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Spot the Difference for Kids: Spot the Difference: Catch the Copycat
Two pictures that look the same, but the Copycat got some things wrong. The class finds each difference and taps it on either picture, then says it: "In picture 1 the boy is running, but in picture 2 he's jumping." Every round picks a new set of differences from the scene, so the same picture works again next week.
Free, no sign-in. Ready to play on the board, with a printable worksheet at three levels and a home version.
- Ages: 5 to 11, A1 to A2
- Scenes: 17: Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas Eve, Snow Day, Lunar New Year, Valentine's, Easter, a birthday, the park, the classroom, the beach, the farm, the kitchen, the zoo, the supermarket, a bedroom and a town
- Language: Actions, where things are, how many, colours and looks, there is and there isn't, 4 to 7 differences a round
- Players: The whole class, or 2 to 4 teams
- Price: Free, no sign-in
How to play Spot the Difference: Catch the Copycat
- Pick a picture. Choose a scene, how many differences and which kind: actions, where things are, how many, colours and looks, or there or not there. Holiday scenes come first near their day.
- Find and say it. A child taps a difference on either picture and a gold ring goes round it on both. Mr Moon gives the sentence with gaps; the class says it, then you press Show the words or We said it! Stuck? A hint shows the words first, then the area.
- Which picture?. Round 2: Mr Moon says one thing, and the class decides if it is true of picture 1, picture 2 or both.
- Exam practice. Follows the Cambridge Young Learners examiner script: Mr Moon has his picture and the class has theirs. He shows the first difference, then says "In my picture, ..." and the class answers "In my picture, ..." about theirs. About six differences of at least three kinds, no hints.
Learning by doing
The Copycat has redrawn Barry's picture, and Mr Moon can only fix what the class tells him. Finding a difference is not enough: the class has to say what is different, so every tap ends in a full sentence about the picture, the same job the Cambridge speaking test gives a child.
The worksheet
The same scene on paper: Support (circle 5 differences, then circle the right word for each), Core (circle 6, then finish each sentence from a word box) and Challenge (circle 6, write each one as a sentence with but, then draw a new difference for a partner). Every sheet is a fresh set of differences, with an answer key on its own page and a QR code for the home version.
Spot the Difference: Catch the Copycat FAQ
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-in.
Is it the same every time?
No. Each scene has up to 19 differences and every round picks a new set, so the class can play the same picture again.
Does it help with the Cambridge Starters, Movers and Flyers speaking test?
Exam practice follows the find-the-differences part of the test: the examiner's intro, a worked first difference, then "In my picture, ..." for each one. The five kinds of difference are the ones the test uses.
Can children play at home?
Yes. The QR code on the worksheet opens a home version on a parent's phone with 3 to 5 differences, no sign-in.
Does it record the children?
No. There is no microphone. The class says the sentence out loud and the teacher moves the game on.
More ready-to-play games
- Sentence Builder Game: Barry's Comic Caper. Teams drag word tiles to write the captions for Barry's comic. A right sentence colours in the panel, and every panel has a twist.
- Listening Game for Kids: Mr Moon's Night Picnic. Mr Moon calls a word and teams race to find it, then match the pictures and play memory with every card spoken aloud.
- Prepositions of Place Game: Tidy Up for Mr Moon. Barry has wrecked Mr Moon's room before the party. Teams put each thing where Mr Moon says, then play hide and seek in the dark.
- Guess Who Reading Game: Which Monster?. Someone took Mr Moon's hat. Read Barry's notes, send the monsters it can't be out of the line-up, and ask Barry yes or no questions.
- Interactive Teaching Clock: Teaching Clock. A free whiteboard clock: drag the hands, see and hear the time, follow Barry's day, then play Set the time I say and What's the time?