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:

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.

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

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

• Spy Science by Jim Wiese
• The Usborne Detective’s Handbook by Colin King
• Mini Mysteries (American Girl)
• The I Love Mysteries Fun Book (American Girl)

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!

I’m sharing a few ideas for capturing children’s creative storytelling at Simple Kids today. Here is a sneak peek:

There is really nothing like the imagination of a young child. Long before they can write their own stories, children are ready and eager to tell their own stories. It is wonderfully empowering for a child to see her words written down as a “real” story. So, what are you waiting for? Grab some paper and get started!

Need a little inspiration to get the creative juices flowing? Head over to Simple Kids to continue reading and join in the conversation.

See you there!

Both of my girls love to play restaurant, which usually involves creating some sort of menu. Sometimes we draw menus, sometimes we cut and paste pictures from grocery ads and magazines. We also have a collection of kids’ menus from restaurants we’ve been to.

I decided to give them another option for menu creating by printing out different food items on printable magnet sheets.