Inspiring a Young Detective
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My youngest son LOVES to play detective. He’s a Sherlock Holmes fan, and he enjoys trying to solve mysteries on his own. We searched high and low for a trench coat and detective hat, and lucked out with a nice coat from the thrift store and a Sherlock Holmes style hat from the dime store. With the addition of a mustache and Spy glasses (with secret rear-view mirrors), he is ready to take on any case that presents itself.
If you have a mystery-loving kid, check out the list of activities my junior detective enjoys, plus a free printable activity!
To inspire a kid detective, try some of these activities:
- Nate the Great books are some of our favorites, and many of them also include a bonus section at the end with activity ideas. Not only are these books quality reading, but they will spark tons of ideas for setting up detective play.
- 3M has a free download of a DIY Detective Lab here with lots of information about fingerprints and some fun projects with basic materials.
- Thriving Family’s website has a free Bible Detective Kit you can download here.
- The Smithsonian website’s “Sherlock Holmes’ London” takes you on a tour of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s world.
- Here is the official website for the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London.
- Try this “Stare Detective” game from the Zoom website.
- Here’s another free detective game that involves reading and inference skills.
- Real Classroom Ideas has some fun resources, including a reading game and a fingerprint art activity.
- My son has had so much fun with the book, Solve the Famous Hound of the Baskervilles Mystery. It is interactive, like a detective kit and book in one, and it includes lots of activities for critical thinking as kids work to solve the case.
- Learning Table has a list of the Best Books for Kid Detectives. Click here to view!
- Click here for a free printable Alphabetical Order Scavenger Hunt for Kid Detectives.
Brilliant post with creative ideas! I was also a huge Encyclopedia Brown fan.
You’re so sweet! Thanks so much for stopping by, Brittney. 🙂
This would have been me as a kid. I loved mysteries. Sadly, my daughter doesn’t care for them. Have you watched the Sherlock Holmes movies? Loved them.
Yes, we love those movies!
This is fantastic for the kid detective in all of us!
What great ideas! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks so much, Lisa!
Our town has an annual “Mystery Weekend”. We’ll be attending this month for the first time.
That sounds like fun!