Free Printable Picture Book Scavenger Hunt

What fun activities can you do at home to playfully explore picture books? Try a picture book scavenger hunt! It will get your kids reading and noticing books in a different way.

I’ve made 3 printable picture book scavenger hunt downloads for you to use —

One has checkboxes and nouns for younger children to search for with adult help. Ages 4 – 7
One has checkboxes, nouns, and lines for older children to do independently and record their answers. Ages 7 – 9
One has kids search for lots of picture books and what they might include. Ages 7+

Have fun with picture books! Download this free picture book scavenger hunt for kids.

Scavenger hunts are a great way to “play” with your books.

Just like you do when you read aloud, you want kids to zero in on the title, author’s name, illustrations, and more.

In this first reading scavenger hunt, growing readers will search for book titles, authors and illustrators, the BIGGEST words, animals, main characters, and other picture book elements.

The goal is to get kids diving into books, to notice features of picture books, and to think about picture book stories — at least basic things like the main character, beginning, and ending.

If your child can write, help them keep track of what they find using the lines on the second hunt for ages 7 to 9.

No matter what, let these prompt new discussions about what your children are noticing about books.

Importantly, you can use ANY book and use more than one book for each hunt.

Honestly, a reading scavenger hunt might not be a life-changing activity but it will be fun and get your kids back into picture books, noticing different things such as favorite illustrations, juicy words, and pages with borders.

The third scavenger hunt for ages 7 and above is completely different than the first two.

It’s a hunt that asks kids to search through lots of picture books for books that include vehicles, magical creatures, nature, friends, or facts. So it’s a different way to dive into books and hopefully will get your kids READING!