Summer Themed Mark Making Scavenger Hunt – Pre-Writing Resource

This summer mark making scavenger hunt is a super way to practice those early writing skills. Eight cards get hidden, each child gets a checklist and every time they track one down they draw that mark in the box next to it.

It’s similar to our other scavenger hunts in format, but this one has a good bit of pre-writing practice bundled in. They still get the running about and the searching, and they also get eight goes at some pre-writing strokes that can really help with later letter formation.

And there’s a good reason to make pre-writing practice active, beyond the fact that it’s more fun! Kids aged three to five need to be active throughout the day, so anything that adds a bit more movement to a learning activity is great!

What Exactly Is Mark Making?

Mark making is an umbrella term for every scribble, dot, line and loop a child makes before they start forming actual letters.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children points out that children as young as two begin imitating writing through drawings and symbolic markings, and that these early skills are strong predictors of later reading and writing ability.

What Skills Can Your Little Ones Learn And Develop?

This summer themed mark making game is designed to help your children practice and develop their prewriting skills, such as:

• Visual scanning and observation – Searching a space systematically, rather than randomly.
• Pre-writing stroke control – As they practice making the different marks.
• Gross motor skills – As they move about searching for the cards.
• Fine motor skills and pencil control – As they make the marks on their checklist – this can be even more of a challenge if they’ve just been running about.
• Matching and visual discrimination – Finding the card, then locating the right row on the checklist, means telling a wave from a zig zag and a swirl from a loop.
• Vocabulary and describing – Naming the marks aloud as they are found, and saying where they were hiding, brings in positional language like under, behind, above and between.

Many of  these are all vital fine motor skills that will enable them to become great writers in the future!

RELATED Playdough can also be a great way to improve hand strength – you can check out an easy no cook recipe here!

How To Prepare The Summer Mark Making Scavenger Hunt

First you’re going to want to download the pre-writing game by clicking on download button at the bottom of the page.

Not a member yet – what are you waiting for? Become a member today and get INSTANT access to all the awesome activities!

Then print it off. Hide the cards around your space and give each child a checklist and something to write with and they’re good to go!

Get Even More Out of This Summer Mark Making Hunt

Here are some ways you could use it:

Take it Outside

Laminate the cards and place them into bushes, peg them on a fence, tape them under the slide etc. and hand out clipboards. Drawing while standing up outdoors builds up some different muscles than sitting at a table.

Let the Children Do the Hiding

One child or a small group hides the cards while everybody else covers their eyes, then the hiders get to give hot and cold clues as the others search.

Laminate the Checklists Too

If you would rather not print a sheet per child every time, laminate a few checklists and use dry erase markers.

Mark Making for National Scavenger Hunt Day

National Scavenger Hunt Day falls on May 24th every year so would be a great time to use this. There are plenty more dates worth marking on our Special Day Calendar.

However you play this summer mark making scavenger hunt, I hope your little ones have a super time! There are plenty more summer printables waiting when you come back inside.

Enjoy and let’s nurture those neurons!