I spy with my little eye...

24/6/2014

There are lots of great "spying" books on the market which encourage kids to find objects within a page. The classics include "Animalia" and "Where's Wally".

The ability to see an object or form in a complex background with lots of visual information is called figure ground which is a visual perceptual skill. Some of these books also include visual closure (where you can see part of a picture) and form constancy (picture is a different size or orientation).

Here are some "spying" books that would be great to use at home, preschool, school or in a therapy situation. They also make excellent presents for your children's friends. I have used some of these books to find the objects listed and then with older children, used the same page as a writing activity {encouraging children to notice the scene, people and/or events taking place}.

I spy: Series by Jean Marzollo. Illustrated and photographed by Walter Wick.
This includes I spy a school bus, school, treasure hunt, butterfly, little animals, monsters, etc. There is also a sticker book version where you can match the sticker or create your own "I spy" page.

This is a great series for preschoolers and certainly kept mine busy on a recent aeroplane trip. All the books (except the sticker book) are small and thin, so they are very easy to pop into a handbag or backpack as an "on the go" activity.

Picture Find: By Hinkler Books.
This is a large A3 size book. The pages can be ripped out of the book and used individually. We have taken out a page at a time to fold up and bring with us to a restaurant. I have also given individual pages to students as their "OT homework".

There are boxes for your child to "tick" when they have found the picture. It is helpful if your child can read as some of the pictures are labelled rather than drawn. However, these pages could be completed with another family member or in a small group. There are a wide variety of themes through the book that will appeal to boys and girls.

1001 things to Spot: Series by Usborne.
Another great series which includes 1001 things to spot in the town, in fairyland, at Christmas, in the sea, pirate things to spot, etc. These are the books that I have used with my school-age OT students as a writing activity.

501 Things to find: Series by Hinkler
Simple pictures to find suitable for preschoolers. Mr-just-turned-4 years received the construction one for his birthday from a friend and has spent hours pouring of this book.

Hidden Pictures: Workbook & CD-ROM by School Zone
A range of Hidden Pictures books available for a wide age range. The CD software enables you to create your own hidden picture pages using your computer.

Animalia by Graeme Base
Animalia is a fantastic letter hunt book with a difference. The illustrations are incredible and the rhymes hysterical. It is a classic and a must-have for your home library.