Spot It + Look-and-Find Books

We were gifted Spot It a few years ago and whenever it comes out the kids gather around to join in. There are a few ways to play with the set of cards and there is a set of instructions with each pack. Each card contains 8-12 icons or pictures, of which one will match a picture on every other card in the deck. I don’t really understand the wizardry behind the cards, but cards never have more than one picture the same.

The game is usually fairly short, so many games can be played in one sitting, or you can use it to fill a spare 5 mins. We have found that this game is best played by children of a similar age or maturity. This game requires players to quickly spot matches and respond by calling out. Older kids and adults will demolish little ones. So unless you have a preschooler with a strong constitution for losing, perhaps make sure they play with their friends rather than siblings.

The designers of this game were extremely clever. The circular design of the cards is not only unique but helpful for little ones who worry about things being ‘the right way up’. Each deck also comes in its own sturdy tin, which is essential for keeping the cards together, but also super helpful for easily taking on travels.

As you can see there are now multiple editions of Spot It – Disney, Marvel, Harry Potter – and more. While you could easily match these versions to a book of the same story, I have taken a different approach, I am recommending look-and-find books.

We have come to a point where look-and-find books are used less and less as my children’s ability to read to themselves improves. So I have recently moved on a dozen or so Disney look-and-find books that we used for years and years. We would often take them to places where the kids would need to be independently engaged, on car trips, even as a distraction during toilet training. We had one Thomas the Tank Engine look-and-find that got used endlessly, but somehow got lost, so I search around and replaced it, and the replacement is now tattered and taped up.

Below I have listed some look-and-find books that would make a great match for Spot It. You’ll notice that Where’s Wally is not on the list, I felt like it didn’t need pumping up. I’m also sure most families have the look-and-find Bluey book by now. I also haven’t included one of my favourites, Alphabet of Alphabets, because I’ve blogged about it before. Those on the list are a little more obscure and one’s I haven’t recommended before, but I’m sure will be used for hours and hours.

Treasure Hunt for Kids, Treasure Hunt for Boys, and Treasure Hunt for Girls, by Priddy Books

We have had Treasure Hunt for Boys for a few years now and it has been read again and again. Priddy books are perfect for the 2-5-year-old age group. As I have blogged before, they are Duplo in book form. The bold colours and clean lines are also slightly similar to Nick Sharratt’s artwork. Some look and find books are cluttered (obviously, to make it difficult), and while these pages are full of lots to look at, they don’t feel overstuffed.

Each page has a busy scene within which readers need to look for items. There is also an element of counting as there will be one of the first item, then two of the second, and so on up to 10.

One is Not a Pair, Where’s the Pair?, and Where’s the Baby?, by Britta Treckentrup

I really like the sophisticated simplicity of these books. The premise is that on each page readers will be trying to pair up or spot items. It is just that the design and illustrations are so unique and different from other books aimed at the 2-5-year-old age group. The text is rhyming, which is a wonderful inclusion for preschoolers, but truly it is colour, attention to detail, and a slightly retro vibe that will please readers.

I’ve blogged about how much I/we enjoyed One is Not A Pair a number of years ago. These are very high-quality books and very giftable.

Hide and Seek Animals, Hide and Seek First Words, and Hide and Seek Things That Go, by DK Books

These large picture books have lots of pages with hundreds of things to spot. I really like that there are usually pictures of what the child needs to find so that even before they can read words they can manage these on their own. I also really like that they are a bit different by using photographs rather than drawings.

Unfortunately, it looks like these books are discontinued, which drives the prices sky-high. I would still recommend trying to get them second hand and there are hours of entertainment to be had within the pages.

Spot, the Cat, by Henry Cole

This book is unique in the Look-and-find category as it does contain a storyline. On each page, readers need to find Spot, a cat who gets out and about and all over town. The illustrations are also unique to this category, they are very sophisticated, black and white line drawings. There is so much detail on every page, that despite readers having one objective (finding the cat), they will be looking for clues to the story.

Bamboozled, by David Legge

This classic book is still as interesting and engaging as ever. Perhaps even more so as it features items and scenes that might arose curiosity in post-2010 children, such as home telephones, 2-seater couches, and photo albums.

A young girl goes to visit her grandfather and notices that something is off about him, or maybe his house. There is something not right, but she just can’t put her finger on it. As the two go enjoy their day around his house – snacking, gardening, playing games – she still can’t work out what is so different. The funny part is that to the reader everything at grandpa’s house is strange and weird. The furniture is odd, the artwork seems alive and gravity appears to be suspended. This is a book you’ll need to come back to again and again to appreciate all the details within the illustrations.

Pierre the Maze Detective and the Mystery of the Empire Maze, Pierre the Maze Detective and the Search for the Stolen Maze Stone, and Pierre the Maze Detective and the Curious Case of the Castle in the Sky, by Hiro Kamigaki and  IC4DESIGN 

We’ve only recently come across these books, and my youngest has thoroughly enjoyed them. They are large books with so much to look at that we have only ever managed a handful of pages in a sitting. These are definitely for children with a longer attention span and some real grit and determination to look until they find.

Each book has a basic storyline that drives Pierre into the scenes as he chases a nemesis through mazes. Every page also has things, people, or places to spot. The pages are large and the illustrations can be small, kind of like Where’s Wally. The art deco/steampunk sylte is uncommon in children’s books, which will be interesting for kids.