I've shared on @thewestendmom a bunch of ideas for little ones while we are at home. Our go-to is a scavenger hunt because it can be done inside, outside or in the car. We also like the LEGO challenge and a bunch of Teachers Pay Teachers activities. Teachers Pay Teachers is a rich source: you can join for FREE, and there are amazing activities (many of which are free too). I've linked all the ideas here.
1. Zoo Scavenger Hunt: We used some of the pages from this zoo scavenger hunt to get ready for our drive-thru zoo tour and we used them as extension activities when we got home. This packet would work for preschoolers and elementary students. There are some easy pages (check off the animals as you see them, color identification, etc), and harder pages (classifications, addition, etc).
2. The Car Scavenger Hunt: This one is amazing because it gets you out of the house (creating a sense of normalcy), everyone sees the city they love, and parents may even get some quiet time out of it (mine fell asleep while we were driving around)! This activity has helped us on rainy days and on the Mondayest of Mondays! The Car Scavenger Hunt is best for preschool and lower elementary school.
3. Shape Scavenger Hunt: This scavenger hunt is perfect for children learning their shapes. You could do this around your house or in you car.
4. Scavenger Hunt in the Neighborhood: I love this one by Kelly Bates (TpT - Building Brilliance) because children can color as they go around the neighborhood. Kelly also created a neighborhood scavenger hunt for numbers, for letters, and for colors! This is best for preschool and lower elementary school.
5. The LEGO Challenge: The LEGO Challenge has 30 days of building activities for children. There are three different challenges on this link: The LEGO Play, The Cub Scout, and The Spring. This would work for preschool-elementary school since it's open-ended.
6. Earth Day Scavenger Hunt: The Busy Class on TpT has this scavenger hunt for free. It's for preK-elementary school, and it will be perfect for the spring and Earth Day (April 22).
7. Geocaching: Geocaching is a real-world, treasure hunt. Once you download the free app, you can select a treasure hunt (make sure you select a kid-friendly one). Then, it uses your GPS coordinates to send you to a geocache (container) at a hidden location. Once you find it, you may be asked to leave something behind before your next mission. You get to explore your neighborhood or a new place, and it may even take you to some landmarks. There are 1,622 geocaches around Richmond, so get the whole family together to go exploring!
