I love Highlights Magazine. Not only did I have a subscription as a kid, but to this day I reach for it in the doctor’s office waiting room! My favorite feature was (is) Hidden Pictures. I become completely absorbed trying to find the array of random objects slyly hidden in a larger image. HighlightsKids.com has a HUGE selection of these puzzles ready to print from your computer. The other week I adapted one to use in my high school French II class. Here’s how you can turn Hidden Picture puzzles into a language learning activity:
1. Print off the puzzle and hidden objects list.
2. Translate the list of objects into the target language.
3. Distribute the main image. Describe it. Ask questions about the scene.
4. Distribute the hidden objects list. Teach the new vocabulary.
5. Give students a few minutes to hunt for the objects individually.
6. Put students into partners to share what they’ve found.
When I did this, I wanted my kids to practice using direct object pronouns. One student would state, “I found the . . . ” The partner would either say, ”Me, too.” or “Where is it?” The first student then points it out by saying, “Here it is.”
At first, I worried that my teenage students would find this activity too juvenile. WRONG! In fact, I had a hard time moving on to something new because they wanted to find all of the pictures.
As an added bonus, Highlights has some cultural Hidden Pictures, too: St. Nicholas Day in France and The Pinata. Enjoy!
