Neighborhood Nature Scavenger Hunt
Provided by: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation|Published on: May 8, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Science
Authors: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This activity explores plants and animals that live in New York state and how they interact with their surroundings.
- Students will complete an outdoor activity where they observe nature and a post-activity discussion where they reflect on what they observed.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The activity is a hands-on method for cultivating environmental awareness in students.
- This activity gets students outside and encourages an appreciation for the environment.
Prerequisites
- Before administering the lesson, teachers should find a safe place where students can observe a diverse range of wildlife.
- It may be helpful if students are already familiar with many of the animals on the Nature Search page.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This activity can be completed using different images of plants and animals that are in your local area instead.
- This activity can fit within a larger unit on different types of ecosystems and their ecological importance.
- Consider using this outdoor activity anytime your students head outside to give them practice looking for wildlife and noticing their surroundings.
This activity encourages students to observe and pay special attention to different things in their surroundings, which is a fundamental skill in science. Students will also observe nature in their community. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
