Preschoolers and school children love to play I Spy. This popular and simple guessing game is free and playable anywhere, making it perfect for car trips, airport layovers, train rides, city walks, nature walks, and countless other situations.
How to play I Spy
You can play I Spy with two or more people.
To begin with, a person spies on something and keeps it a secret. The item should be something that all other players can see, and preferably something that will remain in view for the time it takes to complete a round. For example, a motorcycle that buzzes and disappears around a curve is not an ideal “spy” item.
The “It” player recites the line “I spy with my little eye, something that…” and ends with a descriptive clue, such as “… is red” or “… begins with the letter B”.
The other players take turns asking a question each. “Is he in the car?” “It is round?” “It has wheels?”
The player who is “it” can only answer with “yes” or “no”.
If a player thinks they know what the mystery item is, they can use their question to guess directly: “Is it that barn?” “Is that truck?” “Are they daddy’s sunglasses?”
When someone guesses correctly, then he or she becomes “it.” The game progresses with the new “It” spying on a different element and beginning by reciting “I spy with my little eye, something that …”
This game can keep happy kids busy for a long time.
More road trip fun with kids
Looking for more classic travel games to play with children? Here are a few others to try:
- Sound Effects Story (best for ages 3 and up) lets the whole family tap into their goofy side as they tell an imaginary story. How to Play: Player 1 begins a short story, replacing key nouns and verbs with sounds. For example, “Once upon a time on a farm, a [moo] was [munch munch] grass when a [woof woof] and a [meow] came along.” Player 2 then picks up the story, “He [meow] jumped on the back of [woof woof] and invited [moo] to join them for a picnic.” Player 3 continues: “The three friends found a meadow and suddenly heard a [buzzing].” And so. There is no “winner” for this game, but players should encourage each other to make the stories crazier and more witty.
- 20 Questions (best for ages 4 and up) is a classic guessing game for 2 or more players. How to play: Player 1 thinks of an object that can be classified as animal, vegetable, or mineral. The other players take turns guessing what the object is by asking questions that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. Keep asking questions until 20 questions have been asked and answered. At any time, players can guess what the item is. The player who guesses correctly becomes the person who thinks the object in the next round. If no one guesses correctly after 20 questions, Player 1 wins and thinks of another object in the next round.
- The Alphabet game (best for ages 5 and up) is a non-competitive group search game that is ideal for children who know their ABCs. It’s a good bet for a long road trip because it’s guaranteed to take a good amount of time. How to play: Player 1 looks for something that begins with the letter A. For example, “car.” Player 2 then looks for something visible to everyone that starts with B, like “bridge.” The game continues until you have gone through the entire alphabet. Note: For complicated letters, such as Q and Z, feel free to peek at the plates that contain the letters.
- I’m Going a Picnic (best for ages 5 and up) is a great car game to play with beginning readers. How to play: Player 1 begins by saying, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing …” followed by something you can eat that begins with A, such as “… apples” or “… artichokes.” Player 2 repeats what the first person said, but adds a meal that begins with B. “I’m going on a picnic and bringing apples and bananas.” Continue with Player 3, repeating the line with the first two items and adding something that begins with C. And so on, until the alphabet is complete. When playing with younger players, it is okay to remind them of some of the above items if they forget to include them.
