Visual arts activity
Shot Type Scavenger Hunt
Hunt for three kinds of shots: far away, not too far, and super close. Pretend to 'click!' one of each.
Materials and setup
- phone or camera (or paper + pencil)
- notepad
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Hunt for three kinds of shots: far away, not too far, and super close. Pretend to 'click!' one of each.
Steps
- Walk around with a grown-up.
- Find something 'far away' and go click!
- Find something 'not too far' and go click!
- Get SUPER close to something tiny and go click!
- Tell a grown-up which was your favorite shot.
Learning objectives
- Recognize the three basic distance concepts: far, middle, close
- Practice vocabulary for distance
- Make a simple aesthetic choice
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Scavenger hunt for 3 shot types: wide, medium, close-up. Take (or pretend-take) one of each.
Steps
- Practice each shot with a grown-up: a wide view, a person-sized view, and a tiny detail.
- Go outside and collect one of each.
- Line your 3 shots up in order: wide → medium → close-up.
- Notice how the story changes when you see them in a row.
- Add a fourth shot of your choice and explain why you picked it.
Learning objectives
- Distinguish wide, medium, and close-up intentionally
- Use shot order to create a sense of zooming in
- Begin to make deliberate creative decisions
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Capture 5 shot types in real life: establishing, wide, medium, close-up, extreme close-up. Compile them in order.
Steps
- Review the 5 shot types together with a diagram or short demo.
- Scout a location and plan which subject works best for each shot.
- Shoot (or sketch) each shot on the same subject or scene.
- Arrange all 5 in order from widest to tightest.
- Answer: which shot tells the most story? which one is the most 'beautiful'? Why?
Learning objectives
- Execute five distinct shot types intentionally
- Observe how shot choice changes emotional effect
- Articulate trade-offs between storytelling and aesthetics
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Full shot-vocabulary scavenger hunt: establishing, wide, medium, OTS, close-up, ECU, low-angle, high-angle. Edit into a 30-second sequence.
Steps
- Write down all 8 shot types with short definitions.
- Pick a single subject (a person, a pet, a spot outside) and capture all 8 shots of it.
- Edit them in any order into a 30-second sequence (slideshow, reel, or printed contact sheet).
- Watch the sequence with someone and ask what they felt.
- Revise the order once based on feedback and explain the change.
Learning objectives
- Demonstrate fluency with core cinematic shot vocabulary
- Sequence shots to produce a specific effect
- Respond to critique with a measurable edit
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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