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How to Do a Video Call Scavenger Hunt With Your Grandkids

A scavenger hunt your grandkids can play from their own home while you watch on a video call. How it works, 40 ideas for things to find, and how to make it easier or harder for different ages.

By Ana M. Middleton4 min read

Boy kneeling on a living room rug holding up a yellow rubber duck to a tablet, where his grandmother laughs with a notepad ready, a sock and a ball on the floor beside him

A scavenger hunt is the best video call game for a child who can’t sit still. You give them something to find, they run off into the house, and they come back to the camera with something in their hand and a story about where they found it.

You stay in your chair. They do all the running. Most parents are very happy with this arrangement.

How it works

  1. You read out one thing to find. “Find something that is yellow.”
  2. Your grandchild runs to find it and brings it back to the camera.
  3. They show you and explain. This is the best part. Ask where they found it and why they chose it.
  4. Give a point, and read out the next one.

Five to eight finds is plenty for one call. Stop while they are still keen, and they will ask to play again next time.

Before you start, check with the parents. A scavenger hunt means a child running around the house, and it is fair to ask whether the dining room is off limits or whether the baby is asleep upstairs.

40 things to find

You can mix these freely. Pick ones that suit the house and the age of the child.

Colours and shapes

  1. Something red
  2. Something yellow
  3. Something with stripes
  4. Something round
  5. Something square
  6. Something with spots
  7. Something with more than three colours
  8. Something shiny

Size and feel

  1. Something smaller than your thumb
  2. Something bigger than your head
  3. Something soft
  4. Something bumpy
  5. Something heavy (but safe to carry)
  6. Something that bends
  7. Something cold
  8. Something that makes a noise

Counting and letters

  1. Something with a number on it
  2. Two things that are the same
  3. Three different socks
  4. Something that starts with the letter B
  5. Something that starts with the first letter of your name
  6. A book with an animal on the cover
  7. Something with exactly four legs
  8. Something with a hole in it

Silly and creative

  1. Something you would take to a desert island
  2. Something a dog would like
  3. Something you could wear on your head
  4. Something older than you
  5. Your favourite thing in your room
  6. Something that could be a hat for your teddy
  7. Something that looks like a face
  8. Something you think I have never seen before

Stories and feelings

  1. Something that makes you happy
  2. Something that reminds you of me
  3. Something you made yourself
  4. Something you got as a present
  5. Something you use every day
  6. Something you would like to show me when I visit
  7. Something that smells nice
  8. The thing you would save first if your toys could only keep one

The last two groups are where the conversation happens. “Something that reminds you of me” can lead to answers you will remember for a long time.

Making it fair and fun

Swap roles. After a few rounds, let your grandchild give you a task. Now you are the one searching your house for something with stripes, and they are the judge. Children take this job very seriously.

Give points for good explanations. A sock is a perfectly good “something soft,” but a sock with a story about the dog stealing it deserves a bonus point.

Time it, if they like a challenge. Older kids enjoy a countdown. Give them thirty seconds and count out loud. Count slowly if they are struggling. Nobody needs to know.

For different ages

Girl at a kitchen table holding up a red ball for her grandfather on a tablet, with a striped sock, a wooden spoon, a teddy bear and blue blocks she has already found

Ages three to four. Stick to colours and simple objects. “Find a spoon.” “Find something blue.” Expect them to come back with something completely different and be very proud of it. Count that as a win.

Ages five to seven. Use the full list. They will enjoy the silly ones and the letter tasks. Let them earn a small prize, even if the prize is just a cheer and a silly dance from you.

Ages eight and up. Make it harder. Combine two tasks, like “something round and red,” or add a time limit. Older kids also enjoy writing the list for you, so ask them to prepare a hunt for the next call.

A hunt outdoors

Girl in a garden comparing a big green leaf with the leaf her grandfather holds up on a tablet video call

On a dry day, ask the parent to take the call into the garden or a park. Nature finds work beautifully: a leaf bigger than your hand, a stone with a stripe, something a bird would use for its nest, a flower (one that is allowed to be picked).

If you are lucky enough to have a garden yourself, you can do the same hunt at your end. Comparing leaves from two different gardens is surprisingly interesting to a seven-year-old.

Ending the hunt

Count up the points together and announce the winner. Then ask your grandchild to put everything back where they found it. Their parents will appreciate this part even more than the game.

If your grandchild still has energy to spare, our five easy video call games are a good follow-up. “What’s missing” uses the same kind of household objects.

All forty things to find are in our free Video Call Play Pack as cut-out cards, together with a score sheet and a champion certificate.

Get the free Video Call Play Pack

What do you think your grandchild would bring back for “something that reminds you of me”?

  • video calls
  • games for grandkids
  • long-distance grandparenting
  • screen time

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