When you’re hosting a party and inviting lots of kids, be prepared with some sort of built-in entertainment. For an outdoor party, like a Fourth of July weekend picnic, you can count on a spirited scavenger hunt to make it a memorable event.

Cut right to the chase and download the version that I created right here, or else follow these simple ideas to make your own.

Start by identifying things that you can find at the picnic. Here’s a long list to get your brain churning (always try to add a few that will be really challenging or nearly impossible):

• watermelon
• rainbow
• sprinkler
• flag-themed dessert
• potato salad
• sidewalk chalk
• 5 things with stars on them
• ladybugs
• diving board
• flying kite
• a bottle of sunscreen that’s SPF 50+
• s’more fixings
• toad/frog
• 10 different types of tree leaves
• pine cones
• sailboat
• tennis ball
• bottle cap
• 5 American flags 
• inchworm
• 4-leaf clover
• someone with a sunburn
• someone with a sock tan line
• a dog wearing a red, white and blue bandana
• snorkel
• half-eaten hot dog
• fly swatter
• dandelion bouquet
• spiderweb – with captured bugs
• deck of cards
• BBQ sauce
• 5 items with a striped red and white pattern
• 5 things with stars on it
• fireworks

Conceive a fun twist for the game. Assign a point value to the finds, making the easy-to-find items 1 point, and the harder items 5 points (the winner is the one with the most points at the end of the night). Or, for tech savvy kids, require them to use their smart phones or digital cameras to photo-document each of their finds – whoever finds the most items, or finds everything first, wins, and with photo evidence there’s no refuting that little Joey actually did find 5 Stars. He’s not fibbing. 

Another idea would be to have the kids identify one thing that begins with each letter of the alphabet. A: Apple Pie! B: Beehive! C: Corn on the Cob! I’m not going to lie… it’s entertaining for adults too.