Step into the forest with this Woodland Animals I Spy Board Game. Children will discover the magic of the woodland habitat while practicing vocabulary, visual scanning, and social skills in a hands-on, playful way.
This game is filled with beautifully illustrated forest animals, plants, and woodland objects that spark curiosity and build connections to real-world ecosystems.
Kids love the excitement of racing to find their animal on the board, and teachers love that it builds meaningful skills in a fun, low-prep format.
Use it in science centers, speech therapy, occupational therapy, ESL groups, or even as a sensory-friendly activity for rainy days. No matter where you add it, this woodland game brings learning and laughter together.
What’s Included in the Woodland Animals I Spy Set
10 woodland habitat game boards featuring diverse animals and plants
40 I Spy image cards with clear, engaging pictures of woodland animals and forest items
20 printable tokens for keeping score
Easy-to-follow instructions with several ways to play
Laminate the cards and boards for long-term use, and you’ll have a durable activity that can be used again and again.
Primary Skills Strengthened
Vocabulary Growth: Connect new words to familiar images and expand children’s understanding of woodland animals and habitats.
Visual Discrimination: Encourage attention to detail as children scan their game board to find each matching picture.
Science Connections: Build background knowledge about the forest biome and ecosystems while reinforcing your woodland animal unit.
Articulation Practice: Give speech students the chance to name, describe, and use woodland animal words in conversation.
Secondary Skills Developed
Turn-Taking and Cooperation: Support social learning as kids play together and cheer on their friends.
Focus and Attention: Keep students motivated and engaged through fast-paced matching and searching.
Confidence Building: Children gain pride and excitement when they successfully spot their picture and win a token.
How to Play the Woodland Animals I Spy Board Game
Pick one woodland animal game board and place it in the center of the group.
Deal out the image cards or let players draw from a stack.
Each player flips over a card and races to find the same picture on the board.
The first player to find it earns a token.
Continue until all cards are used, and the player with the most tokens wins.
This simple setup can be adjusted for independent play, parallel play, small groups, or therapy sessions.
Flexible Classroom and Therapy Use
Small group work – Perfect for guided centers, RTI, or science-themed vocabulary practice.
Speech therapy or ELL support – Reinforce rainforest vocabulary with engaging visuals that make word connections clear.
Occupational therapy sessions – Great for hand-eye coordination, attention-building, and sensory play.
Sub plans or indoor recess – Low-prep, high-engagement activity that keeps kids busy and learning.
Homeschool or family game time – Fun and educational resource that reinforces rainforest science while kids play.
Standards Alignment
✔ Texas Pre-K Guidelines – Supports vocabulary growth, phonological awareness, and science knowledge of living things.
✔ Virginia ELDS – Encourages sustained attention, cooperative play, and observation of natural environments.
✔ NGSS Science Standards – Connects to life science concepts such as habitats, ecosystems, and animal adaptations.
✔ Common Core ELA Standards –
SL.K.1a: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners
L.K.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations and reading activities
Bonus Play Options:
In independent play, a single student works through the deck of image cards on their own. They flip one card at a time, search for the matching picture on the game board, and cover it with a mini eraser or token.
This option is perfect for building focus, visual scanning, and vocabulary skills without the pressure of competing against others.
In parallel play, two students each have their own I Spy game board and set of cards. They play side-by-side, flipping and matching cards at their own pace.
This approach works well for children who need personal space, are just beginning to join group activities, or who thrive in a more relaxed, non-competitive environment.
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.”
The Woodland Animals I Spy Board Game is an exciting way to combine science, vocabulary, and sensory play all in one!
Kids won’t even realize they’re learning as they scan the woodland biome, race to spot animals, and celebrate each match with tokens.
Add it to your woodland unit, vocabulary centers, or therapy toolkit and watch your students light up with excitement!
📥 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.
Great game. My students love it and my kids at home. Lots of fun times playing this game. I love the variety in boards. My suggestion for customers is to print it on cardstock so you can't see through the cards.
My kindergarten students are using these clip cards as a review activity in our morning bins. This is a fun review activity that also helps build fine motor skills.