10 Things & a Scavenger Hunt to do with kids…

Mar 19, 2021 by Stephanie

In February, Pennsylvania Master Naturalist Chris McNichol led another fascinating walk for us in Glen Providence Park. To mark our 10th Anniversary year, this time he focused on 10 fun things to do with kids in the park. He also shared a wonderful Nature Scavenger Hunt! The recommended age for these activities? Let’s say 1 to 101…

Chris’ “10 Things” to do with kids in the park, and links, in no particular order:

1. Hiking
2. Leaf packs: https://leafpacknetwork.org/ (& check out the video of Chris explaining this in the snowy stream!)
3. Birding: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/
4. Tracking, casting animal tracks: instructables.com/How-to-make-a-plaster-cast-of-an-animal-track/
5. Pressing leaves
6. Bark rubbing: kaplanco.com/ii/tree-rubbings
7. Phenology: https://www.usanpn.org/about/why-phenology
8. Geology, collect rocks
9. Brush your teeth with Spicebush: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=libe3
10. Make pine needle tea: https://www.wildedible.com/pine-needle-tea-natural-vitamin-c

Nature Scavenger Hunt!

Look for or collect:

• a wild edible
• evidence of the presence of animals
• something that is the same color as your shoes
• 3 different types of seeds—1 that is dispersed by the wind
• a wild bird feather
• something smooth
• a twig shaped like the letter Y
• find and identify a tree that still has its leaves
• something surprising or unexpected
• exactly 10 of something
• something that starts with the first letter of your name
• something fuzzy
• one camouflaged animal or insect
• something with a pleasant scent
• 5 pieces of man-made litter
• something that reminds you of yourself
• something that makes a noise
• something for every color of the rainbow
• evidence of the presence of people
• 4 leaves of different shapes
• a spider web
• something that is squishy
• an unusual shape
• something with a hole in it
• a mushroom or fungus

Have fun in the park!

Thank you very much to Chris McNichol for leading the walk, to Chris Dietrich for filming the leaf pack explanation, and to all who attended on a cold winter morning! More photos of the walk are on Facebook…