preschool

I hope your week is off to a lovely start, my friend!

xo
Sarah