Detective WhaddaWeek

INTRODUCTION

 

This WhaddaWeek turned out to have a broader scope than we’d originally imagined: think exploration and investigation. We really wanted to sidestep as much as possible the crime aspect of detective work, and focus instead on solving puzzles and problem-solving through the collection of facts and clues.  And when you start to think of being a detective in those terms, it includes the whole of the science world.  Lots to work with!  You’ll notice the book list includes a number of books about innovators and explorers, not just the traditional children’s crime solvers.

 

Tips for this WhaddaWeek:

 

• Some of the suggested doables could stretch across multiple days, which is just fine if the child is engaged.

 

• Adult interaction is particularly important in some of the doables – hiding surprises for the child to track down, leaving footprints to follow, etc.

 

• As always, please follow all appropriate safety measures and make sure a doable, a book, or a video is appropriate for your child’s age and maturity.

 

EXTRA DOABLES IDEAS

 

Please feel free to expand on or adapt doables already suggested, or come up with others you find interesting.  Some other options might be: 

 

• Travel to a park or beach and look for footprints or animal tracks

 

• Play the board game “Clue”

 

• Do puzzles

 

• We picked up on archeology, paleontology, and cryptology, but there are so many other scientific disciplines from which to chose.  Perhaps you could create a medical mystery to solve, or search for a lost city as in Indiana Jones.  (That conjures up images of swinging through a jungle on a jungle gym at a playground, doesn’t it?)

 

Most of all, have fun!