What is an At-Home scavenger hunt?
You don't have to be a photographer to document everyday moments. Nowadays, EVERYONE has a camera at their fingertips. It's easier than ever to capture moments instantly. As good as that sounds, it can also be a negative thing. Since it's so simple to take a picture or video, we sometimes end up in overwhelm from too many of the same thing. It may be easy to remember to snap a picture of your child at their birthday party or of their preschool graduation. But, what about the silly face they make when they eat a lemon for the first time or the way they stick their tongue out while they are watching tv. Those are the moments that make each child unique....but it's not always what we catch on camera. The main goal of the scavenger hunt is to give you some fun prompts to be INTENTIONAL throughout the month to memorialize some special moments you may otherwise forget down the road.
Picture Prompts
"Popeye"
hands holding something special
Does your child LOVE playing basketball or building with legos? Maybe they are artistic & always drawing a new masterpiece. When they are in the middle of their special activity-snap a quick picture focusing on their hands. Hands are one part of our kids that change drastically throughout their childhood. It's not something we always focus on in pictures, but I know it's a part of THEM that I truly want to "hold onto forever" pun intended.
Showcasing their "heart"
It's no secret that a child's artistic abilities can change as they age. They learn how to hold a crayon, move it along paper, and create through the years. For this month of LOVE, have your child at whatever age draw a heart. They can be creative with their colors, size, etc. Then when they are done tell them you would love to get their picture with their masterpiece. Focus on the actual drawing in one shot with their hands in clear view, then make sure you also get a shot showcasing their proud face as they show you their work.
selfie time with a hug or kiss
It's your turn to get in on the pictures. Tell your kiddo you want a special picture of just you and them. Then say "on the count of three, give me the BIGGEST hug on my neck" or "when I say MUAH give me a kiss on my cheek." Not only is this adorable to snag a picture of, it's also such a special moment between the two of you.
LEt's get silly
I don't know about your kids but each year of life mine end up having a different "silly face." Right now my youngest sticks out her tongue nonstop, my middle rolls his eyes towards the sky with a funny smirk, and my oldest has dubbed his face "pop-eye." While it can sometimes be hard to get a sweet smile for a picture, its usually pretty easy to capture those iconic silly faces each stage. Kids are eager and think you are so fun when you ASK them to do one for a picture instead of rolling your eyes when they do it on their own time.
Video Prompts
Screenshot from our family game time
Say something cute
Just like with their favorite faces each year/stage they also have some words/phrases that are so unique to them. These are the things they say that instantly bring a smile to your face when you think about it. Often times, we don't think about capturing it on video til they have already stopped saying it. For me, it's the wrong way they say "lemalade" instead of "lemonade" or the funny word "poopset" they made up to make their big brothers laugh. Even if the moment is staged you will love having their little voice saying it so you can listen to it on repeat when they are teenagers rolling their eyes at you.
Let's play a game
It's #proofofparent video time. Let your kids pick out their favorite game and have a family fun night. Set your camera up, press play, then just have fun together. It's so special to look back on the interactions between everyone and have an experience to remember as well. Once you are done you can edit the large video to smaller videos with your favorite moments so you aren't using up too much space on your phone. That's ALWAYS a problem for me.
Boomerang Fun
If your kids are anything like mine, they LOVE making boomerang videos. We do them all the time and now they come up with things they want me to film as one. My daughter loves dancing and putting on shows. A fun boomerang at any age is to video them dancing however they want to. Once you film it let them see. Almost always, my kids want to do at least 3 more! Then the creativity really comes alive.
"I love you Mommy."
When my oldest (now 7) was only 2, my husband and I went on a trip for our first full week away from him. At the time, I was a full time stay at home mom to one kiddo and we spent ALL day everyday together. Naturally, it was making me nervous to leave, so one day before the trip when we were playing I asked him to say " I love you mommy" into my camera so I could listen to it all trip when I missed him. Now it's one of my favorite videos of all time. I can hear his sweet little voice say it over and over again whenever I think about it. This is your reminder to STOP what you're doing and ask each child at whatever age to do the same thing. I promise you won't regret it, even if they are older and roll their eyes while they say it.
One more thing....
I hope this is something that helps you in being more INTENTIONAL with your camera. If you decide to do any or all of these prompts and end up posting on social media, I would LOVE to see them. You can use the hashtag #ASYFebHunt or tag my business IG account @alexs.youngphotography. Stay tuned to my IG account, as I will be posting my own pictures and videos from the list as examples if you are a visual learner like me. Okay now, have fun documenting!
