Now that the weather is starting to clear, it’s easier to get back onto the trails. I grab the dog, kids and a plastic bag for each and away we go searching for treasures. The word Scavenger Hunt seems to light a fire in their imaginations immediately and it seems to work better than to just say “Let’s go for a walk.”

When I was young I remember walking through the woods in Holland (quite tame there compared to here). My grandfather would point out tree knots or holes at the base of trees. He told me that Gnomes lived there. He showed and explained where the Doctor Gnome and the Mayor Gnome lived. He showed where the children Gnomes played and explained why we couldn’t see them whenever we were out for a walk.

When we saw fungus attached high on a tree, he told me that the Mayor would hold his town meetings there. Mushrooms found in the ground were where they sat and ate lunch or where the children jumped off from. While we walked he would ask me to look for the Gnome’s grocery store or their foot steps to prove that they really did exist.

These are fond memories for me and I have shared my grandfather’s imagination with my kids and whenever we walk they ask me “Mom, who lives over here?”

Scavenger Hunts (we call them Treasure Hunts for all the treasures we find) are a lot of fun and huge stories can be built around each find. A favourite question of mine is to ask “How do you think it got here?” Their answers are so entertaining that immediate discussion opens up on how that could or could not be possible.

Scavenger Hunts are a great experience for kids of all ages. It can be a relaxing walk in the woods or turn it into a game and change the name to “the Amazing Race” taken from the TV series and make the finds or achievements more challenging.

Choose items from the list below that is suitable for your age group!

Some are items that can be gathered. Tree bark. Rotten wood. Wet mud.Wild flowers. Dead tree. Pine cone. Berries. Vine. Seeds or seed pod. Grain of sand. Blade of grass. Clover leaf. Moss. Smooth/shiny rock. Fern. Y-shaped twig. Trash. Pine needles. Acorn or other nuts. Dark or light green leaf. Small pebble. Unusual shaped leaf. Rocks with many colors. Feather. Leaf with insect holes.

Others are sightings: Prickly plant. Stream or creek. Eroded soil. Poison Ivy. Pine tree. Tree with blossoms. Hole in a tree. Ponded area in a creek. Shades of green or brown. Dew on a flower or leaf. Animal tracks. Worm. Caterpillar. Squirrel. Bird. Butterfly or moth. Snail. Beetle. Lizard. Ladybug. Spider web. Birds nest. Insects on a tree. Deer tracks. Animal hole in the ground. Deer. Frog. Animals eating. Leaf falling to the ground. Spider web w/insect. Wind blowing the leaves. Fish jumping. Clouds going by. Evidence of the presence of animals. Evidence of the presence of people.

And some are experiences: Texture of various rocks. An ant moving something. Wind blowing on face. A tree you can climb. Crossing a creek by jumping from stone to stone. Sunlight coming through trees. A fallen tree you can walk across.

Or try finding a collection: five different bugs, five different leaves or five different trees.

North Shore realtor and mother Yasmeen van Bylandt has been growing a catalogue of kids’ activities on the North Shore. www.YvB.ca Yasmeen@macrealty.com

 Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Apr - May 08