Printable Nature Bingo Cards, Free

A walk with something to look for

A walk goes differently when you carry a card. Children who would have dragged their feet start looking under logs and up into branches. The list has things you can see in most parks and woods in North America and Britain: acorns, ferns, snails, a bird nest, a stream. A few squares ask for shapes and textures, such as something fuzzy or a spiral, which work in any backyard.

Each card is drawn from 54 squares, so every walker has a different grid. A family of five prints five, a scout troop of twelve prints twelve. Cards are 5 x 5 with a free space in the middle, and two fit on one sheet of paper, so a backpack carries them easily.

The one rule: look, do not take. Take a photo or a quick sketch, and leave the acorn, the feather or the mushroom where it is. Animal homes stay untouched. Even seeds and empty shells are part of the habitat, and a rule that everything stays keeps the trail the same for the next family.

Words on these bingo cards

Acorn
Feather
Spider web
Bird nest
Pinecone
Maple leaf
Oak leaf
Fern
Moss
Mushroom
Puddle
Snail
Ladybug
Butterfly
Bee
Ant hill
Dragonfly
Worm
Frog
Squirrel
Chipmunk
Rabbit
Animal track
Bird song
Woodpecker hole
Hawk
Duck
Fallen log
Tree stump
Smooth rock
Pebble
Seed pod
Wildflower
Dandelion
Clover
Berry bush
Thistle
Cattail
Lichen
Bark pattern
Hollow tree
Cloud shape
Rainbow
Stream
Your own shadow
Sunbeam
Something red
Something yellow
Something fuzzy
Something prickly
Something smooth
Animal home
Insect wings
Spiral shape

Taking bingo on the trail

Print the cards before you go and tuck them in a clipboard or a clear sleeve. Add a pencil on a string.
Walk at a child's speed and stop each time somebody finds a square. Ask them to point, so the others can look too.
Mark with a tick, or with a photo on a phone for older players. A full line is a win; a full card is a picnic.
Back home, press New cards for the next walk, since different seasons make different squares easy.

Questions about nature bingo

What ages is it for?

Preschoolers with an adult, up through teens. The 3 x 3 grid under Words suits the youngest.

Is it good for scout groups?

Yes. Patrols can compete on cards, or work together on one. It also works as a warm-up for a nature or hiking badge.

Which season works best?

Spring and fall give the most squares, but winter has tracks, bare nests and lichen. Edit the list to fit.

Do I need to print at home?

Print before you leave, or save the PDF to a phone. There is no sign-up and no watermark.

Printable nature bingo cards