Keeping your upper elementary students engaged in learning can be a challenge, so why not liven things up with a classroom scavenger hunt?! Not only is this an exciting way to get kids energized and moving around the room but it’s also great for practicing core academic skills. Here are some insider tips on how you can make these hunts even more thrilling.
What is a Scavenger Hunt?
Scavenger Hunts Get Students Moving While They Learn
Our students have endless amounts of energy…so why not use it to your advantage? Scavenger hunts are one of the best classroom activities to get kids up and moving while learning at the same time! Every once in a while, it’s okay for teachers to go the “spoonful of sugar route.” In other words, if you have some kiddos that aren’t too fond of sitting and reading passages, break the passage up into cards, hand them a clipboard, and watch them read!
They Help Students Focus and Pay Attention to Detail
The cards for scavenger hunts generally have a short reading passage and a related question. This allows students to process naturally in bite-sized chunks, which makes this activity perfect for focusing on the skill of main idea and details. If you have students who struggle with locating important details in text, this may be the activity that gets them to understand how to do it!
Scavenger Hunts Are Easily Adaptable
Scavenger hunts are one of the best activities to differentiate within any classroom or group! They can easily be designed to different levels of knowledge and skill, meaning everyone can take part no matter what their abilities are. Some ideas for adjusting the activity are:
- Different groups need to find a different number of facts
- Pair up a stronger reader with an emerging reading, and require only one worksheet to be turned in
- Students can answer in complete sentences or with one-word answers
They’re a Fun Way to Review Material
Reviewing for a test? Booo-ring! Doing a scavenger hunt? You’re the coolest teacher ever! No need to tell anyone you would have covered the exact same material in your traditional review.
The Setup Can Be As Simple or Elaborate As You Wish
A whole-class activity with a prize for the winner? An interactive activity for independent finishers? A review game with pairs? There are so many different ways to do a scavenger hunt. You can have all the clues easy to view and access, or be creative and hide them (under the chair was a favorite hiding spot of mine)! Just make sure to set ground rules before you get started. For example, if you are doing a scavenger hunt as a whole group activity, you may want to limit the number of students who can be at one card at one time, and have a planned activity for early finishers.
Interested in Trying a Scavenger Hunt?
My Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt Activity is PERFECT for the one day of the year you can count on every child being dialed up to number 11 (and beyond). Get students out of their seats and moving while they learn some fun Valentine’s Day facts!
