"That is one good thing about this world ... There are always sure to be more springs."
- L.M. Montgomery

Spring holds a special place in my heart. I truly enjoy all four seasons in moderation (I live in the south, so winters are not extreme though summer is a different story). However, there is something special about spring.

I love feeling the warm sun on my face, watching the flowers grow, and enjoying the extra birds in our yard. Full disclosure, as a mom, I also appreciate the little bit of quiet that comes from my boys spending so much time playing outside in the spring after the cold days of winter.

The new plant and animal life gives me hope and joy. As Laura Ingalls Wilder once said, “Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”

Benefits of a Spring Scavenger Hunt

A spring scavenger hunt is a perfect way to get everyone outside in the warm fresh air. It is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family or a group of friends. In this post I will give you ideas for how to use this scavenger hunt with MULTIPLE AGES.

In addition to being fun and getting children (and adults) outside, there is a lot of learning with a spring scavenger hunt. It can be a great way to spark interest in nature study (and music, literature, and more!), a chance to expand on learning about different nature topics, and an opportunity to encourage physical activity.

Spring Scavenger Hunt Directions

You can pick a time that works well for your family or save it for a day when things are not going well, and you need a homeschool reset. (You could even call an official “day off” and head out on a field trip to a local spot with a picnic lunch, read alouds, and the scavenger hunt printable.

Simply print out the scavenger hunt printable, grab a pencil to mark off what you find, and get going.

This scavenger hunt will use more than just sight - we will be encouraging our children to LISTEN for signs of spring, too.

You can choose to do the scavenger hunt in your backyard or take a ride to a local park or hiking trail. It might even be fun to try it in a couple of different locations and discuss the differences in what you can find.

Spring Scavenger Hunt Modifications and Variations

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant."
- Anne Bradstreet

Depending on your location, the ages and interests of your students, and how much time you want to spend on your scavenger hunt, you may want to make some simple modifications.

For example, if you have young children, you may want to keep it very simple and look for a bird, a leaf, a flower. You may have older children look for more specific items, such as a cardinal or a blue jay.

You can also incorporate more nature study into your scavenger hunt by having them identify the specific types of plants and animals. Students can use field guides and other resources to identify the birds, trees, flowers, etc.

For preschoolers, you could work together and do a color hunt. Spring is full of new colors from flowers, birds, and more.

If you want students to complete the project independently or make it a little more exciting for them, you can turn it into a photo scavenger hunt. Give each child or team a camera and have them take a photograph of the items on their list.

You could do the scavenger hunt together as a family or turn it into a friendly family competition to see who can find the most items on their list in a given time.

In this free scavenger hunt download you can print two different versions - one with words for your readers and one without words for your pre-readers!

Downlaod the Printable

Additional Resources and Extensions

One of the great benefits of a spring scavenger hunt is that it requires nothing more than a pencil and a piece of paper. However, if you enjoy the scavenger hunt and want to extend your learning, a few resources could be helpful.

Reading picture books about spring and gardening is a great way to engage young children before or after your hunt. Some of our favorites are the Tales of Beatrix Potter, Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert, and When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes.

Favorite Books for Spring also has many book suggestions.

Field guides can help you learn more about what you found on your scavenger hunt. There are many excellent guides, but we like the Peterson First Guides. They are small and easy to carry, and they are also simple enough for elementary students to use.

SQUILT LIVE! Music Appreciation is offering an entire month of nature and music studies in April 2022 (available afterward in their archives, too!). Lessons include Vivaldi’s Spring, Schubert’s Trout Quintet, and an entire month of listening selections having to do with “The Nature of Music”. There will even be a nature study lesson from Miss Cindy at No Sweat Nature Study!

Finally, if your children are interested in the insects they find on their scavenger hunt, I recommend Pets in a Jar .

We have used this book for years in our home, and it is a favorite for helping my children safely keep the insects they find. It explains what each insect needs for shelter, food, and water. We provide the insect with a safe home for a few days while the children get to observe it up close. Then when they are done, we can release the insects back into the wild.

Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales Planting a Rainbow When Spring Comes Pets in a Jar: Collecting and Caring for Small Wild Animals (Puffin Science Books)Peterson Field Guide To Birds Of North America, Second Edition (Peterson Field Guides)Birds (Peterson Field Guide Color-In Book)Peterson First Guide to Butterflies and Moths Vivaldi's Four Seasons Thornton Burgess 26-Book Set

I hope you enjoy this spring scavenger hunt as much as our family.

What other signs of spring do you see in your neighborhood?

This post is from contributing writer, Dawn Peluso.

Dawn is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife to Chris, and homeschool mom of four. In her spare time she loves to read, hike, and write on her blog Schoolin’ Swag. She enjoys reviewing curriculum and helping moms find the right fit for their families. Some of her favorite parts of homeschooling are hymn studies, living history, and read alouds. She and her children also enjoy incorporating food into their studies as often as possible.

Spring Fun: Activities for All Ages

Let Them Be Little: Cultivating Wonder in Your Homeschool

Our family loves it for a few very simple (but important!) reasons:

We pay ONE price ($9.99) each month for UNLIMITED ebooks and audiobooks. You can access as many books as you want! (It isn’t like some services where you can only have one audiobook out at a time or where you have to amass “credits” for your books.)

Everyone in our family can share the account (Scribd tells you that account sharing covers up to 4 people) - and they have a generous offering of children’s/middle grades/teen books as well.

It works on IOS, Android, and Kindle Fire - I love the Scribd app on my iPad, but we also access Scribd on our Kindle Fire.

It is VERY easy to use! I love to highlight while I read and Scribd makes it very easy to do that - and then I can go back at any time and access those notes.

Scribd has SHEET MUSIC! (I am currently working on the music from Schindler’s List)

What else (besides books) comes with Scribd?

Music, podcasts, sheet music, and other documents are available through Scribd.

Additionally, there are Scribd Perks - our favorite of those is Curiosity Stream, which has thousands of science, technology, nature, and history documentaries.. This is such a valuable addition especially if you are a homeschooling family!

10 Favorite Books Available on Scribd

I looked back through my books from the past couple of years and picked out 10 favorites. I could have given you a TON more - I had to exercise great restraint in keeping the list to 10!

Beauty: a Retelling of Beauty & The Beast by Robin McKinley

This was a Young Adult retelling of Beauty & The Beast - which I enjoyed listening to on my own. It would be a wonderful read-aloud for your middle and high school children, and perfect for a study of this fairytale and the different ways it has been told over hundreds of years.

The Incredible Winston Browne by Sean Dietrich

If you don’t know about Sean Dietrich, you are missing out on a Southern gem! After I read May the Circle be Unbroken (also available on Scribd), I knew I needed to read more. HIs wit, wisdom, and gentle way of writing about times gone by in the South is comforting.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

Everything William Kent Kreuger writes is wonderful. This Tender Land, which takes place in the Midwest and is about four orphans on a life-changing journey during the Great Depression. It will pull at your heartstrings. Kreuger writes with such a strong sense of place. He also a series of mysteries (the first of which is Iron Lake )that are available on Scribd.

The Bird in the Tree by Elizabeth Goudge

The British author Elizabeth Goudge, was new to me last year. The Bird in the Tree is the first in the Eliot Family Trilogy. I’ve read the second and hope to get to the third very soon! Prepare to highlight A LOT and soak in every word Elizabeth Goudge writes. There is a beautiful wisdom in this family story that I just loved.

The London House by Katherine Reay

This book was a new release last year. Katherine Reay is one of my favorite authors right now and I enjoyed the London House so much. It takes us on a journey through Britain’s WWII spy network. I learned so much history in this book and was quite caught up in the story, too!

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

This was my favorite book of 2021! Once Upon a Wardrobe takes us into the world of CS Lewis and the creation of Narnia - and while it is historical fiction, Patti Callahan does a wonderful job of creating a beautiful fictitious story that is grounded in a lot of truth. A lovely letter from C.S. Lewis’ son at the end of the book ties it all up with a beautiful bow.

Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery

What can I say? The first sentence of the book is indicative of the beautiful writing that continues throughout!

“Gay street, so Jane always thought, did not live up to its name. It was, she felt certain, the most melancholy street in Toronto...though, to be sure, she had not seen a great many of the Toronto streets in her circumscribed comings and goings of eleven years.”

I needed something sweet and reassuring last year when my father was in hospice, and this book provided that.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

In my quest to read more classics, I Capture the Castle was recommended to me. DId you know that Dodie Smith also wrote 101 Dalmations? (Well, this book is nothing like that - ha! I read an article that said, “Once you read it, you fall in love with it, and from then on you’re part of a secret club, self-selecting and wildly enthusiastic.”

That Distant Land by Wendell Berry

I am a HUGE Wendell Berry fan. Hannah Coulter is one of my all-time favorite books. That Distant Land includes all of Wendell Berry’s short stories published up until 2004, so it gives you a wonderful introduction to the author in bite-size pieces. I listened to this and enjoyed the short stories that helped build my attention for audiobooks.

Take Back Your Family by Jefferson Bethke

My husband (who probably uses Scribd even more than me!) recommended I read Take Back Your Family. It offers ideas on how to build a healthy family and create a lasting legacy. I’ve recommended this book to several people who have all agreed that after reading it they’ve thought about it for a long time.

Spring Scavenger Hunt