Who’s Missing Visual Game

This fun group visual game is a great way to get kids engaged with one another in a classroom or other group setting while engaging the visual system.

Have you ever lost one of your kids at the grocery store or the zoo?  Or at the park…or the library…or the science center?  Okay, now I’m showing all my cards.  Yes, I lose my kids.  A lot.

They’re 3 lightening-quick and super curious boys, a combination that makes for tons of fun for them and a lot of freak-out moments for me when they run away from me in public.

But don’t worry – this version of Who’s Missing is a lot less stressful than losing your kid in a hotel elevator (true story).

Looking for a fun visual game for kids?  This one would be great for a preschool class that’s just getting to know each other.  It would also be a really fun visual game for a play group, or even a group of cousins!

What you’ll need:

All you need is a group of kids!  The larger the group, the bigger the challenge!

What to do:

Have the whole group sit in a circle.  Encourage everyone to take a moment to look around the room at each person in the group.  Tell the group that on the count of three, everyone will close and/or cover their eyes and an adult will come and tap one child on the shoulder.

Tell the kids that if they are tapped on the shoulder, they should quickly and quietly stand up and walk to a designated spot in another room with the assisting adult.

Count to three again and have everyone open their eyes.  The kids then look around the room and try to guess who is missing.

How to change it up:

-Play “Who’s Missing” using photos of family members or friends.  You could even set up a center in a preschool classroom to play the game with photos of everyone in the class as a follow up to playing the game in real life.

-Use the game as a way to help your kids get to know the people in your school.  Play with photos of the custodian, secretary, principal, music teacher, gym teacher, art teacher, etc.

-Change it up and play “What’s Missing?” as another fun group game idea.  Set household items out on the table.  Cover the items, secretly remove one of them and see if your kids can guess which item you removed.

For Virtual Sessions:

Change the activity from “Who’s Missing” to “What’s Missing”!  Place a set of items (choose the number of items depending on the child’s age and ability level) on a table or other surface.  Point your camera at the items so the child can see them clearly.

Instruct the child to look closely at the objects and remember what they are.  Then, tell the child to perform one lap around the room of any gross motor action (gallop, skip, jump, hop, crawl, run).  While they’re away from the screen, remove one of the items.  When the child returns to the screen, see if they can identify which object is missing!

Change this game up by using different seasonal objects or other preferred objects related to the child’s interests.

Skill areas addressed:

Cognitive skills, social skills, visual perception