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31 Printable I Spy Puzzles For Kids
I Spy Puzzles are a perfect activity for keeping young ones occupied, whether you’re at home or out and about. If you’ve ever played any kind of I Spy games for kids with your little ones, you will already know that they’re a great way to engage children (and adults too) on many different levels.
I Spy pictures are not just fun, but also teach your children how to determine different objects and shapes and how to recognize different visuals. It’s simple to learn how to play I spy – your child just has to find and count the different objects on each of the printable I Spy activity sheets.
There’s lots of different ways to use I Spy printable worksheets. I spy is a great activity for pre-schoolers, so if you have younger children who are just learning to count give them the I Spy pages but play together taking turns. If you’re looking for I Spy games for teens and older children, why not turn some free I Spy printables into a race? Give two or more kids the same I Spy images and see who is the quickest at finding all the different objects.
Our free downloadable I Spy games are based on a range of themes that children are interested in, so it’s easy to get them excited and engaged in the activity. However you decide to use them, we think the children will have plenty of fun discovering what’s hidden on each I Spy printable.
What's Included In Our Printable i spy puzzles
We’ve created 32 colourful, free I spy worksheets covering all kinds of fun topics, so you’re bound to find something that catches your child’s attention. Each I Spy game printable is placed on its own A4 page with boxes at the bottom for your child to enter the number of each object.
Lots of children love animals, so we’ve included plenty of animal-themed I Spy activities to print, including cute kittens, adorable puppies, wise owls and pretty butterflies. There are also I Spy puzzles for popular hobbies including soccer and music, and printables for plenty of other topics that appeal to youngsters such as toys, space, traffic, dinosaurs and monsters.
Printable I spy activity sheets are a perfect way to keep kids busy during holidays and celebrations, and we’ve got free I Spy games to download for Halloween, Christmas and a trip to the beach. There’s also a worksheet with different brightly coloured party balloons for the kids to try.
Food is a topic all kids can relate to, and we’ve got bright and cheerful I Spy worksheets packed full of tasty treats including snacks, donuts, cakes, sushi and breads. We’ve also covered the healthy food groups too – our veggies and fruits I Spy pictures printables are great worksheets for preschool children who are learning all about healthy eating for the first time.
Our feather and leaves I Spy printables provide a trickier challenge for older kids and I Spy experts, as the objects are a little bit harder to tell apart.
We’ve also included a counting I spy game printable – perfect for helping children to increase their confidence when recognising and forming numbers.
How to Play Printable I Spy Games
Printable I Spy games are easy to play and just need a pen or pencil. The children simply need to find and count each of the objects and write the correct numbers in each of the corresponding boxes.
Older children will enjoy playing these games independently, or they can try a timed challenge against their siblings or friends. Younger kids and pre-schoolers can play I spy games with an adult – the perfect opportunity to help build their vocabulary and language skills.
Fun Fact: The game I Spy was first seen in England during Victorian Times and was written about in an article in The Manchester Times in 1889. You can read more about the history of I Spy here.
When To Use Printable I Spy Games
If you’re waiting for an appointment with your little one or eating out in a restaurant, why not have a supply of I Spy printables ready to keep your child occupied? Or pass a few sheets to your kid when you need a few minute’s peace to get some work done or finish some chores.
We’ve also got themed printable I Spy Games that are perfect for celebrating different holidays throughout the year, including a festive Christmas Bauble game and a spooky Halloween-themed printable.
If you’re planning a long journey, why not choose I Spy games that tie in with your day out? You could print an animal I Spy worksheet if you’re heading to the zoo, or a beach I Spy printable if you’re on the way to the seaside.
Benefits of Playing I Spy Games
I Spy games are fun and easy to play and also have many benefits for children of all ages. Some of these include:
1. Keeping kids occupied
One benefit of printable I-Spy games is that you can print them out and take them with you anywhere you go to keep your little ones entertained, and they’re ideal for road trips or anytime you need a quick boredom buster to keep kids of all ages occupied.
2. Learning new skills whilst having fun
It’s not just parents who love I Spy puzzles – teachers love to use them in the classroom, as they’re great for learning. The children will be having so much fun they don’t even realise that they’re practising lots of important skills. I Spy games also help little ones learn how to focus on a task, practise concentration skills and develop problem-solving abilities.
3. Helping to develop reading skills
One of the greatest benefits of printable I Spy activity sheets is that they help children practise their colour and shape recognition skills, and help teach them about visual discrimination. Practising how to recognize the different visual details on a page helps children learn how to discriminate between different shapes of letters later – an essential skill that will be valuable for your child’s reading.
4. Ideal for visual learners
Colourful I Spy printables are the perfect tool for engaging visual learners (children who learn more through seeing). Each I Spy worksheet requires the children to visually scan through the objects, which in turn helps to develop their visual tracking ability (eye movement and coordination).
5. Helping improve maths skills
Some children don’t enjoy maths or might lack confidence in their maths abilities. I Spy games are ideal for developing and practicing your little one’s maths skills including independent counting, sorting and comparing. They also help children learn about shapes and sizes, and older children can practise writing numbers once they’ve counted each object. Whilst they’re having fun playing I Spy games, children can start to build their confidence as a mathematician.
6. Helping to develop literacy skills and expand vocabulary
Playing I Spy games with your little ones is an excellent way to expand your child’s vocabulary and can improve language and literacy skills in pre-schoolers, especially if you play I Spy games together. Younger children will start to learn more size words and begin to understand the concepts of most/least, equal, more/less etc. Playing I Spy games together is also brilliant for encouraging child led questions and discussions.
7. Sparking creativity
I Spy can help to support creativity and imagination, and children can learn about different topics such as nature, animals, food, transport, space, music and much more.
8. Improving visual memory
I Spy activities can help improve your child’s visual memory, as they need to recall the images they are looking at on each I Spy worksheet. Visual memory is an essential skill for both reading and maths.
Conclusion
Printable I Spy games are a brilliant activity for keeping kids busy when they’re at home, school or out and about. They’re also a fantastic tool for stimulating young minds and teaching children how to be observant, and are great for helping to develop reading and maths skills whilst the kids are having lots of fun.
Anyone can enjoy playing I Spy games, from preschool children and toddlers, to teenagers and even adults.
Did You and Your Child Enjoy Our Free Printable I Spy Games?
We have plenty of other activities for you and your child to enjoy on our website – why not have a look around and see what else they might like to try? All of our activities have been designed to help your child improve their skills and enjoy learning whilst having plenty of fun and enjoyment too. We’ve got Scavenger Hunts (Click Here For Scavenger Hunts), How to Draw activities, Colouring Pages, Word Scrambles and much, much more to explore.