You’ll love this adorable Back to School I Spy review activity! Bring some of your favorite back to school supplies to singing time and give clues to spot the items!
Play a fun game of I Spy with your primary kiddos as you review different songs! Keep reading for activity instructions, additional ways to play, and a free in-post printable with lots of back to school items!
Back to School I Spy
Do you remember going back to school shopping? I always loved going through the list from my teacher and picking out some fresh, new school supplies!
You may have primary kids who are feeling ecstatic about returning to school. You might also have kids who are feeling nervous to return. To help your primary children feel more excited about this time of year, use this fun Back to School singing time idea!
Start by choosing a few songs to review. Cut out pictures of items that represent school or learning. I’ve included a free printable with 18 Back to School items that are ready for you to use! Tape the pictures to the board before singing time.
You can also bring in these items and place them on a large tray! This I See a Hero I Spy lesson plan has some good ideas for bringing items into primary!
Start by reviewing one of your chosen songs. After singing, ask the children what the items on the board might represent. Back to school!
Explain the game by giving a clue about one of the items on the board. See if your kids can guess the item with just one clue! If not, give another clue that’s more specific.
Once the item is correctly spotted, sing through one of your songs. Choose a fun style or action based on the item you chose. For example, you could roll your arms after guessing a school bus! Some other examples might include: chop your arms like scissors, draw your name in the air for pencils or pens, sing loudly for a school bell.
Then, choose someone else to give a clue! Each time you correctly guess an item, sing through one of the review songs! See what fun actions and styles your primary kids can come up with!
Back to School I Spy Examples:
Here are some examples of simple I Spy clues to use for Back to School items! You can find 18 pictures of back to school items below in our free printable!
When giving clues for this activity, it can be fun to keep the clues simple and a bit general. This makes the game a little more challenging for the kids. If it’s TOO obvious, it’s not quite as fun.
- I Spy… something that you read (BOOK)
- I Spy… something that you use to write your name (PEN, PENCIL)
- I Spy… something to measure (RULER)
- I Spy… something to color with (COLORED PENCILS, CRAYONS)
- I Spy… something with wheels (BUS)
Extension Activities:
- Write a song title on the back of each picture or item. Each time they correctly guess an item, sing the song that’s written on the back.
- Play a similar game but without visuals! For example, say “I’m thinking of something that you can draw with.” Use these clues to guess the school item.
- Grab our cute clue cards found in the August Book of Mormon packet for INSTANT Primary Singing members! Use these clue cards to help your primary kids guess the items!
- Tape the pictures around the room or hide the objects! Not only do the kids have to guess the items, but they also must find them in the primary room!
- Play the game in reverse! Have a child come to the front of the room and draw something related to school on the board. Have everyone else guess what they draw!
For another fun I Spy activity, head over to see this I’ll Walk With You Nature Walk!
Back to School I Spy Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes 3 pages of graphics you can cut out and hide around the room or use as a reference to for the guessing game.
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including larger 1/2 page graphics, clues, and a 1-page and 4-page I Spy game for the board! You’ll find these bonus files for this activity in the August Book of Mormon packet!
Get more out of singing time with the INSTANT Primary Singing membership that includes printable lesson plans, tons of extended printables and an ad-free experience for each featured song of the month, or get immediate access to the entire song list for the year!
Learn more about INSTANT Primary Singing membership options here!
Have questions or need more help, see this FAQ page here.
Your primary kids will also love this fun Back to School Pick a Pencil activity!
What other fun ways will you use this singing time activity in your Primary room?
