Planes, trains, and automobiles might be the first things that come to mind when thinking about transportation, but there are a few more for children to explore! How about bikes, blimps, boats, and busses?! This engaging activity for preschool and beyond is an excellent way to explore all modes of transportation, learn new vocabulary, and work on visual discrimination skills while having a blast.
The Transportation Theme “Flip” Printable I Spy Game for Kids is easy to prep and super versatile. The brightly colored pages will draw kids’ attention right away. And it’s one of those games that they never tire of because it’s engaging, fast-paced and fun!
Recommended Grade Level/Uses
For I Spy “Flip” Board Game:
Transportation I Spy “Flip” Game
10 Game Boards
40 Playing Cards
Non-stop FUN!
Learning About Memory Skills:
VISUAL SCANNING ACTIVITIES
PRESCHOOL GAMES THAT REQUIRE QUICK THINKING AND A KEEN EYE HELP DEVELOP IMPORTANT MEMORY SKILLS.
Where is this object located? What characteristics of the object will help me find it? I remember seeing that picture before, how can I find it again?
It’s important for kids of all ages to practice using their memory and problem-solving skills in order to recognize visual details, enhance vocabulary, and follow multiple step directions. The I Spy pages do all of that and more.
This I Spy game printable can be used with an individual child, a pair of children, or a small group.
Here are examples of images included in this transportation theme preschool game: boat, canoe, airplane, bike, bus, blimp, motorcycle, hot air balloon, and golf cart.
I spy preschool game can fit into any part of your child’s day-
- While lunch is being prepared
- During a snow storm or rainy day
- Family fun night/other school event
- For early finishers
- At a learning center
In addition to exercising a child’s working memory, the free printable I Spy game will strengthen other important skills. To help your child get the most out of gathering visual information, consider posing thoughtful questions before/during/after the game:
- What colors are in that object?
- What shapes make up the object?
- What letter does that object start with?
- Can you think of modes of transportation?
What Social Skills Can Preschoolers Learn?
Practicing social skills with the game i spy
WHEN STUDENTS WORK TOGETHER TO PLAY THE TRANSPORTATION PRESCHOOL THEME MEMORY GAME THEY PRACTICE SOCIAL SKILLS:
- Taking turns and patience
- Positive communication
- Resilience after a loss
- Cooperation
Why Is It Important For Kids To Practice Visual Field Activities?
Besides the fact that kids love playing I Spy games, memory games and I Spy activities develop important pre-reading and writing skills. And turning over all those cards definitely give a fine motor workout!
Recognizing Details
The I spy pictures are a great way to get kids recognizing details. As they learn to discriminate between letters and numbers, and then between individual letters and numbers, this becomes a very important pre-reading skill.
Improves Short Term Memory
Processing data quickly is a product of short-term memory. Using short-term memory can then help strengthen long- term memory and the ability to recall information at a later time. Sounds like more pre-reading skills to me!
Improves Vocabulary
As you search for helicopters, motorcycles, and boats it opens the door for learning new vocabulary and conversations. It also lends itself to more experiences, like playing with toy cars and vehicles or taking notice of traffic lights and signs.
Cognitive Sorting
A child’s brain needs to be able to sort the information of the objects they are seeing in order to narrow down where the specific object is. If the child flips a card with a cat on it, they must quickly sort which pictures are the same shape, color, etc.
Tools you’ll need
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for this activity right here. Click the pictures above to get what you need.
“My multi-aged group loved this even more than I thought they would! “
My kiddos love this! I use it for early finishers or in the morning while they are staggering in during breakfast. They are very engaged and enjoy playing!
How To Use These I Spy Printables
How to Use the Activity
- Choose your option below to get the printable pack.
- Print, cut out, and laminate the activity for durability.
Using the “Flip” I Spy Game
Choose how many players will be participating in the game. Make sure to explain how the game is played and possibly model how to play it for them.
How Do I Play the I Spy “Flip” Board Game?
Playing this I Spy Board game is simple.
- Choose your I Spy game board.
- Divide the cards evenly among the players.
- Place the cards face down on the table.
- All players flip their top cards at the same time.
- Race to find the picture on your card first.
- Whoever finds their picture first wins a token.
- Play continues until the playing cards have all been used.
- The player that has the most tokens at the end of the game is the winner.
Our Favorite I Spy Books for Kids:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles
Sorting Cards
Use the image cards to practice sorting colors, shapes, motorized vs. non-motorized, or land vs. water transportation.
Challenging Words
Create word cards to challenge students to correctly match the image with the corresponding word.
Oral Language
Use the I Spy images to springboard creative storytelling, vocabulary practice, and oral language practice.
Traditional I Spy Game
Use the preschool transportation pages to play traditional I Spy. Start the game with “I Spy with my little eye…” and engage the children with verbal cues to find the matching picture.
Extend the I Spy Activity
Combine beautiful photographs familiar to the students with the game images to connect real-life images with cartoon images.
Get I Spy Free Printables
In addition to our I Spy “Flip” Game series, we have 20+ I Spy Free Printables on Life Over C.s Get I Spy Worksheets, posters and games here.
Focus Skills
For I Spy “Flip” Board Game:
Transportation I Spy “Flip” Game
10 Game Boards
40 Playing Cards
Non-stop FUN!
