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Adventures in Playful Family Living

by: Amy

DIY Gift: Detective Kit

I think I’ve mentioned before that my girls are into detectives, spies, secret codes, and all things mysterious (not scary!). They are reading Nancy Drew Notebooks, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, Encyclopedia Brown, Jigsaw Jones, and Cam Jansen book series like crazy!

I’ve been gathering ideas for detective/spy kits for quite a while, so we decided to make them for Christmas gifts this year. I think the girls are going to love their detective kits!

I finally had a few daylight hours without the girls so I could take some photos – this secret gift-making and blogging is hard to do when the girls and I are home together every day! Here is a peek at what’s inside:

detective/spy kit for kids

Each super-sleuthing detective kit contains:

• Rearview Mirror Spy Glasses – I found these at Cost Plus World Market. Land of Nod has them as well.

• Invisible Ink Pen (with black light in the lid) – I also found a two-pack of these pens at Cost Plus World Market.

• Disguise – less than a dollar each at a local party store

• Small file folders – I made these from colored card stock.

• Stickers – I printed labels that say Top Secret, Confidential, Property of…, and Evidence.

• Two-Way Radio – The big-ticket item in these kits are the two-way radios. I know the girls are going to have such fun with these walkie-talkies. This set of Motorola Two-Way Radios was around $40 on Amazon. (We’ll use them for family hikes, too.)

I wanted a briefcase-type container for the detective kits and I found these Art Bin containers at the craft store. With coupons, they were under $5 each and seem nice and sturdy.

detective/spy kit briefcase

I had to fancy them up a bit, though, so I added some patterned paper and a name tag to each briefcase.

detective/spy kit for kids

We’re also including a few books for more detective inspiration:

I’d like to add a Walkie-Talkie Dictionary (@ Classic Play) and a few secret code accessories, like a cipher wheel or alphabet symbol code. We’re also including a small combination lock so they can lock their briefcases if they have secret evidence inside.

I’m planning to see lots of imaginative sleuthing play around here in the new year – hope I don’t end up as a suspect!

Comments

  2. Catherine says

    I love these! I might just have to try and encourage some spy activities around here so my kids get interested in it… Can you post a review of those walkie talkies after the kids get them? I bought some others for my son but they didn’t work well at all so the kids lost interest in them.

    • Amy says

      Yes, I will definitely let you know how the walkie talkies work for us. My husband and I already tried them and they seem great!

  3. Lori says

    Oh wow! this is such a great gift! I need to bookmark this for my twin nephews’ birthday present, they would love it. Great idea and execution!

  5. sue cooper says

    I bought my grandson a kit for Christmas because he likes to play like he is a spy. But a few more ideas is a magnifying glass to search for clues, a bandana as a disguise, some tweezers and small empty containers and empty envelopes to put clues. Also wouldn’t it be cute to have some family members or friends let you take pictures of them acting like they are bad guys or make a mug shot like they are in jail and let them tract down the criminal. That could be a fun party idea too. Sorry I do go on but my mind will start going a million miles a minute with ideas when it gets started. Hope you like my ideas.

  11. julie says

    Awesome! Do you have the digital file for the stickers that you’re willing to share?

  12. jenny says

    My summer reading club has an Investigating theme for the summer holidays – January- and this has given me some great ideas for making up a spy kit!! Thanks so much