Winter Scavenger Hunt
This winter scavenger hunt is for families, classes and youth groups who want to get outside, with or without snow. Plan on 60 to 90 minutes outdoors to finish the 19 Missions. Play as one family, or split a class or group into teams of three to five with one phone or tablet per team.
Missions
1. Winter Is Here! (PHOTO)
Step outside and take a good look around — winter has arrived and it's full of clues! Snap a photo of the very first sign of winter you spot: bare branches reaching for the sky, frost clinging to a leaf, a gray and moody sky, or anything else that says 'it's cold out here!' This is your launchpad for today's adventure — let's go! 🪿
100 points
2. Shhh… What Do You Hear? (TEXT)
Stop what you're doing, take a deep breath, and really listen to the world around you. 🌬️ What's one sound you can hear right now in the winter outdoors? It could be the wind rustling through bare branches, a bird calling in the distance, leaves crunching underfoot, or even the peaceful hush of silence. Type what you hear!
100 points
3. Bare and Beautiful (PHOTO)
Deciduous trees shed their leaves every autumn — and in winter, their bare branches are on full display! Find a tree that's lost all its leaves and snap a photo looking up through the branches at the sky. Get close and fill the frame with those twisting, reaching arms. What do you notice about the shape of the branches?
200 points
4. Wildlife Detective (PHOTO)
Animals are out there — even in winter! — and they leave clues behind. Channel your inner wildlife detective and search for any sign of animal activity: footprints in mud, snow, or soft soil; scratch marks on bark; or a bird's tiny toe prints. Find the best evidence you can spot and snap a photo of it. What creature do you think left it behind?
400 points
5. Bird Watch Tally (TEXT)
Keep your eyes on the sky and the branches — birds don't all fly south for winter! As you explore, keep a running tally of every different bird species you spot (or just count individual birds if you can't tell the species apart). At the end of your adventure, type in your final count. How many feathered friends stayed behind to brave the cold?
400 points
6. Icy Wonders (PHOTO)
Winter has a secret superpower — it turns ordinary water into incredible art! 🌨️ Hunt down frost, ice, or frozen water in any form: ice crystals on a leaf, a frosty puddle, icicles hanging from a branch, or frosted blades of grass. No frost nearby? Find the coldest-looking surface you can spot and snap your best shot. Nature's frozen magic is waiting to be discovered!
Stay off frozen ponds, lakes and streams!
200 points
7. Write It in Winter! (PHOTO)
Team up and get creative — use snow, frost, mud, fallen leaves, sticks, or stones to spell out a word or make a shape right on the ground! No snow? No problem — arrange whatever natural materials you can find. Once your masterpiece is ready, snap a photo from directly above to show it off. Teamwork makes the dream work! 🪨🍂❄️
200 points
8. Still Green! Spot an Evergreen (PHOTO)
While most trees have gone bare for winter, some plants refuse to give up their green! 🌲 Find an evergreen plant — a pine, spruce, cedar, holly, or any plant still showing leaves or needles — and snap a close-up photo so those green details are clearly visible. Why do you think this plant stays green when others don't? Take a closer look and find out!
Safety tip: remember to look, don’t touch or taste!
400 points
9. Why Hibernate? You Decide! (TEXT)
Some animals snooze the whole winter away, while others brave the cold every single day. Why do YOU think certain animals hibernate? Think about food, warmth, and energy — then type your best explanation! (Max 240 characters)
400 points
10. Winter's Little Travelers (PHOTO)
Plants have a sneaky plan for winter — they pack their seeds into pods, cones, berries, and dried flower heads and wait for the perfect moment to spread! Find a pinecone, acorn, seed pod, berry cluster, or dried flower head and snap a close-up photo. These tiny structures are nature's winter delivery system, and they're hiding in plain sight!
Safety tip: remember to look, don’t touch or taste!
400 points
11. Winter Animal Moves! (VIDEO)
Time to channel your inner winter wildlife! 🐧🐇🦊 Record a video (15 seconds or less) of yourself doing your BEST winter animal movement — waddle like a penguin, hop like a rabbit through the snow, or creep stealthily like a fox on the hunt. The goofier the better! How do winter animals move to survive the cold?
200 points
12. Winter Up Close (PHOTO)
Winter is a master artist — if you look closely enough! 🔍 Find a surface transformed by the cold: cracked ice, frost patterns, lichen-covered bark, or mud frozen stiff. Get as close as you can and fill the entire frame with that amazing texture — no sky, no background, just pure winter detail. What incredible patterns has the cold created?
400 points
13. Angel in the Wild (PHOTO)
Time to make your mark on winter! If there's snow on the ground, lie down and sweep your arms and legs to create a classic snow angel — then stand up carefully and snap a photo of your masterpiece from directly above. No snow? No problem! Pile up some leaves, lie down in soft grass, or find a frosty patch and make your very own leaf angel or frost outline instead. Every season deserves a little wing-flapping fun! 🪽
150 points
14. Winter Wonder Moment (TEXT)
Nature has a way of showing us something new every time we look closely! 🌿❄️ What's one thing you noticed today in the winter outdoors that surprised you — or that you'd never really paid attention to before? Share your honest reflection in a sentence or two!
400 points
15. Sleeping Until Spring (PHOTO)
Not every plant disappears in winter — some are just playing dead! 🌿 Look around for a cluster of dry stems, a flattened rosette of leaves hugging the ground, or a withered stalk with empty seed heads. These plants are dormant, quietly waiting for warmer days. Find one and snap a photo of nature's sneaky survival strategy!
400 points
16. Shadow Spotlight (PHOTO)
Winter light has a secret superpower — it casts the most dramatic, long shadows you've ever seen! 🌟 Hunt for a shadow cast by a bare tree, a branch, a fence, or any winter structure on snow, frost, or pale ground. Frame your shot so the shadow is the true star of the photo — get low, get creative, and make it stunning!
400 points
17. Winter Dance Party! (VIDEO)
Time to let loose and celebrate the season! As a group, invent your very own winter dance — think dramatic shivers, spinning snowflake twirls, penguin waddles, or whatever wild moves feel right. Record a video (20 seconds or less) of everyone busting out their best winter moves together. The more joyful and spontaneous, the better!
400 points
18. Winter Sculptor in the Wild (PHOTO)
Look around you and gather a small handful of natural treasures from the ground — sticks, stones, pinecones, leaves, or snow. Arrange them into a quick little sculpture that represents something YOU associate with winter. A tiny snowflake, a bare tree, a sleeping critter — whatever sparks your imagination! Keep it simple and small, then snap a photo of your creation!
500 points
19. The Full Picture of Winter (PHOTO)
You've tracked, observed, listened, and explored — now it's time to bring it all together! 🌿❄️ Find a scene that tells the whole story of winter in a single shot. Bare branches, frost, shadows, evergreens, seed pods, animal tracks — pack in as many winter details as you can and compose your most thoughtful photo yet. Make it one to remember!
600 points
How to run it
- Copy the template. Click "Copy this template in Goosechase" and log in or sign up. You get your own copy with every Mission on this page.
- Invite people with the join link. Share your join link so players can join from any web browser or mobile device.
- Play. Start the game. Players complete Missions to earn points, and the leaderboard shows who is winning.
