Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? The heat of the moment, racing another team to the finish line and the excitement that comes with solving word puzzles. Create the ultimate pirate-themed scavenger hunt for kids with this list!

Keep the kids outdoors with these backyard scavenger hunt items:

• Flower
• Leaf
• Rocks
• Stick
• See or hear a bird
• Something crunchy
• See a spider web
• Acorn
• See a Mailbox
• Your favorite outdoor item
• Blades of grass

Scavenger Hunt Clues:
Scavenger clues can be hidden around your yard with each clue leading to the next or they can be handed out as each clue is answered.

Arr! My name is Captain Barnes, and I am a pirate ship captain! I need your help finding some treasure in your very own backyard! Will you help me? Great! You’ll even get to keep some of the treasure!

1. The first thing I need you to get is one of my favorite things. They can be all different colors, they smell nice, and I gather a lot of them for decoration whenever I’m ashore. I haven’t seen many recently, as you can’t find them in the ocean, so I need you to pick one. Do you know what it is?
2. Great work, crew hand! Onto the next item, then! This next item is usually attached to trees, but during certain times of the year they fall to the ground. They can be green, brown, red, and orange, depending on the season. We don’t have these at sea either. When they fall to the ground they make a crunching sound when you step on them.
3. Good work again! Maybe you’ll be promoted from crew hand to sailor! The next item comes in all different shapes and sizes. It can be found on the ground, at the beach, in shallow water, and in the mountains. It can be rough, smooth, grey, brown, or other colors. This is a mighty tricky one, crew hand? What do you think?
4. Great! Congratulations, you’ve been promoted to sailor! Back to work, Sailor, next I need something that can be used to start a fire, as a toy sword, or a walking stick. It’s made of wood, sometimes it falls off of trees. It’s like a small branch.
5. Arrrr, alright. This next item is different. I don’t need you to collect it, just see or hear it. This is an animal, who lives in trees usually and builds a home out of twigs and feathers and things. They lay their eggs in the home and fly high above us. When we are close to land, we see these animals in the sky and know there’s land nearby.
6. Keep up this good work and you’ll be well on your way to First Mate! I only need a few more items from you. You have a choice here, because sometimes this item can be hard to find. I’m looking for something else that comes from trees. The first one I’m thinking of has a nice scent and is cone-shaped. The second is a snack for squirrels.
7. Great work! Only a couple more things. This next item is often used in large sports fields or golf courses, so I’m told by my First Mate. It’s green. It starts with a g…
8. Last item! This one is perhaps my favorite. This item is your choice! Find something outside that you like; it could be a flower, a rock, a sound… If you can’t collect it, describe it to me in words.

It is my honor to promote you to First Mate! As a sea captain, I don’t get to see the objects you’ve collected very often, so I wanted to make a collection of all my favorite outdoor things. I’ll pick them up from you next time I’m in town. Thanks for the hard work! Who knows, maybe by the next time I see you, you’ll be a Captain of your own!

Answer Key
1) Flower
2) Leaf
3) Rock
4) Stick
5) Bird
6) Pinecone or acorn
7) Grass
8) Anything!

For more fun Kids Activities, check out:

The Never Bored activity books for ages 4-10

Summer Boredom Busters and Learning Activities for Home

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Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.