Mr. Alford’s I Spy Game

Ages: 4+ | Players: 2+

I Spy is a guessing game that helps children identify objects, describe objects, and expand their vocabulary. The game does not require many materials and can be made more difficult if players are guessing the right objects with ease.

Materials

• Objects in a shared space (required)
• A writing utensil and paper to keep track of selected objects and score (optional)

Rules

1. All players should gather in the same space where they can sit or stand. Suitable spaces include living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms.
2. One player has to volunteer to be the spy. If more than one player or no one wants to be the spy, play “rocks paper scissors” to decide the spy.
3. The spy has 20 seconds to look around the space and pick an object without saying the object or making prolonged eye contact with it. All players have to be able to see the object. Give the spy additional time to silently pick an object if necessary, especially in later rounds.
4. The spy has to give a clue. For instance, they can say “I spy something that is gray” without making eye contact with the gray object they chose.
5. Let every player take one guess each. If they are wrong, the next player gets to guess. The player who guesses correctly becomes the spy. If no one guesses the right object after three rounds, give another clue.
6. If the players are guessing the correct objects with ease, the spy should try to pick a less obvious object that everyone can see. For instance, silently pick a pencil on the living room table as your object for other players to guess.
7. Keep track of selected objects and/or the score on a sheet of paper if you would like to.