Plan the Ultimate
Camping Scavenger Hunt!

Ready for an awesome Camping Scavenger Hunt adventure? Are you headed for the hills, and just a bit concerned there might not be enough excitement to keep your family occupied (especially the younger gang)? Peace, quiet, and solitude is a wonderful goal of many camping trips, but sometimes ya just need something a little different to change the pace- especially if lots of little feet are around. Planning a scavenger hunt could be just the thing to bond everyone together~ have you experienced something like this on one of your outings? What's your favorite camping game memory?

Share YOUR favorite camping scavenger hunt idea or game by simply clicking here!

If you haven't experienced a fun camping adventure, you may wonder- where do I start? If you have a large group of fellow campers and a large campground with lots of camping friends, you could divide into teams. If there aren't too many of you, stick with a hunt using individual players. Next, decide on the scavenger structure. Would you like to simply search for a predetermied list of items, or would you like to hunt through the campground asking fellow campers to help out? For instance, maybe a can of beans is on your list, and you need another camper to help supply the item.

Some great camping scavenger hunt items found in nature or just laying around include:

a smooth rock	a feather
an earthworm	a red leaf
moss	a ladybug
a butterfly	a very straight stick
a tadpole	aluminum can
plastic water bottle	pine needles
pinecones	acorns
piece of bark	'y' shaped tree branch
unused bird nest	a toad
an old railroad tie	a piece of limestone
a clover leaf	a flower of specified color
a thorn	a nail
a thistle	a dandelion
a piece of twine or string	a piece of material
a penny	a pen

Variations can be made to suit any game. Depending on the ages, instead of naming the item, you could say- the largest of these items is the winner. For example, the largest rock you can carry, or the largest leaf that makes it back will win for that catergory. Depending on the time of year, you can also change your items to suit the season. It might be difficult to find a red leaf in the summer, but it also adds a new element when a player finds a camper with red nail polish to paint a leaf red :)

Want to make the hunt a bit more lively, and include some of the campers in the campground? It's time to get creative! One tiny word of caution here- be a good sport! Some campers may desire TOTAL peace and may not appreciate a bunch of children asking for items. Also, make sure you have permission to take something that doesn't belong to you, and as always, make sure to return any borrowed items- maybe even include a thank-you gift of a s'more with the returned item :)

If your players are older and each is 'armed' with a digital camera or photo-capacity phone, you could include pictures in your hunt- such as: someone climbing the highest tree, a player posing with 2 grandmothers or a baby, someone sitting on a tractor, etc. Scavenger hunt ideas for kids are only as limited as your imagination!

Some more interesting kids outdoor scavenger hunt items that may need the help of other campers could be: (If your campsite happens to have most of these items, you could make a rule that you aren't allowed to use things from your own site.)

a can of beans	a can-opener
a s'more	a hot dog
ketchup	mustard
toothpaste	a pocket knife-for older players!
chocolate chip cookie	bag of chips
iron skillet	matches- for older players!
a newspaper	a 'best-seller' book
a Bible	'y' shaped tree branch
graham crackers	an empty ice cream cone
an apple	a stuffed animal
cereal	a flower pot
a candy bar	a sign
bird seed	a toaster
a wrench	a cup of flour
a straw	an umbrella

Now it's YOUR turn! What is the CRAZIEST camping scavenger hunt item you've had to look for? Inquiring readers and families want to know~