Review: I Spy Dig In is a super fun hands-on game for kids around age five and up. Think of the I Spy books but in real life using colorful little game pieces (i.e. “objects”) and a timer.  This game (and the books) help build visual perception skills, which are essential for tasks like reading and writing. I like the size of the objects as they are small enough to require a tripod grasp to obtain but not so small that they will get lost. Although this game is marketed for ages five and up, this is truly a whole family game because it’s so adaptable!

Adaptations: There are two sides of each game card: one features the objects in grey (so you can search for the objects in any color) and the other presents the objects in specific colors. This alone makes the game a bit more challenging. This game is made easier by removing the 15 second sand timer or setting your own timer for a longer time. When I play this with my students, I add a handwriting component to the game by having them write the name and color of the objects they find or compose a sentence about their objects. To include younger family members in this game, have them find any object of a specific color, sort and match everyone’s objects after each round, or have them practice scooping with a spoon and letting them do their own “digging in.”