SCAVENGER and NATURE HUNTS

EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS

NATURE SCAVENGER HUNTS:

Scavenger hunts are fun, but do require some rules:
Set boundaries. Perhaps a time limit. Hunt with a buddy or group (younger girls should be with an adult). Do not disturb anything. Don't break or pick anything "green" and watch where you step. If gathered, return all materials (dry leaves & twigs etc) to a wooded area.

You can make up a list or let the girls make a list of what they think they will find.
Each team can have the same or different lists.
Girls can write down what they see or check off items on a list, or collect small items found on the ground to show to the rest of the group.

Below are some ideas for all ages. Make your list imaginative... Challenge their ingenuity.

dark green & light green leaf | pebble smaller than a pea | pinch of dust | seed
smooth rock | smooth-edge leaf | someone or some things food | something alive
something prickly | something that "clicks" or "crackles" | something that feels nice
something with 4 legs | teaspoon of mud | Y-shaped twig | something dry
something funny | something green, yellow, etc | something huge | something peaceful
something out of place | something sad | something tiny | something wet
something you have never seen before | splash of color | tallest thing at camp
oldest / youngest thing at camp | something round | A hat for a chipmunk
a tree with pointy leaves | someplace peaceful | something to help start a campfire
a bug | favorite sound at camp | something with spots | a bathtub for a ladybug

SENSES HUNT:

Listen for: leaves rustling | birds singing | water running
Touch: smooth-edge leaf | something that feels nice
Smell: something damp | piney
Look for: something tiny | something you have never seen before

ECOLOGY HUNT:

Find and identify: 3 kinds of leaves | 3 kinds of insects | 3 kinds of clouds

CAMERA SCAVENGER HUNT (or have draw it):

This can be planned as an overnight or all-day event. Divide the girls in groups with a parent/leader for each group. The group is free to find the items wherever they choose. It can be within a confined area or if willing, the adults can drive them to different locations (check Safety Wise for driving guidelines). The groups are to meet back at a designated time to share photos & stories. An instamatic camera works best or you could meet a week later after the film is developed. Using a camera instead of "picking up" is one of the more sophisticated concepts of collecting & a marvelous way to keep a memory forever.

Your list may include:

Find and Photograph- a blossom | clouds | dew on flowers | an insect...
Find a snails eye-view of something | something funny | something huge...
Find something out of place | something peaceful | something sad...
Find straight, curved or crossed lines | sunlight coming through trees | sunrise | sunset | texture...

OBSERVATION LOTTO:

Make up a lotto card with 3-5 squares across and 3-5 squares down depending on age, experience, and how much time you'll have. Enter things to look for based on your location such as: stream, animal tracks, eroded land, berries, dead tree, squirrel, wildflower, trash, pine cone, vine, poison ivy, moss, bird, persimmon, pine tree or anything suggested in the previous scavenger hunts. You can give a copy to each girl, each set of buddies, or each patrol with a crayon or pencil (no pens, if they're lost they pose an environmental hazard). When someone sees an object, they mark it off on their card.

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Games - Teambuilding/Non-Competative

Ice-Breakers

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