I Spy is a fun and engaging vocabulary game where children practise letter sounds and topic vocabulary through speaking and guessing. In this activity, students look at a picture card filled with images based on a theme (such as animals, furniture, food, clothes and more). One player chooses a picture in secret and says: “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” followed by the first letter of the word. The other players then scan the card, guess the picture and say the word aloud.
This game is ideal for developing early speaking skills, phonics and vocabulary recall. It works well as a whole-class activity on an interactive whiteboard, or in pairs and small groups using printed cards. As students are actively searching, listening and guessing, it keeps energy high while reinforcing target language in a natural way.
I Spy is perfect as a warm-up, lesson filler, or quick review game and can easily be repeated with different topics to support ongoing vocabulary practice.
