Sometimes I wish I could just come up with ideas for amazing educational enrichment to do with my kids when it's a rainy day or we just need a change of pace. I came across the concept of a topical scavenger hunt, that can be done at home and adapted to a variety of age groups and content areas.


This is a fun and interactive way to explore the world of science in a familiar and comfortable environment. It encourages children to use their observation skills, critical thinking, and scientific knowledge to make new discoveries, and it fosters an interest in science and the natural world. It can be used in the home or outside, depending on the weather and what's available. I've also included some books for each age group to further explore the topic. These books align with the Charlotte Mason approach of using living books, which are written in an interesting, engaging and entertaining style, they are well-written, accurate, and interesting that gives children an opportunity to learn about the properties of solids, liquids, and gases in a fun way. They will help children to explore the scientific concepts in a deeper way and make connections between what they are reading and what they are observing.


Here is an example of a scavenger hunt to explore the properties of solids, liquids, and gases and some entertaining books to go along with it!


For kids aged 3-5:

  • Find a solid object in the house (e.g. a toy car)
  • Find a liquid object in the house (e.g. a glass of water)
  • Find a gas object in the house (e.g. a helium balloon)
  • Observe how the solid toy car differs from the liquid glass of water
  • Observe how the liquid glass of water differs from the gas helium balloon

Some Books: The Water Cycle by Gail Gibbons or The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole


For kids aged 6-10:

  • Observe how a solid object (e.g. ice) changes when it is heated and becomes a liquid (water)
  • Observe how a liquid object (e.g. water) changes when it is cooled and becomes a solid (ice)
  • Observe how a liquid object (e.g. water) boils and becomes a gas (steam)
  • Observe how a gas object (e.g. steam) cools and becomes a liquid (water)
  • Observe the properties of different types of solids, liquids and gases, and record their observations in a notebook or journal

Some Books: The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake or The Magic School Bus Gets Cold Feet: A Book About Hot and Cold by Joanna Cole


For kids aged 11-17:

  • Find a solid object in the house that can be easily deformed or bent (e.g. plastic spoon)
  • Find a liquid object in the house that has a high viscosity (e.g. honey)
  • Find a gas object in the house that can be compressed (e.g. air in a pump)
  • Find a solid object in the house that is a poor conductor of heat (e.g. plastic cup)
  • Find a liquid object in the house that is a good solvent (e.g. water)
  • Find a gas object in the house that is buoyant (e.g. helium-filled balloon)
  • Find an object in the house that illustrates the concept of density (e.g. a block of wood floating on water)
  • Find an object in the house that illustrates the concept of surface tension (e.g. a paperclip floating on water)
  • Find an object in the house that illustrates the concept of thermal expansion (e.g. metal spoon in a cup of hot tea)
  • Find an object in the house that illustrates the concept of phase changes (e.g. a candle)

Some Books: The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean or The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray


This scavenger hunt allows kids to explore the properties of solids, liquids, and gases in a hands-on way and make connections between the concepts and real-world examples in their own home. It also provides a launch pad to further research as you see what really lights up your children's interest, enthusiasm, and curiosity!


Love the idea? Here are a bunch of other potential scavenger hunt topics!

  • The Five Senses
  • Plants and Flowers
  • The Solar System
  • Weather and Seasons
  • Insects and Bugs
  • The Human Body
  • The Ocean and Marine Life
  • Birds and Flight
  • Rocks and Minerals
  • The Food Chain and Ecosystems
  • Simple machines and how they work
  • States of Matter
  • Magnets and magnetism
  • Dinosaurs and Fossils
  • The Life cycle of Animals
  • Force and Motion
  • Kitchen Science
  • Simple Chemistry experiments
  • Electricity and Circuits