Fun Autumn Scavenger Hunt for Preschoolers and Other Kids, Plus Quick Tips for Busy Families in Friday’s Fast Five 14th Edition

Building a stronger, happier family is at the top of most parents’ list. However, we are busy! These weekly Fast Five ideas and tips are a quick way to brainstorm, check-in, and create the family relationships you really want. Today’s ideas include a free printable for a fun autumn scavenger hunt for preschoolers or other kids, a teamwork idea, a tip about perfectionism, and more. Happy Friday!

* These ideas are NOT meant to be a checklist or guilt trip of things we “should do.” Rather, they are intended to inspire you to find what works for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together. Remember to stick to the Simple Side of Parenting.

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What is Friday’s Fast Five?

Each Friday, we share five quick and simple ideas for families under the following categories:

1. Something Fun

This is an activity, game, entertainment recommendation, or simple outing for family fun.

2. A Little Lesson

Here you will find a simple lesson to help teach kids important ideas. Examples include life skills or personal qualities like kindness and patience.

3. A Service Idea

Volunteering is good for our mental and physical health. Serving together strengthens relationships with those we serve and those we serve with. Service can be fun and eye-opening. Service is an important way to learn, laugh, and love together.

4. Something Random

This is a random thought, idea, quote, or meme, typically to help you smile. 🙂

5. A Quick Tip

Here you will find a quick parenting or family tip for peaceful parenting or building a stronger, happier family. These come from research, personal experience, or those common sense reminders we all need to hear once in a while.

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With that, here is the fourteenth edition of Friday’s Fast Five. (You can find other editions HERE.)

1. Something Fun: Autumn Scavenger Hunt for Preschoolers and Other Kids

An autumn scavenger hunt is a fun outdoor activity. It gets us paying attention to the beauty of nature and enjoying the season.

Free Printable Autumn Scavenger Hunt for Preschoolers

I made this Autumn Scavenger Hunt for my kids. Here’s the link for easy printing access…

Free Printable Autumn Scavenger Hunt

While I made this free printable autumn scavenger hunt for preschoolers, it’s fun for kids of different ages. The added bonus for preschoolers is it helps them practice colors, a couple numbers, and the concepts of soft and hard.

One fun way to do the hunt is to print the Autumn Scavenger Hunt printable (there are two copies on a page) or make your own list. Attach the list to the front of a paper lunch sack and put a crayon or pencil inside. Go on a hike or out in the yard and collect or mark-off items as they are found.

Tips for Autumn Scavenger Hunt for Older Kids

Older kids still enjoy doing scavenger hunts, even adults do if you start with the right type of list. So for older kids, the list can be longer and include harder things to find like specific plant or animal species.

Your scavenger hunt list can also include creative or subjective items, like “Something that represents how you feel right now,” “Something that teaches a life lesson,” or “Something that reminds you of a favorite memory.”

It’s bonding to share these finds after the hike or hunt or as you go.

2. A Little Lesson: Teamwork Relay Races with a Twist

Teach a fun lesson about teamwork by doing Teamwork Relay Races. Relay races typically require teamwork, but you can add a fun twist and encourage even more working together (plus make it work for only two people) by introducing different roles or limitations for each team member.

Choose a task. The task can be as simple as moving a ping pong ball from one end of the room into a bucket on the other end of the room using a spoon.

Each team member has a specific role or limitation. For example, maybe only one person can touch the spoon, but he or she can’t touch the floor. Maybe everyone is blindfolded except one person who can’t touch the spoon. Help each other complete the task.

Take turns with different roles and twists. After figuring out how to do the task multiple ways, you can also try to complete the task faster and faster and beat your own time.

Have a brief family discussion about the importance of teamwork and some examples in real life.

For more activities and books teaching teamwork, check out the preschool lesson: T is for Team Preschool Lesson. You could also connect this with 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

Wondering how to fit Little Lessons into your busy family schedule?

The two main ways to fit important lessons into your busy family schedule are to find spontaneous teaching moments throughout the day and to schedule family learning time each week. These two posts go into detail about these two ways and tips for making it happen with your family.

How Busy Parents Can Teach Important Life Lessons

6 Tips for Family Time that Teaches Life’s Most Important Lessons

3. A Service Idea: Donate Gently Used Items

Donating items is a win-win. It helps the charity of our donation and keeps our clutter minimalized.

Have kids help identify and gather items to donate. You can also work together to choose a charity for your donations. Decide what matters most to you when it comes to your donations. Do you want to support a specific cause, stretch your “dollar,” or keep things easy?

If a specific cause is important to you, this post about where to donate clothes is helpful or google a specific cause. If stretching your dollar is important, you can find some information about the ratio of program to fundraising costs for many charities on Charity Watch. (Goodwill has a high rating there.) And for ease, it’s hard to beat scheduling a pick-up with Vietnam Veterans of America.

Read a fun story about a family doing this in The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need.

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Service is a great way to build a stronger, happier family. If you want more service ideas, request Raising Compassionate Children in a Conceited World, which includes 101 Service Ideas for Families.

4. Something Random: Toddler’s Hearing

Truthfully, this goes for all ages.

Good luck with your “secret” snacks!

5. A Quick Tip: Perfectionism

Perfectionism is hard! It’s hard for the perfectionist (parent or child), and it’s hard on their loved ones.

If you’re noticing perfectionist tendencies in yourself or your child, it’s really helpful to understand perfectionism as a coping mechanism. What is the root hardship that we’re trying to solve with perfection? It could be hurt, a sense of inadequacy, or other difficulties.

After identifying the root hardship, we can find a healthier coping mechanism and learn how to interrupt perfectionist habits and thought patterns.

If perfectionism is a struggle for your family, I hope this post helps.

How to Stop Being a Perfectionist [3 Steps to Greater Peace]

And that is Friday’s Fast Five!

You can also see Friday’s Fast Five on Instagram or other editions HERE.

Building a Stronger, Happier Family

It takes time and intention to build a stronger, happier family. I hope Friday’s Fast Five helps you find the ways that work for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together.

We will never regret the time we devote to our families and relationships with our kids.

Have a great weekend with your family, know that you’re loved, and keep on lovin’!

Do you have a great idea for a future Friday’s Fast Five? Have a question or parenting struggle you want help with? Share in the comments, shoot me an Email, or schedule a call.

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