Free Printable Zoo Scavenger Hunt for Kids

There’s something about a treasure hunt that instantly piques the interest of kids. Whether it’s an Easter egg hunt or a game of “I Spy,” kids are intrigued. Is it the thrill of the search? The excitement of finding the thing you search for? The wonder of the unknown? I don’t know, but even older kids love a themed scavenger hunt!

The Free Printable Zoo Scavenger Hunt for Kids is the perfect companion for a trip to the zoo. Or, use it as a rainy day indoor scavenger hunt adventure!

Zoo theme printable scavenger hunt for kids to use with zoo theme books or a zoo field trip

Learning About Observational Skills:

scavenger hunt ideas FOR KIDS

GOING ON A SCAVENGER HUNT CAN BOOST CHILDREN’S OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS AND HELP THEM RECOGNIZE HOW TO USE THEIR SENSES.

When your child is looking for specific items on the list they will have to classify objects by color, size, shape, and even texture.

As your child finds each item, have them cross off the picture and then draw the object on the second page. Encourage them to use descriptive words including positions and locations.

This activity can be completed indoors or out, at the zoo or not.

The ten items on the zoo scavenger hunt list include kangaroo, giraffe, koala, elephant, lion, seal, alligator, tiger, hippo, and zebra.

As students sharpen their observational skills, use the easy scavenger hunt for kids to encourage deeper thinking:

What animal was the easiest to find?
What animal was the hardest to find?
What did you see/smell/hear/taste/touch that was not on the sheet?
How many animals did you see altogether?

What Can Preschoolers Learn From The Zoo Scavenger Hunt?

ZOO SCAVENGER HUNT PRINTABLE

THE OUTDOOR SCAVENGER HUNT IS A GREAT WAY TO ENGAGE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ZOO FIELD TRIP.

Can you name the first sound of each animal?
Show me how a hippo/giraffe/etc. moves.
Are some of the animals the same/different? How?
What animals were not at the zoo?

Free Printable Zoo Themed Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids

Why Is It Important For Kids To Participate In Scavenger Hunts?

Besides the fact that kids love running wild and free, nature scavenger hunts, alphabet scavenger hunts, and every theme in between, provide great learning experiences.

Build Problem Solving Skills

Children will use prior knowledge to investigate and problem-solve where they think one of the zoo items could be.

Teach Teamwork

Working in small groups or pairs helps children learn to collaborate and use the skills necessary to work together toward a common goal.

Get Your Body Moving

Students will engage gross motor skills by exploring and moving those little legs while intently searching for clues to find items on the list.

Develop Fine Motor Skills

Crossing out animals and drawing pictures puts fine motor muscles to work.

Tools you’ll need

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Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for this activity right here. Click the pictures above to get what you need.

Black and white easy print version of zoo scavenger hunt for kids

How To Use This Free Zoo Hunt Printable:

printable scavenger hunt

The free printable scavenger hunt comes in several convenient options. You can give your students a colored or black-and-white copy of pictures of all the animals to find.

Or, you can provide them with animal names and blank boxes for them to draw each animal as it is found. This option also comes in color or black-and-white.

Print out a copy of the free scavenger hunt for each child.

Bring clipboards or something hard to set the paper on to help make it easier for students to write/draw.

Provide each child with a crayon, pen, or pencil (and please remind them not to run with a sharp writing tool!)

Let them run free and explore their surroundings, with proper supervision of course.

If you’re not actually going to the zoo, you can still stage a scavenger hunt! Use pictures of zoo animals, or any toys/stuffies you might have around.