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Forensic Detective Mystery Games

Forensic detective mystery games provide an opportunity for children to partake in an interactive and mentally stimulating scenario. Forensic detective games require at least one aspiring detective, as well as several volunteers to act as potential suspects, and can be played either in the classroom as part of a lesson or at home as a party game.

Fingerprinting
- Create a cookie thief scenario by asking one of the players to press their fingertips on a cookie jar.The other players should also press their fingertips on counter tops or windows in the same room. Then, allow the aspiring detective to take fingerprints from the crime scene by dusting surfaces with talcum powder or cornstarch. To retrieve the fingerprint, blow off the excess powder and press a piece of clear tape to the fingerprint. Remove the tape and examine the fingerprint. When this is completed, the detective can take fingerprints of possible suspects by asking them to press their fingertips to a specific window or counter top. Once the prints are compared, the thief's identity will be revealed.
Footprints
- Using the cookie thief scenario, have a volunteer make a footprint in the soil outside of the door or window leading into the kitchen. The aspiring detective can then create a cast of the footprint. Plaster of Paris works best for soil footprints but quick-setting cement or craft glue can also be used. Once the cast has set, the thief will be revealed through a comparison of the cast and the shoes of the game's participants. Alternatively, use a muddy shoe to leave footprints on the floor. In this case, the detective should compare those prints with the shoes of possible suspects until the thief is revealed.
Mysterious Fibers
- Our cookie thief can also be determined by examining fibers left at the crime scene. Ask the detective to examine the fibers to identify the culprit. Clues can include the fiber color and cloth type. Detectives can compare the fibers to the wardrobe worn by potential suspects by using a magnifying glass or microscope. Feathers from a feather boa or a piece of straw from a straw hat can be used in place of cloth fibers.
The First Bite
- Leave a cookie at the crime scene with just one bite taken out of it. Challenge the detective to identify the thief by comparing the bite mark in the cookie to the bite marks created by possible suspects. Bite marks can be created by having each suspect take a bite out of a cookie or by biting down on a folded piece of paper. The detective then compares the sample bite marks to the bite mark in the crime scene cookie to identify the culprit.

Kids Games