Nature is everywhere: public parks, your own backyard, or even along city streets. Determine where your
little scavengers are going to roam, and set clear location boundaries—making sure to emphasize safety.
Whether it is your back porch, a giant oak tree, or the steps of city hall, select a single starting point for
all participants.
Be clear about the rules. For example, instruct them to work independently or in teams of two. Decide if they
can consult each other or other people during the game. Or, let them know they can shoot more than one image
of each target.
Have all scavengers start together, and designate an ending time-say an hour later—and a spot to gather
when they have finished.
When time is up, the game is over. Have each child share his or her photos either right from the camera's
memory or by downloading images to your PC or printer. Tally up the points, and state the winner.
Dream up a list of 10-15 objects that one might find in your chosen territory—everything from ladybugs
to little league players. Consider the season, the time of day, and the environment.
Assign each item a value based on how difficult you think finding and shooting it might be. For example, a
blade of grass might only be 5 points, while a butterfly might be worth 40. Print and copy a list of targets
and their values for each player.
Be sure to devise your list of targets to expand young minds as well as entertain them. Here's how:
Get close: choose a target such as the inside of a flower or the wing of a
bug that challenges kids to think about cropping and
close-up photography.
Catch the action: have scavengers learn what happens when they shoot an object in motion,
such as a person on a bike.
See the big picture: create a target that requires a sweeping view, such as
a sunset or a city building. A number of digital cameras allow for
panoramic photography
for capturing such shots.
Go bright: ask kids to capture a shadow or a ray of sunlight, to allow them to experiment
with how to shoot in bright light.
To make the perfect photo prints for your scavenger hunt, check out
HP's complete line of photo printers.
From compact photo printers to use at home or on the go, to desktop photo printers complete with touchscreens and more,
find the one that's right for you.
Printable version
