Fall Scavenger Hunt

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Originally published August 30, 2019 and updated August 2021.

A fall scavenger hunt is the perfect way to get kids and the family outside to enjoy the crisp autumn weather and have fun. In another month or two, we’ll all be wishing we could stroll around outside enjoying the weather and an outdoor activity.

Fall weather is ideal for outdoor play and exploration. The scorching hot summer temps are past and the bitter winter weather hasn’t yet arrived. There are so many ways to encourage outdoor activities in the fall. A scavenger hunt for kids is just one of many fun ideas.

• Play outdoor games in the more mild temperatures
  • Incorporate fall elements into traditional games
    • Play hopscotch with acorns
    • Play stick ball with acorns
    • Play hide-and-seek by hiding items in piles of leaves
• Play autumn only games
  • Gather leaves and roll in them
  • Gather leaves and jump in them
  • Throw leaves up and let them “rain” down
• Explore nature and it’s fall changes
  • A nature scavenger hunt specifically for autumn
  • Collect items
    • Acorns
    • Red leaves
    • Yellow leaves

How to Plan a Fall Scavenger Hunt

• Select an area for the nature scavenger hunt
  • You can play in a backyard, a city park or out in nature
  • You can designate a static area or take a nature walk
• Decide if players will search individually or as teams
• Decide if you are using the fall treasure hunt clues as an exploration activity or as a competitive game
  • It’s possible to do both, depending on the age of the children and their personalities

• Determine if all items must be found or if the person or team with the most items win
  • You can use the fall treasure hunt sheet as a bingo-style card and have the first person to find all the items in a row win
• If you want to use the fall scavenger hunt for kids as a nature exploration activity
  • Have the children collect the items they can to bring back for discussion and comparison
  • Stop and discuss items as the children find them on their walk

Get 20 different scavenger hunts in the Big Bundle of Scavenger Hunts, with a total of 80 different game board pages, that you can download immediately.

Fall Scavenger Hunt

You can print as many copies of the 4-page fall scavenger hunt pdf as you’d like. Each sheet is different so that you can play the game over again with different scavenger hunt cards or you can give each person or team different cards.

Should You Give Prizes for a Fall Scavenger Hunt?

Decide whether prizes are appropriate depending on your goals.

My family plays scavenger hunts simply for the fun of the activity and for “bragging rights”. But if you’d like to provide prizes here are some ideas.

Fall themed prize ideas:

• Autumn themed socks – look for socks with leaves or fall animals at your local discount store
• Fun gloves – light weight gloves with fun designs can be found at local discount and dollar stores
• Autumn themed candy – popular choices are apple flavor, caramel apple flavor, pumpkin flavor and spice flavor
• Fall themed coloring book – choose a coloring books appropriate for the children’s age and abilities
• Apple cider – you can provide fresh apple cider or packets of apple cider mix

Free prize ideas:

• Choose the next game to play.
• Lead the nature walk and choose the path.
• Choose the snack or dinner that day.
• Stay up 15-30 minutes late that night.
• Choose book to read together later.

How to Print the Fall Scavenger Hunt Printable

Download the free fall scavenger hunt pdf. The instructions are below.

Print the copies out on your printer.

I prefer to either print the fall scavenger hunt pdf sheets on card stock paper or laminate them so that they hold up for multiple uses.

Hint – Be sure to bring extra copies on your fall outdoor scavenger hunt. Someone will lose theirs or you’ll decide to play more rounds than you expected.

Expert Tips for Printables

How do I access the free printable Halloween scavenger hunt?

Fill in the form above. When you submit the form, you will immediately be sent an email from Organized 31 with a link to the VIP Resources Library, including detailed instructions on how to access your printable. If you can’t find the welcome email after 3-4 minutes, check your spam folder. If you have any difficulty, you can email me and I’ll help you resolve any problems.

How do I print the pdf file?

The pdf usually opens right up when you click on the link in the VIP Resources Library. When that happens, simply right click on the pdf and either print or save the document to your device.

If the pdf does not pop up for you, you’ll most likely find it in your computer’s Downloads folder. You can also select “Downloads” in your browser menu to see a list of your downloads, then select “Show in folder” below the file name to see where it is located on your computer.

I’m worried about wasting printer ink – what can I do?

Most printers offer you the option to print in greyscale which is in black and white.

You can also look for the option to print in draft or economy mode. This usually means that the sheet is printed out with less ink. It still looks great and is a good way to print in color but use less ink.

How can I use the printable (what restrictions are there on use)?

You can print these pdf files as many times as you’d like for your personal or classroom use. Please do not share the file with family, friends or coworkers. Please do share the link to this post so they can access their own copy of the printable. All printables are copyrighted.

You’ll have so much fun with this fall scavenger hunt, that you’ll be looking for more scavenger hunts for kids ideas. And don’t worry, if you love scavenger hunts as much as I do, you’ll find one for every situation.

More Scavenger Hunts for Kids Printables

• Scavenger Hunt Ideas – More than 25 different scavenger hunt ideas for the entire year, including free printable games for holidays, for kids, for adults, and for all ages.
• Nature Scavenger Hunt in the Summer – Have fun this summer with a free printable Nature Scavenger Hunt (whether you’re in the woods or the suburbs) More than 30 items on 4 different sheets.
• Backyard Scavenger Hunt – Free 5-page printable backyard scavenger hunt game, includes 2 different game dice and game sheets. Perfect for any outdoor location and 3 years and above.
• Scavenger Hunt Template – Use these free scavenger hunt templates in 8 different colors to create your own unique & personalized scavenger hunt. Can be downloaded immediately.

• Christmas Scavenger Hunt – Make the Christmas season even more fun with this free printable Christmas scavenger hunt. It comes with both indoor and outdoor game cards.
• Football Game Scavenger Hunt – A free 3-page printable football game scavenger hunt that is perfect for watching the Super Bowl, a game watching party, a football-themed party and more.
• Superhero Scavenger Hunt – A free 4-page superhero scavenger hunt you can download and print immediately. Works for all ages and as a fun activity in many situations.

More Fall and Season Themed Activities

• Fall Dessert Idea – Easy-to-make autumn harvest cookies. Your new favorite fall dessert cookie idea. An easy semi-homemade recipe.
• Fall Candy Treats – DIY Fall Treats that anyone can make. Really! These party favors are easy to make in minutes and great for getting the kids involved.
• Free Summer Word Search – This free 5-page summer word search printable is a fun way to learn for kids and adults. Includes 41 summer themed words & an answer key.
• Scavenger Hunt Printable for the 4th of July – Add even more fun to your patriotic celebrations with a free scavenger hunt printable for the 4th of July. It’s fun for kids of all ages.

Be sure to pin for later so you’ll always have this fall scavenger hunt printable resource ready for an exciting way to enjoy the fall.

Find all our best kids’ activities, games, and printables in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.