I Spy is a fun game that can be played anytime and anywhere with another person. Players take turns to pick a different object that they can see and ask the other player to guess based on the given clue. There are endless rounds and possibilities and it’s a great way to pass the time. Here’s a breakdown of how to play “I Spy”.
What you need to play I Spy
- At least two players
- A visible environment
How to play I Spy
First, decide which of the players start first. This can be decided however the players wish.(E.g: Age, Names, Height)
The player who starts will then picks an object that is within everyone’s sight. If this game is being played while travelling or moving, they must ensure that the item is visible for some time.
When they have chosen an item the player says, “I spy, with my little eye, something…” and will follow up with a clue. The clue can be the first letter of the object, a colour or a sound. (E.g: I spy with my little eye, something that starts with the letter H, something purple / something that starts with “Ch-“)
The other player will call out guesses until they get the right answer. If there are more than two players, the other guessers will guess in turn. The first person to guess correctly gets the next turn to choose an object.
Variations of I Spy
There are different ways that the game can be adapted for younger players. If the child has yet to learn how to spell, clues can be given to not involve letters. Examples include: ‘I spy with my little eye something that I can eat’ or ‘I spy with my little eye something that’s yellow.
Another variation can be for the guesser to be able to ask three yes or no questions about the object before they take one guess.
This is also a fun game to test vocabulary in a different language. For example, players can give guessers the clue of “I spy with my little eye a “_______”, and say the object in a different language and ask the guesser to guess what it means.
See our list of childhood games we love to play here.
