Get kids excited about caring for the planet with this Earth Day I Spy Board Game!
Packed with bright, hands-on fun, this recycling and compost-themed I Spy game helps preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary students strengthen vocabulary, visual discrimination, articulation, and attention skills while learning about taking care of our Earth.
From spotting recycling bins and compost trucks to finding paper, cans, and fruit peels, children will practice sorting, scanning, and identifying environmental items in an exciting way that feels more like play than work.
Perfect for Earth Day activities, speech therapy, occupational therapy, ELL/ESL lessons, or even indoor recess, this I Spy game makes sustainable learning both playful and purposeful!
What’s Included in the Earth Day I Spy Game
✅ 10 full-color I Spy game boards
Each game board is filled with bright, Earth Day-themed pictures like recycling symbols, compost piles, paper, glass, and eco-friendly tools. These fun visuals help children recognize real-world environmental items, build Earth Day vocabulary, and strengthen visual discrimination skills through hands-on play.
✅ 40 image cards for matching and memory play
These colorful picture cards feature key recycling and compost vocabulary and are designed to keep learners active and engaged. Students flip over each card to “spy” the matching image on their board, improving articulation, language development, and attention to detail.
✅ 20 printable token cards for scoring or sensory play
Use the included tokens, mini erasers, or classroom manipulatives to track points and build fine motor coordination. Adding tokens to the game introduces counting practice, turn-taking, and an extra sensory learning experience that kids adore.
✅ Teacher-friendly setup and instructions
Everything is organized and easy to follow. The clear, step-by-step directions make this Earth Day I Spy game simple to prep and use in speech therapy, ELL lessons, literacy centers, or occupational therapy sessions. Just print, laminate, cut, and play. No complicated setup or extra materials needed.
🌍 Skills Strengthened with the Earth Day I Spy Board Game
Language and Literacy Skills
Reinforces meaningful Earth Day vocabulary like recycle, compost, planet, and globe through repeated exposure and conversation.
Encourages articulation practice as students name, describe, and discuss each environmental image.
Supports ELL and ESL learners by connecting spoken English words to familiar, real-world visuals, helping improve comprehension and expressive language.
Cognitive and Visual Discrimination Skills
Strengthens visual scanning skills as children carefully search the board for matching recycling and compost images.
Builds attention, concentration, and problem-solving as students identify details, patterns, and relationships between images.
Promotes observation and focus while introducing early science concepts about environmental awareness and sustainability.
Social-Emotional and Fine Motor Skills
Develops turn-taking, patience, and cooperation during small-group or partner play, promoting positive peer interactions.
Enhances fine motor control and hand-eye coordination when using tokens or pointing to images on the game boards.
Boosts confidence and self-esteem as children find success in a fun, low-pressure learning game
🌿 How to Play the Earth Day I Spy Game
Choose a game board filled with Earth Day vocabulary and environmental images.
Deal the image cards evenly to each player or use a shared deck for group play.
Flip a card. All players reveal their top card at the same time.
Spy the match. The first player to find the matching image on the board earns a token.
Keep flipping, matching, and spotting until all the cards have been played. The player with the most tokens wins.
Independent play option: Allow students to play solo by flipping cards one at a time and covering the matching image on their board. This independent version is perfect for quiet centers, early finishers, or speech therapy sessions focused on focus and articulation.
♻️ Perfect For
Speech therapy and articulation practice: Strengthen speech sound production while building Earth Day vocabulary and confidence in communication.
Occupational therapy activities: Focus on visual scanning, fine motor coordination, and attention to detail with an engaging sensory learning experience.
ELL and ESL vocabulary support: Use clear, colorful visuals to teach new environmental terms and promote language comprehension through meaningful repetition.
Homeschool learning and family game nights: Make environmental education fun and interactive with a game that is easy to print, play, and reuse.
Sub plans, indoor recess, or early finishers: Keep kids engaged with a self-explanatory game that requires no prep, no mess, and lots of learning.
Standards Alignment
✔ Texas Pre-K Guidelines: Encourages expressive communication, new vocabulary development, and environmental awareness through interactive play.
✔ Virginia ELDS: Strengthens cooperative play, problem-solving, and early literacy skills through meaningful group activities.
✔ Common Core ELA Standards:
SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults.
L.K.6: Use and expand vocabulary related to environmental topics.
RF.K.4: Connect spoken and printed words with visual supports to enhance comprehension.
Check out what other educators are saying:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Christine H. wrote: “I used this as a vocabulary game with my RTI group. It was great to have new types of words… and a good tool to see which students could grasp words and images quickly.”
Teachers, therapists, and parents love how this Earth Day I Spy game combines hands-on fun with meaningful environmental lessons. It is easy to prep, simple to adapt for multiple ability levels, and exciting enough to hold kids’ attention through the whole game.
Kids feel successful, teachers love the language practice, and everyone gets to celebrate caring for our planet in a joyful, interactive way.
Bring Earth Day to life with this fun and educational I Spy game!
Your learners will be racing to spot recycling bins and compost piles while practicing vocabulary, visual skills, and cooperation all in one easy-prep activity.
📥 Download Info:
This is a digital download: no physical items will be shipped.
I love the "Flip" activities. They're always colorful and engaging. These activities reinforce childrens use of language, labeling, identifying of vocabulary associated with specific themes. My students in the past have loved the Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall flip, so when I wanted to update my beginning of the school year activities I happened to find the September themed one and knew I had to purchase it. I laminate my mats and have the kids cover the images with colored small or large game chips, vase jewels or playdough. If the images on the mats are too busyi make sure to uave extra copies for the kids to engage in matching the images. The kids love it!
I am greatly appreciative of this content. I have developmentally delayed preschool baby 3-5 year olds and this really is helping them a lot. I wish I had pictures, but I don't yet.