Alien Scavenger Hunt

crayola supplies

Markers
Mini-Stampers Markers

household supplies

white paper
lunch bags
plastic dinnerware (optional)
eraser
natural materials (stones, shells, dried plant sprigs)

Why

This scavenger hunt challenges kids to see ordinary things through the eyes of a being from another planet. Plan ahead for a party favorite!

Steps

1. With your family, make a list of items that scavenger hunters can collect in your home, playground, or backyard (rocks, pieces of bark, clover). Write your list with Crayola® Washable Markers.
2. Create alien names for ordinary objects (rocks are planet base, bark is foliage flakes, clover is roundoid plants). Write those names on your list.
3. With markers, write the list of items to be hunted on the front of white paper lunch bags. Each bag might have a different list or different quantities of each alien item. Add sketches to give clues about each item.
4. Decorate around the list and sides of the bag. Crayola MiniStampers are great for this. Or you may want to carve an alien head into a soft eraser with a serrated plastic knife to create a stamp. Color the surface of the stamp with markers, then press on the bag.
5. To play the game, give each scavenger hunter a bag and the challenge to help aliens find and collect the items listed. Encourage children to work together to figure out what each item is.

When & Where

"Kids used their bags to collect paper wrappers after our school carnival. Each child who turned in a bag won a prize."
- Hei K., PTA volunteer.

"Our family gave this a multilingual twist. We used kids' home languages, then mixed up clues using several languages. LOTS of cooperation resulted!"
- Selinda R., mom of children ages 9 and 11.

Interesting Info

In April 1990 one of the most amazing telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope named for Edwin P. Hubble, a 20th century astronomer, was launched from the space shuttle Discovery.

Safety Guidelines

Adult Assistance is required for this arts & crafts project.

Outdoor Crafts—Choose safe outdoor areas, away from traffic and dangerous equipment. Close adult supervision is required.