From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishscamperscam‧per /ˈskæmpə $ -ər/ verb [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] RUNto run with quick short steps, like a child or small animal→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
scamper• Closer by, red foxes scamper along Further Lane and deer browse near the front door.• Children were scampering and wrestling in the playground.• She turned around and scampered back across the footpath to the gate, squeezed under and crept to the dish.• She hurried downstage and scampered down the makeshift gangway to the auditorium floor.• The monkeys scampered down the tree, anxious to investigate what was happening on the ground.• Sammy scampered leisurely in front of him while he stopped intermittently to pick up sweet chestnuts on the way.• Jenny scampered off in excitement to set up the game.• Sam scampered on ahead of them and waited at Dobbs' field.• From inside I heard scampering, then silence.• One day we scampered up a hill for a more extensive view, through fields of berries and bright-purple fireweed.• He scampered up the outer staircase and disappeared into the hall.Origin scamper (1600-1700) Probably from early Dutch schampen “to run away”, from Old French escamper, from Vulgar Latin excampare “to leave camp”, from Latin campus; → CAMP1 