Explore your environment while searching for these fun woodsy things!

Welcome to a Woodland Treasure Hunt!

Parents, teachers, camp counselors, and kids will likely love this summer fun activity! Play while camping or hiking, or use this idea for a forestry field trip. Try our list or create your own.

Always discuss safety issues prior to outdoor activities. We suggest keeping nature excursions out of areas that may contain poisonous plants or animals, or dangerous topography. Show pictures of dangerous plants and animals to your kids, so they can spot them and avoid trouble. Remind kids that they can look, but should never attempt to touch or feed any wild animals.

We encourage kids to carry a journal and sketch pictures of the things that they see. A good artistic or literary description is worth far more than another wilted flower.

Acorn
"Today's mighty oak was once just a little nut who stood his ground." Find an acorn to plant! It may someday be a tree.

Berry
Don't eat this fruity treat because it may be poisonous. Instead look it up in a book to find out whether it's edible.

Creek
Draw a map to the nearest water source.

Dirt
You'll need dirt to put out the campfire, so bring a bag!

Egg Shells
Egg shells can be used as compost. When they are deposited in dirt, they will eventually feed nutrients back into the soil. Maybe you have some left from dinner?

Fuel
It takes quite a bit of wood to keep a campfire going long enough to cook. Help find dry, fallen branches for fuel. Do not disturb wildlife or cut any living wood for the fire!

Gauze
You should have this in youra first aid kit! Do not remove the objects from the kit, simply be sure you know how to find the kit and record its location.

Human
Campers should never be alone in the woods. Always go with a buddy, and you will be able to help each other in dire times. Locate your human and record their name.

Insect
Some critters are dangerous and some are helpful. It's a good idea to know your environmental neighbors. Find an insect and classify it. Either look it up in a field guide, or sketch in a camp journal to look at later.

Jet
Even in the depths of the backcountry, humans are present. We rarely realize that we are just another form of wildlife (from the Earth's point of view!). Chances are you'll see this wildlife everywhere, even in the sky! Look up in the sky and see if you can find a jet.

Knowledge
You've learned something new while exploring in the woods. Take you newfound experience and share it with friends.

Leaf
"Leaves of three, let them be." Learn to identify and avoid poison ivy! Dendrology field guides offer answers to which wood creates a cozy campfire, and what tree might make good tea. Find a leaf or make a sketch.

Moss
Does moss really grow on the north side of the trees? See if you can find a piece of this wonderful woody substance, which can be used to make crafts.

Nut
Many animals eat nuts as a source of protein. Find a nut and look it up to see if it is good for humans.

Open Space
Fields and meadows are as important to woodland wildlife as the trees themselves. This change of scenery is called "edge effect." Find the edge of the trees and notice the change in vegetation and animal behavior.

Pine
Pine cones and long needles can be used for many wonderful things! From creating crafts and weaving baskets, to making tea and potpourri. Find an evergreen tree and identify or sketch it.

Question
Invariably, books don't answer all of our questions. Some species are hard to classify and sometimes we don't have the right manual. Come back from your excursion with at least one intelligent question.

Refuse
Even our most beautiful parks have haphazard litter. Pick up a piece of trash that you can recycle.

Seed
Seeds travel further than some campers. Some even have their own "wings" so they can catch a good wind and hopefully land in good soil. Find a seed that needs a little help and plant it!

Tracks
Most wildland creatures avoid humans, so campers will not see many critters scurrying about the forest floor. But they are there! See if you can find traces of an animal by his footprints, then sketch or take a plaster cast.

Underbrush
"...please, Brer Fox, don't fling me in dat brier-patch," Brer Rabbit pleads for his life because he was "bred en bawn in a brier-patch." Many animal live in thick vegetation. Make a map from your camp to a nearby location where animals may make their homes.

Vine
We never see Tarzan's grapevine breaking in midair, but these natural swings are very unsafe as swings. However, smaller grape vines make great wreaths and baskets. Find a vine and see if you can bend it into a basket!

Weather
The weather can make a camping trip go from comfy to crazy in mere minutes. Keep an eye on the sky and record the clouds' behavior.

Extra Credit
Even seasoned adventurers will tell you they see something new on every journey. Find something especially interesting in the area, and return with a story!

Yellow Flower
There are so many to choose from! Even large cities have dandelions growing through the cracks of the street. This is survival at it's best. If you find this flower, don't pull it out of the ground. Simply smell it, sketch it, and move on. 

Zoo Animal
No matter where you are in the world, someone else thinks your local animals are exotic! We heard an owl, caught the eye of a raccoon, and were told there were bears living in our woods! Write down the animals in your environment that might also live in a zoo.

Remember: Take only pictures, leave only footprints!