Nature Scavenger Hunt using a Color Wheel

May 24

Being in nature is good for everyone.

Sometimes kids get bored and need a little extra reason to get outside.

That’s where this color wheel comes in. It gives kids a new challenge, a new way of looking at the outdoors when they have to hunt for something specific; in this case, colors.

This is intended to be a simple activity that encourages you and the kiddos to get outside and explore nature while hunting for as many colors as you can find.

You can make the activity more complex using some of the suggestions below. They’re just suggestions. Do what works for you.

The main goal is to get kids hunting for colors in nature.

Things to note for this activity.

We don’t want to encourage you to pick flowers; the bees need the flowers! But feel free to gather ones that have already fallen to the ground. (Unless you’re in a national park or a place where that might be illegal.) You can also just take pictures and print them out at home. I’ve linked to the waterproof camera I let my daughter use on our hikes.
This is a simplified color wheel, but we’ve also added a more complex color wheel (which coordinates with our Mimic the Masters art curriculum) to the free Resource Library. Also, we chose to use more muted tones of the colors on this color wheel, so they might match better to things found in nature. If something they find seems to be a mix of two of the colors on the wheel, place the item where those two colors meet.
The small color wheel prints with four “pocket size” wheels to a page.

Make the color wheel work for you with these suggestions.

Print on white card stock so your color wheel will be sturdy.
Print the small version. Cut it out and laminate it or put it in a quart-size baggie. Keep it handy as a reference.
Instead of collecting items from nature, use a marker to check off each color that is found while on your scavenger hunt. (Do this on the outside of the baggie so the printed color wheel can be used over and over.
Put a print-out of the large color wheel in a gallon size baggie to make it waterproof.
Tape collected items to the color wheel, or just put them in a bag to be displayed with the color wheel at home.
Print a second copy, and cut the color wheel out and glue it to the center of a large piece of poster board. Use a ruler and marker to extend the lines of the color wheel making room for lots of items to continually be added to it over time.
Use it as an activity on your next camping trip or just while walking around your neighborhood.

To access the free printables, as well as all the free handmade printables on this site, simply subscribe to our newsletter using the form at the very bottom of the page. Once you confirm your email address, you will immediately receive the password to the free Resource Library. Don’t worry, we won’t spam your inbox. We only send emails when we have new art activities and tips to share with you. (Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see the confirmation email.)