I spy

One player is chosen to be the Spy, and they silently select an object that is visible to all the players. They do not announce their choice,[1] and instead say, "I spy with my little eye something beginning with ...", naming the letter the chosen object starts with (e.g. "I spy with my little eye something beginning with C" if the chosen object is a car).[2]

Other players then have to guess the chosen object. Traditionally players ask directly about particular possibilities ("Is it a tree?"). Once a guesser has correctly identified the object, they become the Spy for the next round and the game starts again.[3] If younger children are playing who are not so good at guessing, the role of Spy can be passed around in a set order.

The Spy cannot change the object once it has been chosen.[3] The game relies on trust as the Spy is the only person who knows whether the guessers are correct or not.

A patient in a traumatic brain injury clinic plays a game of "I Spy" with photographic cards, to help with cognitive functions that may have been lost[7]

About Parenting notes, "I Spy is one of the first games that most children learn to play", and recommends the game for "doctor's offices, restaurants and other places where you sometimes have to wait with kids", but discourages its use in moving cars.[6] The game "requires no equipment and can be played almost anywhere and with as many people as you want", both with adults and children, though a minimum of 2 players is required.[3] I spy is often played with young children as a means to avert boredom in long journeys. A survey by British insurance company Direct Line found that 58% of families played I spy, and 65% of the parents consulted had played it on journeys as a child.[8] Raising Children Network recommends a colour-based variation of the game for pre-schoolers, and a variation encouraging the learning of sounds for school age kids ("I spy with my little eye something beginning with f-f-f. What do you think I’m looking at that starts with that sound?")[9] The fun comes with trying to discover the identity of a mysterious object.[10] The game allows kids to practice their oral/aural skills.[11]

Mary Tomczyk argues I Spy is a clever reasoning game that allows kids to solve puzzles, and gives them an opportunity to "'stump' Mom or Dad". She says children "learn to be more observant about the world around them, learn about colours, shapes, and textures, and use logic and reasoning to draw conclusions". She recommends it for preschool and kindergarten kids. Despite its simplicity and repetitiveness, the game grows a child's vocabulary and can also serve as a distraction for an impatient child.[12] Howcast argues " It will keep their minds occupied just about anywhere."[1] The game can be played in almost any environment, indoors or outdoors.[6] I Spy is a game that can be played indoors on a rainy day.[13]

The game I Spy originated in the early 20th century. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines it, under Spy giving the earliest citation as a mention in Rosamond Lehmann's 1946 work The Gipsy's Baby.[5] One etymological website though reports an earlier mention in a 1937 Canadian publication.[14] The concept likely originated from the spy-mania that occurred during and after World War II. In a 1985 The Free Lance-Star article Games to play on the road, I Spy is described as a variant of The Detective Game, and has the player say "I spy something, the color _____. Can you guess what I spy"? Detective involves the player telling one of their children they are looking for a certain object and giving them clues until they get it right. After succeeding, the child becomes the clue giver. This version can only be played with two people.[15]

Phrase Finder notes "The guessing game was preceded by another children's game called I Spy (or Hy Spy), a variant of what is now called Hide and Seek and was known in the UK from the 18th century."[16] A 1931 edition of The Age describes I Spy (literally "Eye Spy") as a dynamic variant of Hide and Seek.[17] Another variant was played at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1972 where children heard a tape and watched slides that gave them hints to certain art pieces.[18] One 19th century children's book is entitled "I Spy With My Little Eye".[19]

There are many games that are based on this concept, examples being the I-Spy series of gamebooks that ask players to find objects in a Where's Wally?-esque setting, and an I Spy computer game.

The game and its wording are well known in western popular culture, for example the title of the 2002 horror film My Little Eye uses part of the wording from the game.[20]

A US short film directed by Alexandra Nebel entitled I Spy has the following synopsis: "Full of imagination, Mia convinces bored Ingo to play the game of ‘I Spy’. More and more the game dissolves the ordinary kitchen into a wildly animated sea-adventure dream reality."[21]

In 2007, The Wiggles: a popular children's music brand included the song "I Spy" based on the game: I Spy. The song is available on The Wiggles' Getting Strong (Wiggle and Learn) DVD and audio CD.

There's also a John Cleese on How to Irritate People sketch in which two bored airline pilots are playing I Spy as a pastime while on cruise flight.

The term 'I spy with my little eye' has been used by singer Robbie Williams in his song Love Supreme.

• "Cock Robin", a nursery rhyme that includes the phrase "my little eye"
• I-Spy, series of children's "spotter books" taking their name from the game
• I Spy With My Little Eye, a book of the game