Outdoor Photo Challenge

Taking photos on the scavenger hunt

First week back at school. A change of pace. I’m conscious that the children are spending more time indoors. It’s inevitable.

I want our outside fun to carry on. Thursday, after school, we had no other commitments, so I set up a photo challenge for the children.

taking photos of hens

It wasn’t a competition. Just a chance to be outside and look. I kept the list open. They could interpret however they liked. There were surprises in the results.

children photo nature

Before we started, I went round the garden making sure there was at least one of everything. For orange, I found nasturtiums flowing over the raised beds. Two out of three of the children found my old orange wheelbarrow. Nothing is predictable, but that is all part of the fun of this kind of activity. Their list was:

  1. Something red
  2. Something prickly
  3. Something soft
  4. Something orange
  5. Something green
  6. Something with an interesting texture
  7. Something with an interesting pattern
  8. Something that can move
  9. Something tall
  10. Something white
  11. Something old
  12. A seed
  13. Something with an interesting shape
  14. Something blue

children photo nature2

The children bounced around the garden. Pausing and looking, then rushing off with inspiration. The challenge gave them a purpose to go outside rather than slouching inside. They loved it. And they loved that I said I’d choose a few to post here. So here they are!

Mission accomplished!

 

Linking up with the #CountryKids. For more outdoor play inspiration, I’d recommend that you hop on over to see what all those inspirational families are doing.
Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

27 comments

  1. What a brilliant idea and what brilliant pictures they took, I love the fossil picture and the tomatoes. A fabulous way to get them interested in photography x

    1. They love taking photos. It’s always interesting to see the world from their perspective. I’ve promised to give them a few more lessons. I’m sure that I’ll be posting more of their photos.

    1. Which child can resist using a camera? So much easier with digital when they can review straight away. When I was learning, I used to wait for a week or more for the prints. I feel old.

  2. I just love this, it is often the simple ideas that are the best. I am stumbling and pinning this one to use myself, it would make a great challenge around CoombeMill. Thank you for the idea and for sharing it on country Kids. I think I may not be the only one gping to try this activity.

    1. I’m so glad you like it. I think you are right that it is the simple ideas that work the best. There will be more photo challenges as they are brilliant activities, but also as I want to teach them a bit more about taking photos.

  3. A great idea, to set a challenge like this. I feel older kids need more motivation to get them outdoors sometimes, a bit of competitiveness! They have taken some lovely photos and should be very proud of themselves. Popped over from #CountryKids and glad I did! Thx for sharing x

    1. For older children I do think they need a reason why. When they were younger, I could just tell them we were going outside. When they reach double figures, I need to present a business case for all outings. Well, almost! 😀

  4. This is such a fantastic idea for sharpening concentration and observation skills. I am definitely going to pin this and have my son do a photo scavenger hunt, too. He loves taking photos.

    1. Thanks, se7en. We had fun and it was just perfect length for after school. Brilliant excuse to get them outside and enjoying nature.

  5. I totally love this idea.
    My 2 are really into scavenger and treasure hunts, and a photo one is something we have never tried.
    Do each of your 3 have their own cameras?
    We only have 1 instant camera, and I am sort of reluctant to let them loose with my DSLR… Maybe it could be a team project for us 🙂

    1. One has her own camera. The other two share a very basic one, so they tend to work as a team. It worked well as an activity. It’s the sort of activity that can be recycled over and over again, with a different list and a different setting. I know my children would like to do it again.

  6. […] Chaos and her Picture Scavenger Hunt after being inspired reading about Time to Craft doing the same the previous week. I love to see great ideas being copied and adapted through the […]

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