Christmas I Spy party sheets
Give guests a Christmas picture to study while they wait for dinner: younger children can count objects, and readers can look for the smaller details. This is a draw-your-own puzzle. The printable pack above supplies 13 easy questions and 13 harder questions; below are the counts and hiding places to draw, both answer keys, and a score sheet for teams. There is no finished illustrated puzzle to download here.
Draw the Christmas picture
Start with a 7-by-9-inch drawing frame and divide it into nine boxes with light pencil lines. The grid helps you spread objects across the picture; the answer-key totals apply to the whole scene, not to every box.
Sketch a room with a fireplace, couch, table, windows, door wreath and several Christmas trees. Add an icy outdoor area for the penguins and snowmen. Use simple shapes for the tree, snowman, gift, stocking, candy cane, star, mitten and cocoa mug, then add the smaller details listed in the key. Overlap a few objects, but leave enough visible to recognize and count them. Do not cut a counted object so far off the edge that players cannot tell what it is.
Follow the key rather than repeating every object five to nine times. For example, draw seven candy canes on the trees and one more on the wreath. Draw six stars on wrapping paper and a separate star in the lower-left snowflake pattern. Those questions count different things.
Give the five scarf-wearing snowmen seven buttons across two of them; leave the other three without buttons so the button question has a clear answer. Put the snowman without a carrot nose beside the sled. For the clock question, draw several clocks, set all but two to the same time, and record where the two different ones are.
Write down each count as you draw. Ask someone to try the questions before you ink the picture and erase the grid. If you enjoy making this kind of puzzle, the Halloween spot-the-difference sheets explain a different drawing activity using paired scenes.
Fit the picture and questions on paper
Use Letter paper with half-inch margins as a starting layout. The original 7-by-9-inch frame is a drawing size: it takes nearly all the printable page, so reduce it before adding the questions. One suggested layout is a picture about 7 inches wide by 4 inches tall, with two question columns below it. Print a proof copy to check that the smaller details and all 26 questions remain readable. If they do not, keep the larger picture on one page and the questions on another.
Put the name line at the top. Label the left column Easy: count and write and the right column Harder: find the details. Leave a count box or answer line beside each question. The pack above has blank answer spaces you can print or copy into your layout; its print button prints the page, rather than generating an illustrated one-page puzzle.
Name or team: ____________________ Date: ____________________
I’m playing: Easy __________ Harder __________ Both __________
Keep answers on a separate host card. If you add an upside-down answer strip along the bottom edge, cut it off before handing out copies; players can still read it if it stays attached. Black-and-white line drawings work for this activity. Copy paper or card stock are options—check that your printer accepts the paper you use.
For guests who would rather match pictures than count them, try Christmas picture bingo. The Christmas word-game pack offers a different pencil activity for readers.
Answers for the picture you draw
These are the supplied drawing targets. They become an answer key only when your finished picture matches them. If you change a count or hiding place, update the key and question together.
Easy count answer key
| Count these objects | Draw this many |
|---|---|
| Candy canes on the tree | 7 |
| Stars on the wrapping paper | 6 |
| Snowmen with scarves | 5 |
| Cocoa mugs on the table | 4 |
| Gifts with ribbon bows | 8 |
| Individual mittens | 6 |
| Angels on treetops | 3 |
| Penguins on the ice | 5 |
| Cookies on the plate | 9 |
| Snowflakes around the snowman | 7 |
| Bells on the door | 4 |
| Candles in the windows | 5 |
| Stockings on the fireplace | 6 |
Harder seek answer key
| Question detail | Draw this answer |
|---|---|
| Candy cane not on a tree | Hanging from the door wreath |
| Penguin in a party hat | Back row, third from the tree |
| Mice in the scene | 3; one asleep in a gift box |
| Mitten with no partner | On the snowman by the window |
| Clocks showing a different time | 2; record their locations below |
| Gift wrapped in newspaper | Under the smallest tree |
| Cat tails in the scene | 4; two behind the couch |
| Snowman missing a carrot nose | Beside the sled |
| Birds perched on the wreath | 2 |
| Star inside the snowflake pattern | Lower-left corner |
| Stocking with a hole | Second from the left |
| Buttons on the two snowmen | 7 total |
| Elf peeking from a gift box | Behind the rocking horse |
Notes for your host card
Different clock 1 is: ____________________
Different clock 2 is: ____________________
The other two mice are: ____________________ / ____________________
Changes to counts or hiding places: ________________________________________
Play and score two team rounds
Teams of three share one picture, question sheet and pencil. With two guests, play individually or together; for a larger table, make the teams as even as possible. Suggested ages are 3–10, with spoken help for younger children. Let readers read the questions aloud and younger players point out objects; neither column needs to belong to only one age group.
Example 30-minute game: this allows 25 minutes of searching and five minutes for instructions and scoring.
- 0:00–0:02 · Explain the questions. Show which objects to count and where to write answers.
- 0:02–0:12 · Play the easy round. Give one point for each correct answer, up to 13 points.
- 0:12–0:27 · Play the harder round. Give two points for each correct answer, up to 26 points.
- 0:27–0:30 · Check answers and add scores. The highest possible combined score is 39. Allow extra time if you need a tiebreaker.
For the original mouse tiebreaker, teams need different pictures: swap them, then race to point to a mouse in the other team’s scene. If everyone has the same picture, share the win instead; searching a familiar copy would not be a fresh challenge.
Team scoring sheet
| Team name | Easy answers correct / 13 | Harder answers correct / 13 | Harder points × 2 | Total / 39 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| __________________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
| __________________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
| __________________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
| __________________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
| __________________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
Tiebreaker or shared winners: ________________________________________
Check the sheets before printing
You can spread preparation across the week: sketch and test a week ahead, ink and print a proof three days ahead, then print the stack the day before. On party day, put out sheets and pencils before guests sit down. The amount of drawing time depends on how detailed your scene is.
- Draw the objects and hiding places in both keys, counting across the whole picture.
- Record your clock locations and any changes on the host card.
- Ask someone to answer all 26 questions using the finished picture.
- Label the easy and harder columns and leave space for answers.
- Check a printed proof for clipped edges, small details and readable questions.
- Print one copy per guest plus two spares for individual play, or one set per team plus two spares.
- Cut off any answer strips and keep the host key separate.
- Put out pencils and a timer if you are playing scored rounds.
If someone else will run the game, keep the key and scoring rules with their copies. The printable party games guide has advice on separating player sheets from helper notes.
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Use I Spy while guests wait
Take copies to a restaurant, on a flight or to a holiday dinner. Skip scoring and stop whenever food arrives or guests need to move. Read one question at a time for a child who is not reading yet, or let them find just the large objects.
For older guests who enjoy a race, offer one scene per pair and use the harder questions. A second original scene gives fast finishers a new picture to search; swapping identical copies does not. For other seated activities that can pause easily, see quiet party games or easy party games.
More Christmas games for the table
Choose the next activity by what guests want to do:
- Write lists: Christmas category game sheets give readers categories for a letter-based round.
- Match pictures: Christmas matching cards use Christmas partner pairs for a seated game.
- Make something: the Christmas paper puppet craft kit offers a craft followed by a puppet show.
- Get up and act: Christmas acting cards for families include easy and harder prompts.
- Arrange a longer gathering: Christmas party games for families helps you compare games by reading level, space and time.
Questions about Christmas I Spy
What size should I print Christmas I Spy party sheets?
Use Letter paper with half-inch margins as a starting point. Reduce the drawing to leave room for the questions, and check a proof copy. If details become too small, print the picture and questions on separate pages.
How long does one I Spy round take?
The suggested easy round is 10 minutes and the harder round is 15 minutes: 25 minutes of play, plus explaining and scoring. You can also skip the timer for a waiting-time activity.
Do I need drawing skill to make the crowded picture?
Simple stick-and-circle shapes are enough. Keep the counted objects recognizable and test every question against your finished picture before printing copies.
How do teams score fairly across ages?
Pair younger children with readers and let everyone help with both columns. Give one point for each correct easy answer and two for each correct harder answer. Each team records one combined score.
Where do the answers go?
Keep the answer key on a separate host copy, or add an upside-down strip along the bottom and cut it off before handing out sheets. Turning answers upside down does not hide them.