Hobbies And Interests
Murder Mystery
Get a group of kids together and plan a murder mystery. Tell kids you are going to turn off the lights. After you switch them off, tap one child on the shoulder. That child will be the "murderer." Repeat the process, but the next child will be the "victim." Play a guessing game where all children participate to guess who is the murderer and who was the victim. The child who guesses first wins.
Read a Story
Great for sitting around a campfire, or huddling under a quilt on a rainy day, let kids each read a portion of a mystery story. Instead of reading the ending, take turns in trying to figure out how the story ends. Use crayons or markers to draw to help them sketch their hypothesis on paper. After they've finished pick one child to read the ending. Reward the child with the closest guess with a treat.
Find the Secret Agent
Take a child aside before beginning this game and let him hide somewhere in the house. Make footprints out of construction paper and tape them along the floor, leading other kids to mysterious "paths" around the house. Give kids certain clues to help them find their the secret agent. Involve the use of household gadgets like a calculator or camera to help them find the missing friend. Give more obvious clues when if children can't find the hidden agent or take breaks and allow the hidden agent to come out and re-hide if necessary.
Go on a Mystery Hunt
Candy, toys and other little treats can make a mystery hunt fun for children of all ages. Hide treats around the house and combine it with a written rhyme or clue to find the next object. Kids can solve a mystery by compiling their clues together to solve the mystery and find the grand prize at the end. Incorporate pieces of dress-up clothes, a fake murder weapon or put clues in a specific room to help kids analyze the clues and come up with an answer.