The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt for Kids

When I was around 14 years old, my Pony Club planned a huge Scavenger Hunt day a few towns away. Sadly, one of the horses refused to get on the float and we missed arriving on time. My dad saw our faces and quickly drummed up his own version of a scavenger hunt and we headed off for the day. It was one of the most amazing days of my childhood and was the catalyst for my love of scavenger hunts which I have loved creating for my own children.
 
The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt is a super easy version of this classic game and one that I have found all ages (including high school kids) enjoy. 

The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt

 
The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt : A Fun Outdoor Activity For Kids
The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt is an activity I developed to inspire the kids to see our backyard a little differently. It’s very easy to set up and has the potential to keep them busy for either short bursts of time or for longer periods depending on what I add to the list. 
The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt : A Fun Outdoor Activity For Kids

How to Play the Game

Basically the game involves participants opening a prepared matchbox to reveal a series of items that they need to find in a designated area. Each item must fit into their matchbox.
The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt : A Fun Outdoor Activity For Kids
The game concludes when a team successfully finds all the items on the list, fits them inside their matchbox and hands it to the adjudicator (that’s you!).
The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt : A Fun Outdoor Activity For Kids

Required Items

So what do you need to set up this activity? Well that’s the beauty of the game as all you need is an empty matchbox (or suitable box of desired size) for each participant or group and a short list of items to find. That’s it! Awesome, right?
 The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt : A Fun Outdoor Activity For Kids
If you want to expand the activity you could add a “matchbox decorating” element.
The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt : A Fun Outdoor Activity For Kids
Let me know how your game turns out.

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13 thoughts on “The Matchbox Scavenger Hunt for Kids”

  1. What a great idea … a version of what we use to do with our students when we did Scavenger Hunts while on Bivouac when I taught at Sport and Rec Camps.
    I’d love to see how a preschool teacher or ES1 teacher could adapt this for their students.
    Mac

    Reply
  2. I like this, not least because it would be a good reading activity (nice short list, not too intimidating, showing him that reading can be the means to fun, not just an academic exercise). Cool!

    Reply

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