Are you looking for an outdoor activity that the whole family can enjoy together? You might think you know how to play an outdoor tic tac toe game already but this Nature Scavenger Hunt Tic Tac Toe version of the game has a clever twist that will help keep your kids engaged for longer and get them interacting with the natural world around them where ever you are.
Setting Up A Tic Tac Toe Scavenger Hunt Game
So what’s the twist? How is this nature scavenger hunt tic tac toe outdoor game different to standard tic tac toe?
This scavenger hunt tic tac toe game can be played outdoors anywhere, the beach, local park, wood or forest. You mark the grid in the sand or dirt with your finger or with a stick as normal but you are not allowed to simply mark noughts and crosses. Oh no, that would be too easy and everybody would get bored with it too quickly!
Instead, this Nature Scavenger Hunt Tic Tac Toe game gets you interacting with the natural world around you in every round!
Rather than just marking noughts and crosses in the sand or dirt with a stick each player has to go on a nature scavenger hunt to find their matching playing pieces first.
In the photos you can see us using a collection of white pebbles and a collection of grey pebbles on the beach and there will be lots of different things kids can hunt for from nature where ever you’re playing.
Scavenger Hunt Tic Tac Toe Playing Piece Ideas For The Beach:
- Stones of the same colour.
- Stones of the same shape.
- Pebbles of the same size.
- Pebbles of the same texture
- Shells of the same type.
- Driftwood
- Seaweed
- Wet stones/ dry stones
Scavenger Hunt Tic Tac Toe Playing Piece Ideas For A Wood:
- Sticks
- Pinecones
- Acorns
- Seeds
- Berries
- Leaves by colour, type, shape or size
- Pebbles
- Flowers
Nature Scavenger Hunt Tic Tac Toe Game Rules
1 – For each round every player must find their own matching playing pieces. You can choose anything as playing pieces as long as they are easily identifiable as your own.
2 – The first one back to the tic tac toe playing grid gets to go first! (A huge advantage to help you win the game.)
3 – For each round you have to find another set of playing pieces. This means kids have to have a mini scavenger hunt again and again and gets them looking careful for new things each time.
4 – An extension activity for big kids and grown ups – The winner gets to choose which area the loser has to search for playing pieces in.
Learning With A Nature Scavenger Hunt Tic Tac Toe Game
What’s so lovely about this version of tic tac toe is that players have to race to get a new set of matching playing pieces for each round. It’s a nature scavenger hunt outdoors time and time again! What fun!
It’s great to see how kids decide to classify and sort their playing pieces. They may go by colour, size, shape or texture for instance. Whatever they choose this game will get them really looking closely at the nature around them all while playing a fun game too!
Why not take a nature identification book with you too so kids can learn the names and facts about their nature scavenger hunt discoveries as they play?
Safety Warning
Always keep your child close and supervised on the beach and near water.
More Ideas For Outside Fun:
- Fresh Flower Sun Catchers
- Rainbow Wind Sock
- Painting With Nature
- Survival Skills For Kids Fire Starting Challenge
More Fun Summer Crafts For Kids:
