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I didn’t expect Life Between Weekends to turn into a scavenger hunt blog, but the feedback I’ve been getting is: KEEP THE IDEAS COMING! (So urgently, in fact, that all caps is required.) Well, as someone whose wild nights in high school involved organizing group scavenger hunts—yup, I am not even joking a little about that—I’m happy to oblige. The latest edition? Backyard scavenger hunt ideas that will help you look at your own space in a whole new way.

How to Host a Backyard Scavenger Hunt:

Gather your crew, divide everyone into groups (or have them search individually), hand out this list, and set a timer for 20 minutes. Try to find as many items as you can, either by taking photos of them or physically collecting them. In the end, you’ll appoint a judge, assigning one point for every item found, and three points for the most creative find for each category. Whoever has the most points wins…bragging rights? A pool of money? A cookie? I’ll let you decide that.

How to plan a hunt via Zoom:

Send everyone the list and let them go into their own backyards for 20 to 30 minutes, setting a time for everyone to log onto Zoom (or the video chat service of your choice) and share their findings. Easy as that!

Our Top 25 Backyard Scavenger Hunt Ideas:

Ready, set, search for…

  1. The best part of backyard cookouts
  2. A leaf that looks like something else (be it a celeb, an animal, anything)
  3. A cloud that looks like something else
  4. A bottle cap
  5. A flower
  6. A weed
  7. Something that reminds you of summer
  8. Something that reminds you of winter
  9. Something that reminds you of childhood
  10. A rock that’s larger than your fist
  11. A pebble that’s smaller than a dime
  12. An acorn
  13. A twig
  14. Something that doesn’t belong outside (like a pen, a cup, etc.)
  15. Water
  16. A squirrel
  17. An ant
  18. An anthill
  19. Bark
  20. A clover (bonus points if it’s four-leaf!)
  21. A lizard
  22. A feather
  23. A pinecone
  24. A spiderweb
  25. Something with a cool texture or pattern

Lead photo by Jennifer Marcus on Unsplash

Posted in Fun

Author: candacebd

Candace Braun Davison is a writer, editor and recipe developer who divides her time between New York and Florida. She's written articles that have appeared in PureWow, Delish, House Beautiful, Cosmo, Elle, Esquire, Elle Decor, Veranda, Good Housekeeping and more. She's also published and contributed to multiple cookbooks, including a tailgate cookbook specifically designed for USF students. A portion of the proceeds benefitted student scholarships at the university.