Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Spelling Scavenger Hunt
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Spelling Scavenger Hunt is a free printable activity for young children who are starting to link letters, colours and words. Children explore your home to find the items on the scavenger list. They learn the words as they go and say them out loud.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company. Print the sheet, hand it over and go hunting. If you can, print in colour, because the sheet connects colour with letters.
What is on the sheet
Children use the scavenger list and search around the home for the items on it. As they find each one, they look at the letters, link them with colour and say the word aloud. The sheet is about recognising letters and starting to say words, not about perfect spelling. It suits children who are just beginning, and it works well with a grown up reading alongside.
Why a scavenger hunt helps early spelling
Young children learn words best when the words belong to things they can see and touch. Finding a real object and then looking at its written name joins the spoken word, the object and the letters in one memory. A hunt around the home also gives children a reason to move, look closely and talk, which makes the learning feel like play.
Spelling begins long before a child writes a whole word. First they notice letters, then they hear the sounds in words, then they match the two. Saying a word aloud while looking at its letters is a gentle way to practise this. Colour gives an extra clue to hold on to, which can help children remember what they have seen.
Adults decide which rooms and items are part of the hunt. Keep children away from the kitchen, knives, hot items, medicines and cleaning products. If an item is in a risky place, an adult fetches it and brings it to the child.
Skills and curriculum link
- Letter recognition
- Colour and letter association
- Saying words aloud
- Early spelling
- Listening and looking closely
- Following a list
Helping letters and words stick
- Say it, then lookAsk your child to say the word before they look at its letters. Hearing the word first makes the written letters easier to link to it.
- Point to each letterTouch the letters one at a time from left to right while saying the sounds. This shows how a written word is built.
- Keep it playfulShort, cheerful bursts work better than long sessions. Stop while your child is still enjoying it and come back another day.
- Repeat the favouritesChildren often want to find the same item again. That is useful practice, so let them say and look at the word as many times as they like.
Key words
- LetterA written mark that stands for a sound. Words are built from letters.
- SoundWhat you hear when you say a letter or part of a word.
- WordA group of letters that means something. You can say it and write it.
- SpellTo say or write the letters of a word in the right order.
- BlendTo push sounds together to say a whole word.
- Scavenger huntA game where you search for items on a list.
How to use it
- Print the sheet. Colour works best, but black and white is fine. Have a pencil or crayons ready if your child wants to mark things off.
- Read the scavenger list together. Let your child point to the letters and say any words they know.
- Decide which rooms are safe to search. Adults keep the kitchen, hot items and anything breakable out of the hunt.
- Hunt around your home. When your child finds an item, ask them to say the word out loud and look at its letters and colour on the sheet.
- Finish with a chat. Ask which word was their favourite and which was trickiest, then try that one again another day.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Hunt together and read the list aloud for your child. Pick one word at a time. Say it slowly, point to each letter and let your child copy you. Cheer every find. Leave the harder words until they feel confident.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to say the first sound of each word they find. Then see if they can spot other things at home that start with the same sound. Older children can try writing a word from memory.
Make it a game
Play a timed hunt. Read out one word from the list and see who can find it first and say it aloud. Take turns being the caller. The caller must say the word clearly and point to its letters.
Talk about it
- Which word was the easiest to say?
- Which letter can you see in more than one word?
- What colour did you link with that word?
- Can you say the word slowly, one sound at a time?
- Where else in our home could we find something that starts with that letter?
- Which word would you like to find again?
Take it off the page
Letter hunt on a walk
Choose one letter before you go out. Look for it on signs, doors and posters, and say each one when you spot it.
Colour and word sort
Gather a few safe household items. Sort them by colour, then say each word and look at its first letter.
Label the room
Write simple labels on paper for safe objects like a door, a cup or a book. Your child sticks each label where it belongs and reads it aloud.
Who it is for
Parents
Go on the hunt with your child and read the list aloud together. Keep it light and encourage them to say each word. Celebrate every find, and let them lead where they can.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a phonics follow up or a wet play activity. It works well in pairs, with one child searching and one reading the list. Adults should set the boundaries for the area being searched.
Home educators
Fit it into your day when energy is high. A hunt around the house suits mixed ages, as older children can read the list to younger ones. Repeat it on another day with a fresh look at the words.
Where this fits in learning to read and spell
Before this activity, children listen to rhymes, play with sounds and learn that print carries meaning. They begin to name some letters and notice them in the world around them.
After it, children can move on to matching letters to sounds, blending sounds to read short words and then writing simple words themselves. Saying words aloud and linking them to real things supports each of these steps in early reading and spelling.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- Who is the Spelling Scavenger Hunt for?
It suits young children who are starting to recognise letters and say simple words aloud. Older children who need gentle practice can use it too. A grown up reading alongside helps most when children are just beginning.
- Do we need to print it in colour?
Colour is best, because the sheet links colour with letters. If you only have black and white, it still works. You can point out the colours as you find each item and say them aloud together.
- Does my child need to be able to read already?
No. The sheet is for children who are beginning to recognise letters. Read the list aloud, point to the letters and let your child say the words back. Reading grows through this kind of shared practice.
- How long should we spend on it?
That depends on your child and your home. Follow their interest and stop while they are still enjoying it. You can always come back to the sheet another day and hunt again.
- Is it safe to search around the house?
Yes, with sensible limits. Adults choose which rooms and items are included. Keep children away from the kitchen, knives, hot items, medicines and cleaning products. An adult should fetch anything that is in a risky place.
- What if we cannot find an item on the list?
Skip it and move on, or find a picture of it in a book instead. You could also draw it together. The aim is to enjoy the words and say them aloud, not to find everything.
- Does this teach spelling?
It starts the groundwork. Children notice letters, say words and link them to real things, which supports later spelling. Formal spelling comes after children can match letters to sounds, so keep this stage relaxed and playful.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.