Rainy Day Scavenger Hunt

Most outdoor plans get cancelled by rain. This one requires it. Boots, a spare set of clothes and twenty minutes.

The hunt

Print it, write it on a scrap of paper, or just read it out. It works either way.

1. The biggest puddle

2. Somewhere completely dry

3. A place where water runs rather than sits

4. A leaf that water rolls off

5. A leaf that water sits on

6. Somewhere water is dripping from

7. Something that has changed colour because it is wet

8. The loudest place to stand in the rain

How to run it

Twenty minutes, no clipboard, no paper. Read the list out and let them go. This one works better without recording.

Items four and five are the science. Some leaves shed water instantly and some hold it, and once a child has noticed the difference they will check every leaf they meet.

For younger children

Puddles and dripping only. Let them stamp. That is a legitimate lesson in displacement and they do not need to know that.

For older children

Mark the edge of the biggest puddle with stones, then come back in two hours and again the next day. Where the water goes is a real question with a real answer.

What to do afterwards

Dry off first, then talk. One thing each, in a sentence. The wet clothes are the reason this needs a note home in advance.

More like this

Every hunt on this site is free and needs no preparation. See the Start Here pages if you want them ordered by age.