Praise for Seek and Find Activities

Praise for Seek and Find Activities 

Who doesn’t remember going to the doctor’s office or the dentist’s office as a kid and finding a Highlights magazine in the waiting room. You would flip through to find the hidden pictures page and hope against hope that someone before you had not already done the puzzle.

Next came the book series like Where’s Waldo, I Spy, and the countless others that have come after, ready to entertain children and adults alike as they dive into an intricate design, trying to find the hidden objects or people.

At first, you might think these activities are just fun time fillers. The fact is, though, these activities are actually educationally based and are great for the mind. Let’s dive into some of the amazing benefits of these fun games.

• Enhanced observational skills and attention to detail - when children or adults search these puzzles for the hidden objects, they are training their brains to focus and to pay attention to fine visual differences. This is a key skill for both reading and writing.

• Improved visual perception - when the eye has to look for the differences between a normal object and an altered object, it helps to develop visual discrimination which builds foundations for letter, number, shape and pattern recognition.

• Memory and concentration boost -  when we remember what has been found, and search for objects, we strengthen our working memory and our attention span.

• Problem solving and critical thinking skills - when searching, people often develop a system of methodically scanning the scene, thus building problem solving skills. This skill is also used when doing word search puzzles, another fine example of a seek and find.

• Vocabulary and language skills - because these puzzles and books include word lists, poems, and/or stories, kids get the added benefit of building their reading skills. When done in conjunction with an adult, we are building literary bonds.

• Self-confidence building - A sense of satisfaction and self-confidence is achieved when solving a puzzle. In hidden picture pages, you can solve a single page and be done, feeling the accomplishment. For those looking for a more satisfying sense of accomplishment, the books where you have to solve each page are a good choice. Books are also a great choice because often time is limited and you can only solve a page or two at a time. This gives young people something to look forward to as the ritual can be continued day after day.

• Persistence and determination - learning good work habits starts early and with these puzzles, these skills are fostered. The puzzles cannot be solved instantaneously. They require thought, concentration, and a fortitude of mind.

• Stress relief and relaxation - Though not everyone will find these types of activities relaxing, in general, letting your mind wander into activities which capture the imagination is a great way to let stressors in life float away. These types of activities help our minds get lost for a little while, and when we are stressed, often that’s just what is needed to snap us out of our present state.

• Social interaction - These are great puzzles to team up on with a friend or family member. This can foster collaboration, communication, and teamwork.

• Decrease in screen time - both children and adults could use help in limiting their screen time and hidden picture puzzles can be a fabulous, engaging alternative. Besides limiting our reliance on technological devices, we know it is important to power down from screens well before bedtime to promote a healthy sleep cycle. What a great idea to break out I Spy or one of the other hidden picture series books and spend some quality time with family.

We have spoken on this blog before about our affinity for puzzles and games. We truly believe that all humans benefit when asked to solve a problem. As we travel through life, we will be faced with tasks that need solving. Our ability to put our thinking caps on and to think outside the box will be greatly enhanced if we have been puzzle solvers. In the age of instant gratification, cheat codes, endless opportunities to win a game, and answers literally at our fingertips, we here at Speech and Smile cannot stress enough the need for some good old fashion problem solving activities, and we believe hidden picture puzzles and books hit just the right spot. Head to your local library or bookstore to check out or buy one of the many series of books, purchase a subscription to Highlights Magazine (which has way more to offer than just the hidden picture page) or head to Amazon and order books that just contain the Highlights hidden picture puzzles. Check out the Speech and Smile shop where we have several seek and find trinket activities. We have our very own I spy books designed and published by the owner and SLP of the Speech and Smile shop. These activities guarantee you and your kids or students hours of fun, learning, engagement, and language growth.

Thank you for reading! The Speech and Smile Crew!