"I Spy" Literacy and Math Activities

I love playing "I Spy" activities with my kids. They can be played with kids of any age and stage. When I was a little kid, I loved exploring and playing with little toys and things. So keeping that in mind, I made "I Spy" activities with an emphasis on little things. Here is how you may incorporate "I Spy" activities in your preschooler/toddler's schedule:

"I Spy" with Picture Books - Books that are great to use for "I Spy" are ones with lots of little pictures or little picture clues. This would be a great time to introduce new vocabulary words. You can also describe things that are found by using simple sentences (This is a ball). 

Shapes "I Spy" - looking for shapes around the house can be a fun activity. I tell my kids that sometimes shapes are hidden around the house (i.e. on the furniture or on any patterns). This will teach them the math concept of 3-d (objects) and 2-d (pictures) shapes.

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Numbers "I Spy" - for this activity we look for a number of things around the house like 3 or 5 of something. This will teach the math concept of counting and sorting.  It can be played with anything around the house like macaroni noodles, books, stripes on the wallpaper, etc. 

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Color "I Spy" - we look for things that are of a particular color like blue or yellow. This will teach the concept of color and you can also make it advanced by using terms like lighter than, darker than, etc.

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Advanced "I Spy" - I do this activity with my preschooler but you can do it with a toddler who has extensive vocabulary. We look for things around the house that I usually name with an added adjective(s).  For example, I would say: "I Spy with my little eyes something that is red with yellow stripes." It is really fun and makes it interesting for your child.

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We always have fun playing "I Spy" games when we are free or as a time filler. And it is ALWAYS fun and exciting!

Annie