I Spy Under the Sea Visual Scanning Free Printable

Check out this I Spy Under The Sea visual scanning free printable. This is a twist on the traditional “I Spy” activity. The goal of this activity is to find and mark all the correct sea creatures as quickly as you can! You can download this three page PDF printable at the bottom of the post.

WHAT SKILLS DOES THE I SPY UNDER THE SEA WORK PDF ON?

This free printable helps kids work on the following skills:

• Visual scanning skills
• Fine motor skills
• Visual discrimination skills
• Directionality – scan from left to right and top to bottom
• Eye hand coordination
• Attention and focus

HOW DO YOU COMPLETE THIS ACTIVITY?

• Mark off the sea animals with a pencil, pen, dot marker or crayon as fast as you can.
• Scan from left to right, top to bottom, finding only one object at a time.
• Record your time in each box.
• Want to add in competition? Go head to head and see who can complete the worksheets the fastest.

If you would prefer a more traditional “I Spy” activity, try this find and color marine life printable.

HOW TO GET ACCESS TO THE FREE PRINTABLE

All you need to do is follow these three steps to access the printable page for preschoolers, kindergarten students, elementary and homeschool students:

1. Sign up to receive the emails from Your Therapy Source. If you already get our emails, you can enter your email in the box. You will not be subscribed twice.
2. You will be redirected to download the PDF format file of the printable activity.
3. Print or screen share the activity.

OTHER WAYS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY

Here are a few options to modify or differentiate this activity:

• Print on cardstock paper and laminate it.  Use wipe-off markers to write on the free printable.
• Make it easier by: marking off the first few sea animals so the students has a few examples
• Make it more difficult by: print two to a page to make it smaller.
• Add in physical activity by: hang the printable on the wall and have the student stand on a balance board or tall kneel while completing it. Move your body like the different sea creatures. Add the A to Z Marine Animal Movement cards to extend the activity.

WHY ARE THESE SKILLS IMPORTANT FOR THE CHILDREN TO PRACTICE WITH THIS I SPY UNDER THE SEA FREE PRINTABLE?

Here are more details about this free printable and why the skills are important to practice.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Fine motor skills refer to the ability to control small muscles in the hands and fingers. For example in this activity, the children have to: pick up and use different objects such as a dot marker or pencil to mark the sea creatures.

Fine motor skills develop throughout childhood and continue to improve into adulthood. They are important for activities such as writing, typing,  cooking, and using other tools. There are many ways to improve fine motor skills, including occupational therapy, targeted exercises, and adaptive devices. Get more fine motor activity ideas.

VISUAL MOTOR SKILLS

Visual motor skills are the ability to use information from our visual system to guide our motor system. This can include skills such as catching a ball, writing, drawing, and cutting with scissors. Visual motor skills involve the coordination of both large and small muscles.

For example, in this activity the children have to: find and mark the correct sea animals.

Additionally, visual motor skills develop over time – infants and toddlers typically have poorer visual motor skills than school-aged children or adults.There are many ways to improve visual motor skills, such as by playing sports, engaging in crafts, or participating in other activities that require coordination and fine motor skills. Anyone can benefit from improving their visual motor skills! Get more visual motor activity ideas.

VISUAL SCANNING SKILLS

Visual scanning skills refer to the ability to look at a visual display and take in the information quickly and efficiently. This can be useful in a variety of settings, from reading a book to finding a specific item in a store. 

For example, in this activity children have to: scan from left to right and top to bottom to find the matching sea animals.

There are a few key things that can help improve visual scanning skills. First, it is important to learn how to focus and maintain attention on the task at hand. Second, it can be helpful to practice “chunking” information, which means breaking down a visual display into smaller pieces and taking them in one at a time. Practicing visual scanning can help you to be able to quickly process information and make decisions based on what is seen. With some practice, visual scanning skills can be improved, making it easier to locate specific visual information. Read more about visual scanning activities.

VISUAL DISCRIMINATION SKILLS

Visual discrimination skills are the ability to see visual differences between similar objects. For example, in simple terms being able to tell the difference between a circle and a square. These skills develop throughout childhood and continue to improve into adulthood. Visual discrimination skills are important for many everyday activities such as reading, writing, and driving. They can also help with problem-solving and critical thinking. 

For example, in this activity the children are working on: finding the matching objects exactly.

Read more about visual discrimination skills.

WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO USE THIS ACTIVITY?

The free printable is great to use for:

• Fine Motor stations
• Summer activities
• Brain breaks
• Early finishers
• Occupational Therapy Session
• Physical Therapy Session
• Carry over activities at home
• School breaks
• Anytime kids need some extra motor skill practice!