A nature-themed scavenger hunt ensures preschoolers will pay close attention to every leaf and rock they see. Take photos of twigs, leaves, pieces of moss or anything else that is available near your school. Glue photos to a large piece of poster board. Take the children, the poster and a digital camera outside. Ask children to look closely at the objects on the board, then look for items that match them in nature. For instance, if you have a brown and red leaf, encourage children to find brown and red leaves. When children find an item, have them raise their hands so you can come over and take photos of their objects.
Check that preschoolers know their shapes by organizing a scavenger hunt. Ask children to look for items in their classroom or in the school hallways that include different shapes. They might find a circular "o" in a poster or find squares or triangles in a picture of a house. If you're just starting a lesson about shapes, draw some sample shapes onto a piece of paper. Make copies so children can have a reference sheet to carry with them; while they won't likely be able to name the shapes, they can identify them.
Scavenger hunts don't have to involve working in and around large or outdoor spaces. Organize a quiet activity using newspapers and magazines for a home or classroom. Spread out a variety of used magazines and newspapers and ask children to find certain objects somewhere in the pages. Hang up a list of all the items that you want children to find. For instance, ask children to find a picture of a family, a vegetable or a television. Include several letters for children to spot, such as a capital "N" or a lower-case "z." Have children cut out each item and make collages.
Teach preschoolers about rhyming words with a rhyme hunt. Gather children together and give them a word. Ask them to find items or pictures that rhyme with that word. Give some examples. For instance, if you say the word "bat," children might find a hat from the dress-up bin or a picture of a cat. Have children come back together to share the items they found. This will introduce children to "bat" rhyming words that they may not have thought of. Give another starting word and send them off to search again.