Fall I Spy Printable + Fun Fall Activity For Kids
Looking for a fall activity that feels a little more exciting than a regular I Spy worksheet?
This fun Fall I Spy Printable Activity turns a simple worksheet into a hands-on autumn search game. Instead of seeing all the pictures clearly at once, kids use a clear cup or glass to “reveal” the hidden fall pictures through orange-colored water.
It’s part I Spy, part sensory play, and a really fun way to keep preschoolers and young kids busy during the fall season.
Kids can search for pumpkins, acorns, leaves, animals, apples, scarecrows and lots of other cozy fall favorites.
What Is a Water Reveal I Spy Activity?
Just like our ocean flashlight reveal activity, this is a little different from a traditional I Spy printable.
The Fall I Spy picture sheet is placed underneath a clear dish or tray. Add water tinted orange with a little food coloring to the dish. The colored water makes the pictures underneath harder to see.
Then kids move a clear cup or glass around the tray. When the cup is pressed against the bottom, it pushes the colored water away from that area and creates a little viewing window. Suddenly, one of the fall pictures appears!
Kids can search the page one section at a time and then find the matching word on the Fall I Spy checklist.
It feels almost like using a magnifying glass to hunt for hidden fall treasures.
What’s Included in the Fall I Spy Printable?
The activity includes two pages.
Fall I Spy Picture Page
This page is filled with cute fall-themed pictures for kids to discover, including:
- Sunflower
- Fall leaf
- Turkey
- Hedgehog
- Pinecone
- Acorn
- Pumpkin
- Apple
- Scarecrow
- Hot cocoa
- Fox
- Mittens
- Squirrel
- Hay bale
- Sweater
- Fall tree
- Squash
- Maple leaf
Fall I Spy Checklist
Once children find an item on the picture page, they can locate its name on the second sheet and check it off.
This makes the activity fun for little kids while also adding some simple picture-to-word matching practice.
Supplies
You only need a few things to set it up:
- Fall I Spy printable
- Clear shallow dish or tray
- Water
- Orange food coloring or washable liquid watercolor
- Clear plastic cup or clear glass
- Printed Fall I Spy checklist
- Crayon, pencil or marker
I recommend using a clear plastic tray and plastic cup for younger children if possible.
How to Set Up the Fall I Spy Water Activity
- First, print the Fall I Spy picture sheet and the matching checklist.
- Place the picture sheet underneath your clear dish. The printable stays outside the water, directly underneath the bottom of the dish.
- Pour a shallow layer of water into the dish.
- Add a few drops of orange food coloring and stir until the water is dark enough to partly hide the pictures underneath.
- Now give your child a clear cup. Place the cup upright in the dish and gently press it against the bottom. The cup moves the colored water away from that little area, allowing kids to see the picture underneath much more clearly.
- Move the cup slowly around the tray and see what appears!
- Each time your child discovers an item, find the matching word on the Fall I Spy checklist and tick the box. Continue until you have found them all.
Make the Water Dark Enough to Hide the Pictures
The most important part of this activity is getting the water color right.
If the orange water is too light, kids will be able to see all the pictures without using the cup.
Start with a small amount of coloring and add more until the pictures are difficult to see through the water but become clearer when the cup is pressed against the bottom.
You don’t need a lot of water either. A shallow layer works best.
Why Kids Will Love This Fall I Spy
I love this version because it turns something very simple into a little discovery activity.
Instead of pointing at pictures on a regular worksheet, children have to search, reveal, identify and match each item.
While they’re playing, they’re also practicing:
- Visual discrimination
- Picture recognition
- Matching
- Fall vocabulary
- Observation skills
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine motor control
And because children don’t know which picture they’ll uncover next, there’s a little surprise every time they move the cup.
Perfect for Preschool and Kindergarten
This fall activity works especially well for preschool, pre-K and kindergarten-aged children.
You can use it for:
- Fall classroom centers
- Preschool fall activities
- Homeschool
- Morning tubs
- Sensory play
- Quiet-time activities
- Fall parties
- Thanksgiving season activities
- A simple activity at home
For younger kids, you can read the checklist words aloud.
Older children can try matching each picture to the written word independently.
Turn It Into a Fall Vocabulary Game
You can also slow the activity down and talk about each item as your child discovers it.
For example, when they uncover an acorn, ask:
“What did you find?”
“What animal likes to collect acorns?”
Or when they uncover a pumpkin:
“What color is the pumpkin?”
“Where might we see pumpkins during fall?”
It’s an easy way to add conversation and vocabulary without making the activity feel like a lesson.
Try a “Can You Find…?” Game
Instead of letting kids search randomly, call out one item at a time.
For example:
- Can you find the hedgehog?
- Can you find something you wear when it gets cold?
- Can you find something a squirrel likes to eat?
- Can you find the scarecrow?
- Can you find something orange?
This works especially well with preschoolers and makes the game last a little longer.
Keep the Printable Dry
The printable does not need to go inside the water.
Simply place it underneath the clear dish.
This means you can dry the dish afterward and use the printable again another day.
You could also laminate the picture sheet if you plan to use it frequently in a classroom.
Download the Free Fall I Spy Printable
Ready to try it?
Grab the free Fall I Spy printable, add a little orange water, and see how many fall treasures your child can uncover.
Have fun searching!
