dobudex

Free printable · A4 and US Letter

Nature scavenger hunt for kids

Twenty animals to find on a walk, drawn as silhouettes. Print the sheet, take a pencil, and tick each one off when you spot it.

  • 20 animals
  • 30–45 minutes
  • from age 3
PDF, A4 PDF, US Letter

The silhouettes are the mystery tiles the dobudex app shows before an animal is caught.

Nature scavenger hunt

Tick each animal you find, and write where you saw it. Look, don’t touch.

  • Ant
  • Snail
  • Earthworm
  • Bee
  • Butterfly
  • Ladybug
  • Spider
  • Pill bug
  • Dragonfly
  • Moth
  • Sparrow
  • Pigeon
  • Crow
  • Duck
  • Goose
  • Gull
  • Squirrel
  • Frog or toad
  • Rabbit
  • Starling

Found them all? Write your own on the back.dobudex.com/nature-scavenger-hunt

How to play

  1. Print One sheet per child, or one per team. A clipboard and a pencil help.
  2. Go out Somewhere with grass, trees and some water: a park, a garden, a canal path.
  3. Tick and write Spot an animal, tick its box, and write where it was on the line.
  4. Count Stop after 30 to 45 minutes and count the ticks. Nobody needs all 20.

Make it fit your child’s age

  • 3–5 Point at the shapes and say the names together. They find the animal, you tick the box.
  • 6–9 They tick the box and write where they saw it.
  • 10+ Ask which kind it was: which bird, which butterfly. A field guide, or a grown-up’s phone, can settle it.

Where to find each animal

Look low as well as high: under leaves, along walls, in puddles and at the tops of trees.

  • Ant On paths and in the cracks of paving, in the warm months.
  • Snail In damp, shady spots and on walls after rain.
  • Earthworm On the surface after rain, or under a lifted stone.
  • Bee On flowers, on warm, sunny days.
  • Butterfly On sunny flower beds, from spring to autumn.
  • Ladybug On plants and hedges, in spring and summer.
  • Spider In webs on fences, hedges and window frames, most of all in late summer and autumn.
  • Pill bug Under stones, logs and flower pots, all year.
  • Dragonfly Near ponds and slow rivers, on sunny summer days.
  • Moth Around outdoor lights after dark, or resting on a wall by day.
  • Sparrow In hedges and at feeders, all year.
  • Pigeon On squares and rooftops, all year.
  • Crow On playing fields and in parks, all year.
  • Duck On ponds, canals and rivers, all year.
  • Goose On lakes and on the grass beside them.
  • Gull By the coast, rivers and big open fields.
  • Squirrel In park and garden trees, busiest in autumn.
  • Frog or toad Near ponds in spring, and in damp spots after dark.
  • Rabbit On grassy edges, at dawn and dusk.
  • Starling On lawns and rooftops, often in groups.

When to go

  • Warm, sunny days bring out bees, butterflies, dragonflies and ladybugs.
  • After rain, snails and earthworms come up to the surface.
  • Early morning is when birds are most active.
  • Autumn and winter: birds, squirrels, and pill bugs under logs.

Be kind to what you find

  • Look, don’t touch. Most of these animals are small and easily hurt.
  • If you lift a stone or a log, put it back the way it was.
  • Give bees and wasps room, and keep away from nests.

FAQ

What animals are on the nature scavenger hunt?

Twenty animals: ant, snail, earthworm, bee, butterfly, ladybug, spider, pill bug, dragonfly, moth, sparrow, pigeon, crow, duck, goose, gull, squirrel, frog or toad, rabbit and starling. Most of them live in towns and parks across Europe and North America; a pond, a river or the coast adds the water birds, the dragonflies and the frogs.

How long does a nature scavenger hunt take?

Thirty to 45 minutes is plenty for a first round with young children. Older children can take the sheet on a longer walk, or keep it for a week and tick animals as they turn up.

Is the printable free?

Yes. Print it as often as you like, for your family, a class or a club. The A4 and US Letter PDFs are the same sheet.

Can I use it with a class or a group?

Yes. Print one sheet per child or per team and compare the ticks at the end. Nobody needs all 20 for a good round.

What if we find an animal that is not on the sheet?

Write it on the back. Finding something the list did not expect is part of the fun.

Is there a scavenger hunt app?

Yes. In the dobudex app you can make a safari: a scavenger hunt of 4 to 24 animals you have caught. Share its code, and everyone who joins ticks the animals off by scanning them. You can join a safari without an account; making one needs a sign-in. The app is free to try on iPhone and Android.

Want to see what a scan turns into? Here is any animal as a card, your pet as a card, a day at the zoo with dobudex, and the real-life Pokédex app behind the silhouettes.