I Can See

We are going to play a game called I can see. In this game, we practice looking carefully so you can find the object I’m thinking of. When we look carefully, we are practicing focusing and paying attention to the environment around us. Noticing the environment around us can help us calm down in times of stress. You can play this game at home and at school when you feel big feelings like worry, anxiety, or stress.

1. Choose something in the room for students to find, for example, the clock on the wall, a letter written on the blackboard, or an object sitting on a desk. Say “I can see, something that is…” (give one clue about the color, size, position in the room, use/purpose of the object, etc.).
2. Students take turns guessing until someone identifies the correct object.
3. If students are having trouble finding the object, the teacher can give additional clues. To make this game more challenging, the teacher can choose something that is small or difficult to notice or give subtle clues.
4. After students have found the object, invite students to close their eyes, take a deep breath before beginning the next round.

• What about this game was easy or hard for you?
• What helped you to find the objects?
• Are there other times in the day when noticing different things in the space around you might be useful?

For primary school students:

• Give students hints about where they should look. If no one has guessed after about a minute, give a second clue (e.g., location, size, etc.).
• Add more rounds and choose different types of clues (e.g., color, shape, texture, first letter/sound of the word, etc.

For students in grades 5-6:

• Choose items or features of items that reinforce academic content and current learning goals (find something that: rhymes with X, lays eggs, has perpendicular lines, etc.).