Go on a Rainbow Scavenger Hunt and Discover the Beautiful Colors in Nature!

The UCM team loves to be outside in nature keeping kids curious so we wanted to share with you this great way to enjoy nature from our friends at The Many Little Joys. Get the Rainbow Scavenger Hunt sheet here.

Next up in our Stay Curious with Kim Series, Kim Newton, our Education Liaison, shares some creative ways to enjoy the outdoors this summer before, during and after your hike!

The outdoors has so much to offer! When my daughters were young, we enjoyed going on hikes and riding our bikes at some of the local parks. Now that I have grandchildren, I enjoy spending time with them as much as possible. We enjoy visits to local playgrounds and going on walks around the neighborhood. To keep them engaged while we walk, we play I-spy as we look for wildlife and the beautiful colors of the flowers and plants that can be found outdoors! 

Before your hike:

Refer to the book list provided below about the colors in nature and enjoy reading one or more of the picture books. (All the books can be found on Amazon, you could also go to your local library to borrow one of the books). While reading with your child, as you point out the beautiful colors in nature, tell them that they will go on a scavenger hunt during a hike to find all the beautiful colors!

Suggested Book list:

• The Hidden Rainbow, Christine Matheson
• Look What I Found in the Woods, Moira Butterfield
• The Hike, Alison Farrell
• On the Nature Trail, Editors of Storey Publishing
• Big Book Nature Art, Yuval Zommer
• We Walk Through the Forest, Lisa Ferland
• Plants Can’t Sit Still, Rebecca E. Hirsch
• Planting a Rainbow, Lois Ehlert

* Your local librarian may be able to refer to some other titles on this topic!

After reading the book:

With your child, pick a walking path or trail to enjoy! I have provided a list of some local trails and parks that you may want to refer to if you already don’t have a favorite spot. 

As an extra bonus, you may want to pack a picnic lunch or healthy snack to enjoy after the hike. Print out the color chart that is provided to use during your hike. Before hitting the trail, review the colors on the chart and challenge your child to find all of the colors! Give your child a paper bag to use for collecting their items from nature.

During your hike:

Explain to your child that while walking on the trail,  they can pick the item from nature that matches one of the colors on the chart and place it in a paper bag. As you are walking, play I-Spy to motivate your child to find each color.

After the hike:

Have your child spread out all the items that they found while on the trail. Give them the opportunity to glue each item on the chart to the coordinating color. Another option is to ask your child to draw the item that they find on the color chart. Or they can simply make a collage of colors with all the items that they found. In addition, as an extra bonus, have some fun and do some research to identify the name of each item that was found on the hike.

Have fun as you find all the beautiful colors that nature has to offer!

Some Parks and Trails in Oneida County

Trails listed below can be found on www.alltrails.com (directions and maps are provided on the website)