5 Educational Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Spring

Spring has sprung! Time to go outside and enjoy the warmer weather while engaging students in hands-on learning experiences. Scavenger hunts are creative and active lessons perfect for spring. Get inspired with these fun ideas for class scavenger hunts.

1. Measurement

Spring is the time when everything starts growing. Give students a sheet of paper with different measurements in various units; for example, 6 inches, 1 yard, 30 centimeters, 2 feet, 40 millimeters, etc. Students can use rulers to find objects both inside and outside that correspond to the measurements. As an extension activity, you can compare the metric system with the imperial system.

2. Colors

Colors begin to pop up all around during the spring months. Take this opportunity to teach students the names of colors in several different languages with a color scavenger hunt. You could also challenge their sense of perception by having them look for shades of color, such as royal blue, mustard yellow, chartreuse, crimson, and rose.

3. Nature

Students will enjoy going outside to explore after having been cooped up during the winter. Create a scavenger hunt where they can search for natural elements like flowers, nests, animal tracks, plants, and insects. Expand the activity by having students choose several items to include in a short story or poem with the theme of spring.

4. Shapes

Searching for shapes is another way to connect a scavenger hunt with math. Have students look for squares, tringles, circles, ovals, stars, hearts, and crescents and sketch the item they found with the shape. You could also have them put a tally mark next to shapes for each example they encounter. Students can then create their own graph comparing the number of shapes they found.

5. Senses

Students will enjoy searching the spring landscape for elements they can experience using their five senses. You can create a list for students to check off as they complete the activities, such as “smell a flower,” or “hear the birds.” If students are older, you may wish to have them create their own lists and then exchange them with a classmate to complete.

By Kelli Drummer-Avendano

Also read: Grow Together as a Class This Spring