Why We Love Look and Find Books (+ Our Top Recommendations!)
Look and find books have been a staple in our home since my son was about two years old. As a former teacher, I know how much learning is packed into these deceptively simple pages, which is exactly why I made sure we had a collection ready to go. They’re one of those magical resources that feel like pure play to your kiddo while quietly building skills that matter.
If you’re not familiar, look and find books (also called “seek and find” or “hidden picture” books) are those busy, detailed pages where your child hunts for specific objects. Think I Spy, Where’s Waldo, or Highlights Hidden Pictures. Simple concept, but so much developmental goodness happening beneath the surface.
Here’s why I’m such a big believer in them, and some of our favorites we use everyday!
The Benefits (From a Teacher-Turned-Mom’s Perspective):
- They secretly train little eyes for reading. In the early stages of teaching reading, you focus on something called visual attention span. This allows a reader (or seeker) to scan a page and find the important information and follow it systematically; Like finding the start of a sentence and following it even with other words cluttering the page.
Your little one will also be honing their visual discrimination skills! This is a learners ability to notice small differences like shape, color, detail, etc. (find the fish, or find the small red fish) This is the same skill they will rely on when telling apart similar letters, such as b, d, p, and q. Woohoo for early literacy! - It’s vocabulary building on steroids. As a teacher, I saw firsthand how much vocabulary exposure matters in those early years. Look & Find books are an awesome way to introduce vocabulary that sometimes, sadly, regular picture books lack. You’re not only finding new ways to describe items (a tiny dancing bear) but you are also giving them their first taste of prepositions! I love to give hints that use adjectives and prepositions, similar to these:
“Look under the small red chair.” or “Check between the two yellow hoops.” - It builds focus. This one is simple, in a day where so many little learners struggle to focus in learning environments, building that persistent focus early is key. While they are having fun searching for that thimble or yellow duck, they are practicing active participation. Searching, focused, engaged, and enjoying it all the while!
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Them:
- Start simple. If your child is new to look and find books, choose ones with larger, clearer images and fewer objects per page. Build up to the busy, detailed ones as their skills grow.
- Make it a conversation. Don’t just point and find, describe what you see! Use colors, sizes, and especially those position words (behind, under, next to). This is where the vocabulary magic happens.
- Let them lead. Sometimes my son wants to work through the list. Other times he just wants to explore the page and tell me to find the things he sees! Even if it’s not listed in the item inventory, it’s still super valuable and fosters curiosity.
Our Favorite Look and Find Books:
- I Spy Series by Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo
I have to admit, these are a favorite for me for SO many reasons. One of the biggest ones is nostalgia! The pictures and layouts of these are straight out of my childhood and I love that my son has found a new love for them as well. His favorite is I Spy Spooky Night; There’s a hidden skeleton on every page that he has grown very fond of! 🤣
- An Alphabet of Alphabets by Allan Sanders
I bought this one on a whim from a used book store and my son adores it. Once again, there is a reoccurring character on every page 🤣 but there is also lush illustrations for every letter of the alphabet! So whether your kiddo is into hunting for a full alphabet of dinosaurs or a full alphabet of museum finds, they are sure to be entertained. (PS – This author has another book called A Number of Numbers, and it’s just as great!)
- Where’s Waldo by Martin Handford
This one isn’t currently in our home, but I loved the Where’s Waldo books as a kid and my students adored them in class. These pages are much busier than the other two I listed, so I personally might wait a while to introduce them at home. But I know that my son will love finding the same guy on every page, as I have referenced him doing in every other book!
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Final Thoughts
Look and find books check so many boxes for me as both a mom and a former educator. They build visual skills, expand vocabulary, strengthen focus, and foster independence, all while feeling like pure fun to your little one. There are so many words that my son has learned purely from these books, like when would I have had the chance to teach him the words
“lazy clothespin” or “broken oar?”
If these aren’t already in your rotation, I really encourage you to give them a try. Grab one from the library this week and see what happens. My son is still excited about finding that darned skeleton after all this time, and I have a feeling you’ll be hooked too!
Happy Hunting, Friends! 🔍
❤️ Until next time
