Birds, bugs, and other living creatures are everywhere. Chances are pretty good that you can look out a window in your home, no matter where you live, and see some plants, like trees and grass. If you watch long enough, you’re likely to spot at least one bird. Maybe a butterfly or bee will fly by or a spider or ant will crawl across a leaf or the windowsill.

Here’s a fun game that your family can play outside or inside your home. The goal is to spy as many birds and other wild animals (such as squirrels, raccoons, lizards, snakes), “bugs” (flies, ants, butterflies, moths, bees, mosquitoes, caterpillars, spiders, beetles), and plants (flowers, bushes, grasses, trees) as you can within a certain amount of time. (Pets don’t count!)

How to Play:

Think of something that you see in nature (a cloud, for example). Then say, “I spy with my little eye, something that is”…offer a clue (“white”, for example). Finally, have your child(ren) guess what it is that you saw in nature. They can ask “yes or no” questions. After they guess correctly, take turns and have them think of something that they see in nature.

Variations:

Turn “I Spy” into a “Treasure Hunt” by challenging your child(ren) to find specific things in nature—for example, a bird in flight, a red flower, a bush with berries, a tree with smooth leaves, a spider in a web, an ant, or a caterpillar. You can also have them collect certain treasures and arrange them on a piece of paper, cloth or stump. Have fun!