Ingredients:
- Scavenger hunt checklists for each child (see Step 1)
- Pencils/pens
Prep Time:
Recipe for Fun:
From automatic doors to cell phones and computers, technology is a big part of your child’s environment. Have fun discovering the different types of technology around your home or community with this interactive scavenger hunt!
STEP 1: Before starting, adults should write out a scavenger hunt checklist for each child listing different types of technologies. To get started with a simple scavenger hunt, list the following:
- Technology that uses batteries
- Technology with a screen
- Technology that can work automatically
- Technology that helps make food
STEP 2: Explain to children that “technology” is any tool or device created by humans to make life easier. Tell children that today we’ll be going on a scavenger hunt to find different types of technology around our home! Distribute the checklists and a pencil or pen to each child.
STEP 3: Encourage children to search for an item for each category on the checklist, checking them off as they go. If they find more than one item for a category, they should write additional check marks that you can count together at the end of the hunt.
STEP 4: After the hunt, discuss the different types of technologies you found. Which type of technology was most common and which was harder to find?
Modifications:
To simplify, create a visual scavenger hunt checklist with images of easily recognizable technologies you might find around your house such as a computer, cell phone, or television. Children can work on matching the picture to the real-world technology.
To add complexity, create a longer scavenger hunt that includes technologies as well as naturally occurring items like plants. After the scavenger hunt, have children categorize the items they found as either natural objects or human-made technologies. Children can also use a digital camera (or phone/tablet camera) to take pictures and document each item they find on the scavenger hunt!
STEAM Focus: Technology