Spot the Difference Game

What You Need:

• White unlined paper
• Pencil with eraser
• Colored pencils
• Access to a copy machine

What You Do:

1. Describe a “Spot the Differences” game to your child in case they have never seen them in newspapers or puzzle books. A Spot the Difference game is a game where you look at two similar drawings and try to find a certain number of differences between the two drawings. You can find some great examples in our worksheets section here, here and here.
2. Now it’s time for your child to try their hand at it! Give them the white paper and pencil for them to draw an everyday scene. For example, they could draw a picture of someone playing in the yard with a pet, a classroom scene, or someone playing a sport. The busier, the better!
3. When they have finished their sketch, make a copy of it on a copy machine or scan it and print two copies.
4. Next, have them color in the two scenes. Colored pencils work best because they make thin lines – good for adding tiny, tricky details! In five or six different areas of the picture, have them alter the color they use on the two scenes, or change something else subtle about the two scenes.  For example, they could change the shape of the buttons on a character’s shirt in one copy, or add an extra flower to a plant in an outdoor scene.  A pencil eraser could also come in handy if they want to make the two pictures differ by erasing something from the original version. Make sure they know how many changes they made so the person who tries it will know when they’ve finished!
5. When they are finished, your child can have a friend try to “Spot the Differences” and circle all the differences that can be found!