Try a Nature Scavenger Hunt

Explore the outdoors with our printable checklist!

When children learn to appreciate and enjoy nature, they are more likely to grow into adults who value and protect our environment.

That’s why we've gathered great clues for a scavenger hunt to liven up your next walk in the woods. Pack a picnic, lace up your hiking boots, and head outside to explore.

Possible recipients

Click here to print your scavenger hunt.

Enjoy exploring nature as a family, invite friends along, or bring this activity to your scout’s meeting, classroom, or community gathering.

What you’ll need

• Our printable Nature Scavenger Hunt

• Crayons, colored pencils, or markers

Optional — and fun! — additions to take it further

• Create a family “nature box” or “nature table” to collect and display objects you find.

• Keep a nature notebook. Include photos, drawings, pressed flowers, and notes to record your outdoor observations.

• Gather some “tools” to take on your outings: camera, magnifying glass, binoculars, insect net, or jars for (briefly) capturing insects.

• Have your children devise their own scavenger hunts for the family.

• Laminate this list so you can reuse it with dry-erase markers.

Instructions

• Modify our list to fit your scene (park, nature center, woods, seashore, backyard, etc.)

• Color in items as you go or draw/write about your discoveries in the blank boxes.

• For very young kids, consider filling in the blank boxes with items you think they will enjoy finding.

• For older kids, consider downloading the iNaturalist app and encourage them to use the app to help identify the plants, trees, tracks, and creatures they discover.

Reflections

• Talk about your hunt:

  • Which item was your favorite?

  • Which was most difficult to find?

  • Which did you find first?

  • What senses did you use on your hunt? What did you smell in nature? Feel? Hear?

• Albert Einstein, famed theoretical physicist, once said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” What do you think he meant?

• How does your body feel when you are spending time in nature? How does your mind feel?

Resources

• Frederick by Leo Lionni
  This Caldecott-Honor winning book reminds us how important it can be to stop and appreciate nature.

• The Greening Book by Ellen Sabin
  Full of unique activities and exercises, The Greening Book teaches children that they can make a difference in the future of our planet.

• Fun with Nature and More Fun with Nature (Take Along Guides) both by Mel Boring, Diane Burns, and Leslie Dendy
  Kids will love learning about the most common creatures, tracks, and trees they're likely to encounter in North America. These books will turn every trip to the park into a scavenger hunt!

See our growing Nature Lovers book list!

• Encourage the next generation of outdoor adventurers with picture books to inspire nature lovers
  Nothing inspires wonder, cultivates mindfulness, and relieves stress as effectively and enjoyably as time spent in nature. Encourage the wilderness enthusiast in your child with this growing list of stories.

• You may also enjoy our collection of picture books for young environmental advocates and our collection of picture books for citizen scientists.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.

Plant a Row for the Hungry

Dedicate a row of your garden to a local food shelf.

Everyone enjoys fresh produce. Help struggling families in your community by sharing your bounty. 

Possible Recipients

Your local food pantry, soup kitchen, or deserving neighbors and friends. Learn more about the Garden Writer’s Association Plant a Row for the Hungry initiative.

What you’ll need

• A garden

• A bag or box to carry your freshly picked goods

• Optional: card-making materials

Instructions

Get inspired by this popular DGT article.

• Call your local food pantry or soup kitchen to make sure they can accept your donation. AmpleHarvest.org offers a simple tool to find the nearest food pantry.

• Plant one row in your garden that you plan to donate.

• When it’s ready, harvest your produce.

• If you’d like, attach a card saying something like, “From the garden of ___“ or “Fresh to you! Enjoy!”

• Deliver to the nonprofit or to a friend or neighbor in need. If you choose a food pantry, ask about getting a tour.

Reflections

• Why is it important to eat fresh fruits and vegetables?

• Why might it be difficult for those with limited resources to get fresh produce?

• How would it feel if you had to get your food from a food pantry?

• What other ways can you share healthy, fresh foods with others?

Resources

Click here for this growing list.

• The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes
  Through gorgeous illustrations and elegant text, Hughes introduces us to the hopes and frustrations of the littlest gardener. There is so much to love in this little story and its fairy-tale-style celebration of persistence, teamwork, and – of course – tending nature.

• Simply in Season by Cathleen Hockman-Wert and Mary Beth Lind
  Dozens of recipes and information about eating with the seasons.

Take it further

• If you don’t have room to garden in your backyard, reserve a plot in a community garden. Get to know your neighbors and share your harvest!

• If there’s not a community garden nearby, start your own. Get neighbors and friends to join in.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.

Start an Upcycle Bin

Repurpose would-be waste into craft supplies.

Create space in your home to store items that either can’t be recycled or can easily be repurposed before being recycled. Then encourage your children to use their imaginations, turning this would-be waste into something new.

Teaching our children to care for the earth is integral to teaching compassion. And as the complicated challenges of climate change and waste management demand global attention, the planet's health will be front and center in kids' lives. Here is one small, fun way your family can learn to become earth advocates.

Possible recipients

Get started with this quick video.

Encourage your family to get creative with clean, would-be waste materials, either as silly craft projects or as creations with clever new purposes.

What you’ll need

Click here to download and decorate a sign for your upcycle bin.

• Our printable Upcycle Bin label

• Crayons, colored pencils, or markers

• Box or spare laundry basket

• Duct tape

Instructions

• First, decorate your poster.

• Add three ideas for upcycled creations in the three blank spaces. Get inspired with our Kids Can Upcycle! Pinterest board.

• Attach your poster to a large cardboard box.

• Add a roll of duct tape.

• Add unrecyclable plastics and other clean items you would otherwise toss whenever possible.

• When you’re feeling crafty, create something new from the materials you gather!

Reflections

• Can we think of some ways to use less plastic as a family? Let's make a list!

• What are some things our family is already doing to conserve earth's resources and keep the planet clean?

Resources

Click here for the complete book list!

Browse our growing collection of picture books for earth advocates.

• The Greening Book by Ellen Sabin
  Full of unique activities and exercises, The Greening Book teaches children that they can make a difference in the future of our planet.

• What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French
  Informative, engaging, and eye-opening, this book introduces elementary-aged kids to the idea that nothing can ever be truly thrown “away.” Walk away with strategies to conserve resources at home and the inspiration to stick with those strategies.

Take it Further

• Take this 31 day, kid-friendly Zero Waste Challenge.

• Don’t be an “aspirational recycler.” Review the rules for recycling in your local area, and be sure to follow them.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.

Celebrate Earth Day - Every Day

Practice daily acts of conservation.

Plant the idea of environmental stewardship in your children all year – not only on Earth Day – by making little changes in your daily life.

This simple video will help you get started!

Possible recipients

Your family, home, community, environment, and the earth.

What you’ll need

• A willingness to make small changes in your everyday life

• Computer with Internet access

• Supplies vary based on the activities you choose.

Instructions

Our daily routines take a toll on the planet. It can be fascinating to show children how even their smallest activities add up to a significant impact.

Click here to start the questionnaire.

• Take the plastic reduction challenge. DGT's quick and easy plastic reduction challenge will send you on a hunt for the single-use plastics you rely on in your home. Once you find them, brainstorm replacement options together.

• Measure your carbon footprint. This kid-friendly calculator from the World Wildlife Federation makes it clear how your family’s choices impact the environment.

• Adopt a new sustainable habit. This list of 50 ways to help the planet is full of easy-to-tackle changes in your everyday routine.

• Consider going zero(ish) waste. If you're feeling ambitious, take this fun (and surprisingly doable!) month-long zero-waste challenge, listing one small change your family can make each day.

• Create posters. If desired, use art materials to create fun, colorful reminders — pictures, signs — to help family members keep up their new habits.

Reflections

• What good things are we already doing in our day to help the earth?

• What simple changes can our family make to take even better care of our planet?

• Why is it important to be good about recycling? composting? turning off the lights? taking shorter showers? turning off the water while brushing our teeth?

• Why is it sometimes hard to make even small changes like these?

Resources

Click here for this growing book list.

• The Story of Stuff is an ingenious 20-minute film about where things come from, where they end up, and the social and environmental implications.

• 365 Ways to Live Green for Kids: Saving the Environment at Home, School, or at Play–Every Day! by Sheri Amsel
  Simple ideas for how kids can protect the earth.

Take it further

• Celebrate Earth Day by attending (or organizing) a community festival, planting trees, picking up litter, organizing a letter-writing or fundraising walk for environmental causes, or doing some activity that helps make a difference for our planet.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.

Clean Up Your Neighborhood

Take pride in your community.

Picking up litter is a fun, simple, and free activity that can have instant results for your child and your community.

Possible recipients

Anyone who enjoys a pristine neighborhood, park, beach, or public walkway.

What you’ll need

• Plastic bag or reusable milk crate to collect trash

• Sturdy gloves for kids and adults

• Optional: pick-up stick, a separate bag for recyclables

Instructions

1. Assign gloves and a trash collection gear to each family member.

2. Clear out litter from a section of park, beach, vacant lot, or your own neighborhood. Take all necessary precautions, including wearing sturdy gloves, being careful on river banks or near roads, having adults handle dangerous items, and supervising children closely. You can pick your favorite walk and do a one-time sweep, or make clean-up a regular family event.

3. Properly dispose of all litter.

Reflections

• Did you find a lot of litter? What kind of litter did you see most often? What could be done to help with that problem?

• Why is it important to pick up litter?

• How do you feel when you see litter?

• How can you inspire others to help keep the neighborhood clean?

• What other ways can we take care of the spaces where we live?

Resources

See more picture books for Earth lovers!

• Colonel Trash Truck by Kathleen Crawley
  The colonel is on a mission to protect the beauty of the earth by cleaning up litter — and convincing others to do the same.

• Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter
  This hilarious story is sure to inspire your whole family to be mindful of your environmental impact.

Take it further

• Take a few digital photos of what you’ve picked up. Then have your family send an essay about your experience along with your favorite photo, your names, age(s), and address to mail@wildernessproject.org. Your essay will be published on the Nicodemus Wilderness Project website, your children’s names will appear in the Registry of Apprentice Ecologists, and you’ll get an official certificate. For tips on conducting the clean-up and writing the story, as well as essays and photos from other apprentice ecologists, visit the website.

• Have each family member pick up five pieces of trash each time you visit the park before you start playing.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.

Become a Community Scientist

Support scientists with hands-on efforts.

Thanks to smartphones, computers, and evolving technology, you can discover, learn about, and contribute to scientific research projects from anywhere in the world. SciStarter.com creates a shared space where people of all ages can get involved with the scientific process and scientists can crowdsource new data.

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Click here to visit our recent blog post featuring Community - or Citizen- Science in action!

Possible recipients

Choose among hundreds of research projects searchable through SciStarter.com. Some are online only. Others get you out into nature. Still others put you to work analyzing results.

What you’ll need

• Computer and internet access

• Supplies vary depending on the project you choose

Instructions

1. Register for a free account with SciStarter.com.

2. As a family, browse available projects based on location and interest area. Educational projects with extra learning tools are available too.

3. Choose a project and follow its instructions.

4. Rate and review the project to inspire other community scientists.

5. Some projects we recommend include:

   • Covid Near You: Take 5 minutes each week to check in with researchers at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital monitoring the spread of the virus.

   • Participate in Citizen Science Month every April: SciStarter.com celebrates all things community science with daily challenges. Mark your calendar, pick your family’s favorite, and get started!

   • Become an iNaturalist: Download the iNaturalist app from National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences. Join a project - which they define as a collection of observations with a common purpose. And begin your community science observations about the natural world!

   • Sign Up for Nature's Notebook: This National Phenology Network project invites you to help scientists take the pulse of our planet by observing and then sharing seasonal changes in plants and animals.

Reflection Questions

• What surprised you about doing citizen science? 

• How has the experience changed your understanding of what science is or what scientists do?

• What did you learn about community science? Do you think it is important or exciting? Why or why not?

• What projects did you find most interesting? What projects did you find least interesting?

• What project did you select and why? What do you think its impact will be?

• Once you've completed your project, think of one or two related ideas you are curious about. How would you find the answers to those questions?

• What are the limitations and possible challenges of engaging science enthusiasts in scientific research?

• What are the benefits of encouraging everyone to participate in science?

Resources

Click here for the complete list!

• Ruby’s Birds by Mya Thompson
  Join Ruby in discovering the fun of birdwatching, a pastime you can pursue wherever you are! Learn Ruby’s tips for taking nature walks, find out how to spot birds in your neck of the woods, and connect with Celebrate Urban Birds, a community science project at the Cornell Lab.

• Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester
  See community science in action in this fun story about a memorable family evening spent counting bats.

• Outdoor Science Lab for Kids: 52 Family-Friendly Experiments for the Yard, Garden, Playground, and Park by Liz Lee Heinecke
  Part of the incredible Lab Series, this edition will inspire your whole family to bring science to your time outside.

Take it further

• Monarch Joint Venture offers this list of community science efforts you can support while observing the pollinators in your neighborhood.

• Visit Science Friday's educational tools for parents and teachers. These free STEM resources help you dig even deeper into a variety of topics.

• Watch the PBS Series The Crowd and The Cloud (April 2017) all about community science and its impact on our world.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.

Assemble and Share Seed Bombs

Assemble colorful habitat starters to support pollinators.

These compostable, natural balls of clay will hold seeds until they break down in the sun, air, and weather, unleashing a colorful, nutritious treat for pollinators.

Possible Recipients

Mix up a batch of seed bombs to plant in your backyard! Share them with friends. Work with your school or youth group plant them around your organization’s campus. Or try your hand at guerilla gardening!

What you’ll need

Avoid commercial wildflower mixes, as they are likely to contain invasive species.

Avoid commercial wildflower mixes, as they are likely to contain invasive species.

• Dry clay powder (like this from Seed-balls.com)

• Variety of native seeds from your area (Note: this is important! Call a local nursery for guidance!) Here are helpful tools:

  • Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers pollinator-friendly seed lists for regions across the U.S.

  • Xerces Milkweed Seed Finder connects you with local milkweed plants and seed sellers. Did you know there are 73 varieties of native milkweed?

  • MJV Plant Vendor Map illustrates quality vendors across the U.S.

• Compost, manure, or worm castings

• Water

• Measuring cups, a bowl or bucket, and large spoons for mixing

Instructions

This beautiful book will inspire your young seed bomb makers and introduce more creative ways your family can support a strong monarch population and connect with bug life.

1. Plan your measurements in a ratio of 5 parts clay - 1 part compost - 1 part seeds

1. Mix compost and seeds well.

2. Add dry clay.

3. Slowly add water, a few tablespoons at a time, and mix until a moist but not wet meal forms and can be pressed together. If you add too much water, add clay to get the proper consistency.

4. Flatten dough and cut it into equal parts.

5. Roll each part into a ball about the size of a ping pong ball.

6. Dry the balls until ready to disseminate to your destination.

7. Give your seed balls their best chance to germinate by sinking them about halfway in the surrounding soil, especially if planting in a backyard or school campus. Watch for results!

8. If guerilla gardening, use native milkweed seeds and toss them under power lines or along roadsides.

Reflections

• How important are pollinators, anyway? Check out this National Geographic video to learn the answer.

• How do you feel when you see a butterfly or a bee pollinating a flower?

Take it further

• Raise and release your own monarch butterflies with this step-by-step guide.

• Monarch Joint Venture offers this extensive list of community science efforts as well as this list of tools for kids.

• Plant a garden for monarchs with this detailed guide.

Resources

Discover more titles to inspire your next project to heal the earth with this growing list.

• Monarch Butterflies: Explore the Life Journey of One of the Winged Wonders of the World by Ann Hobie
  This beautiful new book will inspire your young seed bomb makers and encourage close observations of your pollinator neighbors.

• Flowers are Calling by Rita Gray
  The perfect tool to illustrate the symbiotic relationship between creatures and flowers.

• Begin with a Bee by Liza Ketchum
  This poetic, life-cycle study of bumblebees encourages readers to recognize the part we all play in protecting the natural world.

  Browse the projects in our Big-Hearted Families Tookit!

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.

Explore Nature with a DGT Guidebook

Visit the DGT Family Library to print this membership exclusive.

Members of the DGT Family, get outside with this exclusive download!

This members-only toolkit includes

• Conversation Cards: designed to enrich a family conversation about The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

• My Nature Journal: a one-of-a-kind collection of 17 activities including creative writing, drawing, and mindfulness prompts.

• Heal the Earth: a 12-Week Kindness Challenge designed to help you make a difference week by week.

Visit the DGT Family Library to download this membership exclusive.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.