# Free Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids

- Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/
- Published: 2026-09-11T09:28:00+10:00
- Author: Clare Whitfield

School holidays always begin with such good intentions.

You picture wholesome family adventures, plenty of fresh air and children joyfully
making memories together.

Then, approximately three days in, someone is lying upside down on the lounge announcing
there is **literally nothing to do** while surrounded by enough toys to open a small
department store.

This free nature scavenger hunt printable is for those days.

Print the checklist, grab a pencil and head into the backyard, local park or neighbourhood
for a simple outdoor activity that costs absolutely nothing. It is especially lovely
during the spring school holidays when the flowers are blooming, the weather is 
warming up and there is a much better chance of spotting a butterfly that has agreed
to participate.

It is also easy to add to a bigger day of [school holiday activities in Australia](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/teens/school-holiday-activities/)
without needing bookings, tickets or an impressive amount of organisation.

## A Fun School Holiday Activity for The Whole Family: Nature Scavenger Hunt

 * [Download the Free Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#download-the-free-nature-scavenger-hunt-printable)
 * [What Do the Kids Need to Find?](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#what-do-the-kids-need-to-find)
 * [How to Play the Nature Scavenger Hunt](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#how-to-play-the-nature-scavenger-hunt)
 * [Where Can You Do a Nature Scavenger Hunt?](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#where-can-you-do-a-nature-scavenger-hunt)
 * [Make It Easier for Younger Children](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#make-it-easier-for-younger-children)
 * [Make It More Challenging for Older Kids](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#make-it-more-challenging-for-older-kids)
 * [Turn It Into a Full School Holiday Afternoon](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#turn-it-into-a-full-school-holiday-afternoon)
 * [Keep the Scavenger Hunt Nature-Friendly](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#keep-the-scavenger-hunt-nature-friendly)
 * [What If the Weather Turns?](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#what-if-the-weather-turns)
 * [An Easy Outdoor Activity That Costs Nothing](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/nature-scavenger-hunt-free-printable/#an-easy-outdoor-activity-that-costs-nothing)

![Outdoor nature scavenger hunt activity for children in australia](https://i0.wp.
com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nature-Scavanger-Hunt.jpg?resize
=724%2C1024&quality=89&ssl=1 "Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids")

[Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids](https://stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nature-Scavanger-Hunt.jpg)
[Download](https://stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nature-Scavanger-Hunt.jpg)

## Download the Free Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable

Click the printable below to open the full-sized version.

On a computer, right-click the image and select **Save image as**. On a phone or
tablet, press and hold the image to save it to your device.

For the clearest result, print it on A4 paper using the **Fit to page** setting.

You can print one checklist for each child or divide everyone into teams and share
a copy.

A clipboard makes the sheet easier to carry, but a book or sturdy piece of cardboard
underneath it works just as well. There is no need to buy special equipment for 
a five-year-old who will probably abandon the clipboard the moment they discover
an interesting stick.

## What Do the Kids Need to Find?

The printable challenges children to spot 16 things commonly found outdoors:

 * A flower
 * Water
 * A tree
 * A spiderweb
 * A bug
 * Rocks
 * A bird
 * Tree bark
 * A butterfly
 * Grass
 * A green leaf
 * A brown leaf
 * An ant
 * A fern
 * A cloud
 * Sand or dirt

Some objects will be much easier to find than others.

Grass and trees should be fairly cooperative. Butterflies, birds and bugs tend to
have their own schedules and may refuse to appear simply because your child has 
a checklist.

Water could be a puddle, creek, pond, fountain or even rainwater sitting on a leaf.
Sand or dirt could be found in the garden, at the beach or along a walking track.

The children do not have to collect the objects. They can simply point them out,
tick the corresponding circle or take a photo.

This prevents everyone from returning home with seventeen rocks, half a garden and
an ant that was apparently invited to live with you.

## How to Play the Nature Scavenger Hunt

Before starting, choose a clear area where the children are allowed to explore.

This might be the backyard, a section of the local park or the area surrounding 
your picnic spot. Explain any boundaries before the children become excited and 
disappear into the nearest shrub.

Give each child or team a printable and a pencil, crayon or washable marker. Every
time they spot one of the items, they can tick it off the list.

The activity does not have to be a race. You can:

 * Set a 15 or 20-minute time limit
 * Ask the children to find a certain number of objects
 * Let them continue until they have completed the whole page
 * Complete the hunt gradually across several family outings
 * Take photographs of each discovery rather than ticking the sheet

A prize is not necessary, although the winner choosing the afternoon snack can generate
a surprising amount of enthusiasm.

## Where Can You Do a Nature Scavenger Hunt?

You do not need to visit a national park or trek deep into the bush to complete 
the hunt.

Try it:

 * In your backyard
 * At a local park
 * During a family walk
 * At the beach
 * On a camping trip
 * At a botanical garden
 * Along an easy bushwalking track
 * During a picnic
 * At a playgroup gathering
 * At a children’s birthday party

Not every location will contain all 16 objects, and that is completely fine.

Let the children circle anything they could not find and bring the printable along
on your next outing. It can become an ongoing challenge rather than a frantic search
for a fern when everyone is already overdue for lunch.

## Make It Easier for Younger Children

Toddlers and preschoolers may need help understanding the pictures and identifying
some of the objects.

Complete the hunt together and ask simple questions as you explore:

 * What colour is the flower?
 * Can you point to the biggest tree?
 * Does the tree bark feel rough or smooth?
 * Can you see an insect moving?
 * How many rocks can you count?
 * What shape is the cloud?

There is no need to complete the entire printable.

If your toddler finds a flower, points at a bird and then spends the remaining 25
minutes carrying around one very important stick, the outing has still been a success.

## Make It More Challenging for Older Kids

Older children may finish the basic hunt quickly, so give them an extra mission.

They could photograph every object, write down where they found it or identify different
types of trees, birds and insects.

You could also ask them to find:

 * Something that smells nice
 * Something rough
 * Something smooth
 * Something smaller than their thumb
 * Something shaped like a circle
 * Three different shades of green
 * An object beginning with each letter of their name
 * Something they have never noticed before

Children could also design a new checklist for another family member to complete.

For more variations, our guide to [scavenger hunts for kids](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/scavenger-hunts-for-kids)
includes ideas for colour hunts, alphabet hunts, photo hunts and indoor scavenger
hunts.

## Turn It Into a Full School Holiday Afternoon

The scavenger hunt can be a quick backyard activity or part of a bigger family outing.

Pack a picnic, bring a ball and choose a park with plenty of space to explore. Once
the checklist is complete, keep everyone moving with a few [simple backyard games for kids](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/backyard-games/).

You could also collect a few **fallen** leaves, twigs and seed pods to use in a 
picture or nature collage when you return home.

Just make sure the children understand the difference between collecting something
that has already fallen and enthusiastically removing every flower from a public
garden.

For families trying to fill the holidays without emptying the bank account, there
are plenty more ideas in our list of [50 free school holiday activities for kids](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/50-free-school-holiday-activities-for-the-kids/).

## Keep the Scavenger Hunt Nature-Friendly

The aim is to look at nature, not dismantle it.

Encourage children to observe flowers, insects, spiderwebs and birds without touching
or disturbing them. Flowers, bark and living leaves should remain where they are
unless you know they can be safely and legally collected.

Children should never taste unfamiliar plants, berries or fungi. They should also
avoid reaching inside holes, lifting heavy rocks or touching insects and animals
they do not recognise.

Supervise younger children closely, particularly around roads, waterways and bushwalking
tracks.

Bring drinking water, hats, sunscreen and suitable shoes when exploring beyond the
backyard. It may be a free activity, but nobody wants the complimentary sunburn 
and blister package.

## What If the Weather Turns?

Australian spring weather does enjoy changing its mind.

If rain arrives before you begin, save the printable for the next clear day and 
choose one of these [indoor school holiday activities](https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/kids/30-indoor-school-holiday-activities-your-kids-will-love/)
instead.

You can also adapt the idea into an indoor scavenger hunt by asking the children
to find objects of different colours, shapes or textures around the house.

Just establish one important rule first: opening Mum’s drawers is not part of the
game.

## An Easy Outdoor Activity That Costs Nothing

This free nature scavenger hunt is ideal for school holidays, weekends, playdates
or any afternoon when everyone needs to get out of the house before the walls start
closing in.

There are no bookings to make, no supplies to order and no complicated instructions
to follow.

**Print the checklist, grab a pencil and head outside.**

[Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids](https://stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nature-Scavanger-Hunt.jpg)
[Download](https://stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nature-Scavanger-Hunt.jpg)

And should the children spend twenty minutes quietly searching for a butterfly while
you finish your coffee, we will call that an additional educational benefit.

**How many things did your kids manage to find?**

![author avatar](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/
12/clare_whitfield_profile.webp?quality=80&ssl=1)

 Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

 Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical
home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney,
she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school 
age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience
in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

 [See Full Bio](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/) [  ](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/)