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Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids: Free Picture Printables for Every Season

Free picture nature scavenger hunt for kids: winter, spring and summer, five senses and a draw-it treasure hunt. Toddler-friendly, with safety tips.

By Hailey Brooks6 minute read
Two kids crouching among wildflowers in a pine forest, looking closely with a magnifying glass

A nature scavenger hunt turns an ordinary walk into a mission: find the pinecone, spot the bird, listen for the wind. These free nature scavenger hunt printables use pictures instead of words, so toddlers and preschoolers can play on their own, and there’s a version for every season plus a five senses hunt and a draw-what-you-find treasure hunt for older kids.

Quick answer: print the free nature scavenger hunt printable, pick the page that matches the season, clip it to a clipboard and go. Pre-readers tick the pictures, older kids draw their finds on the treasure hunt page. Look, don’t taste, leave feathers and nests where they are, and stop while it’s still fun.

Free printable Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable PDF · 5 pages, no email needed →

Printable spring and summer nature scavenger hunt with pictures of a flower, butterfly, bee, ladybug, worm and snailSave

What’s in the free nature scavenger hunt printable

Page Hunt Best for
1 How to play + safety tips Grown-ups, before you go
2 Winter nature hunt (12 pictures) December to February, ages 2+
3 Spring and summer nature hunt (12 pictures) March to August, ages 2+
4 Five senses hunt: listen, touch, smell, look Any season, toddlers and up
5 Nature treasure hunt: find it, then draw it Ages 4 and up

Looking for a fall version? Our Thanksgiving scavenger hunt has a fall nature walk with acorns, red leaves and squirrels, and the Halloween scavenger hunt has a neighborhood walk for October.

How to do a nature scavenger hunt for kids

  1. Pick the right page. Use the season’s picture hunt for little ones, the five senses hunt on any day, and the treasure hunt for kids who like to draw.
  2. Bring a clipboard and one crayon. A piece of cardboard and a binder clip works too.
  3. Choose a small area. A backyard, a park, a playground edge or one loop around the block is plenty for a toddler.
  4. Read the pictures together first. Say each word out loud so pre-readers know what they’re looking for.
  5. Tick, photograph or draw. Kids don’t need to pick anything up to count it.
  6. Stop before they’re tired. Twenty minutes is a great first hunt. Nobody needs to find all twelve.
  7. Talk about it at home. Ask about the best find, the smallest thing and the strangest sound.
Little girl in a green sweater running along a grassy path beside the treesSave

Winter nature scavenger hunt

Winter walks are short, so this page sticks to things that are easy to spot even on a gray day:

  • A pine tree, icicles and frost or snow
  • Animal tracks in snow or mud
  • Red berries (look only)
  • A bare tree, a pinecone and a Y-shaped stick
  • A bird and a squirrel
  • A big cloud and ice on a puddle
Printable winter nature scavenger hunt with pictures of a pine tree, icicles, animal tracks and red berriesSave

Animal tracks are the favorite. After a snowfall, try guessing who made them: a dog, a bird, a squirrel or a person. On very cold days, keep it to 10 minutes and finish with the winter coloring pages inside.

Two young children in winter hats walking hand in hand through a snowy parkSave

Spring and summer nature scavenger hunt

Warm months are all about small living things, so this page asks kids to slow down and look closely: a flower, a butterfly, a bee (from a distance), a ladybug, a worm, a snail, a clover, a dandelion puff, an ant, a nest (look only), a feather (leave it) and a smooth rock.

Bugs are easiest to find under logs and rocks after rain. Lift a rock together, look, then put it back exactly where it was so the bugs keep their home.

Five senses nature hunt

This is the best nature scavenger hunt for preschoolers and toddlers, because it works in any weather and needs no reading. Instead of objects, kids hunt for experiences:

  • Listen: a bird singing, wind in the trees, your own footsteps
  • Touch: something smooth, rough tree bark, something soft like moss or grass
  • Smell: a flower or pine needles, damp dirt after rain, a big sniff of fresh air
  • Look: something tiny, something taller than you, something moving
Printable five senses nature hunt with sections to listen, touch, smell and lookSave

And the fifth sense? On a nature walk, taste stays at home: nothing outside goes in mouths. For more hands-on sensory play indoors, see our sensory bin ideas.

Nature treasure hunt (draw what you find)

Nature treasure hunts work well for kids 4 and up who are ready for a challenge. Instead of a checklist, each box gives a clue, and kids decide what counts:

  1. Something round
  2. Something with a pattern
  3. A leaf bigger than your hand
  4. Something that smells nice
  5. Something smaller than your thumb
  6. Something two colors
  7. Something that fell from a tree
  8. Your favorite find of the day
Printable nature treasure hunt with eight boxes to draw finds like something round and a leaf bigger than your handSave

Kids draw each find in its box, or tape in a photo later. There are no wrong answers, which is exactly why older kids like it: a “pattern” could be tree bark, a spider web or the stripes on a leaf.

Child in a denim jacket holding up a small pinecone in a forestSave

Nature walk safety for little explorers

A few simple rules keep a nature walk scavenger hunt fun:

  • Look, don’t taste. Berries, mushrooms and plants stay out of mouths, even ones that look like food.
  • “Leaves of three, let it be.” Skip any plant that might be poison ivy.
  • Leave feathers and nests where they are. In the US, keeping feathers of native wild birds is against federal law without a permit, even feathers found on the ground, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. That’s why our pages say “spot it” instead of “collect it.”
  • Watch bees from a distance and stay together near roads and water.
  • Check for ticks after time in tall grass or woods, and wash hands when you get home. The CDC has tips for preventing tick bites.
  • Watch small finds with under-3s. Acorns, pebbles and berries are choking-size for toddlers.
Four kids in jackets standing on a log in a forest with yellow fall leavesSave

Want more outdoor ideas for little ones? See our fall activities for toddlers and toddler activities at home.

Nature scavenger hunt FAQ

What should be on a nature scavenger hunt list for kids?

Things kids can actually find in your season and area: trees, leaves, rocks, birds, bugs, clouds and puddles. Pictures help kids who can’t read yet, and “look only” items like nests teach kids to leave nature as they found it.

How do you do a nature scavenger hunt with toddlers?

Keep it short and close to home, use picture lists, and let your toddler tick each find. The five senses hunt is a good first try because there’s nothing to collect.

What age is a nature scavenger hunt for?

Picture hunts suit ages 2 and up with a grown-up nearby. Kids 4 and older can try the nature treasure hunt, where they draw what they find.

Can kids collect feathers on a nature walk?

In the US, it’s best not to. Federal law protects the feathers of native wild birds, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service says there’s no exemption for molted feathers found on the ground. Take a photo or draw it instead.

Is there a nature scavenger hunt for winter?

Yes. Page 2 of the printable is a winter nature hunt with icicles, animal tracks, a pine tree, frost and more.

Is the nature scavenger hunt printable free?

Yes. All five pages are free to print for home or the classroom, with no email sign-up.

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