How to Be a Child Detective

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Gather your detective supplies together.

   To start off, you are first going to need to build a little detective kit.
   
   It should include the following:
   Notebook Pencil or pen Magnifying glasses Gloves Flashlight (and perhaps a black light one too) Camera (optional) Tape for marking out danger or no-go zones (optional) Snacks Plastic bags for putting clues into Phone case for your phone (optional).
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   Step 2: Decide what detective clothes you'll wear.

   Dark clothes are often best, allowing you to slip around unnoticed, unless, of course, where you're going is all white or light, in which case use white clothes to help camouflage yourself.
   
   You're not exactly trying to hide so much as "blend in"
   
   so dressing like the locals is always a good approach.
   
   For example, if you're going to sleuth at a dance, wear dance clothes or if you're sleuthing at the beach, wear a bathing suit., Being a detective includes spying and keeping your eye on your top suspect! Make sure you practice tip toeing through the halls and not making a sound.
   
   One squeak and you're caught! , Spot the things that other people don't.
   
   Read Sherlock Holmes and other detective books to get a good idea of how famous fiction and real detectives see the clues that other people miss., This is optional but adds to the fun of your amateur sleuthing.
   
   Make sure you tell everyone the same name, or else you will get mixed up and get busted. , If you have a dog, you could make him/her your K9 Buddy! It's really fun and even better, you could train him a little so its more realistic.
   
   It would be a lot of fun if you had a friend who was your detective partner.
   
   Having a partner would be a lot of fun and less risky! , Being curious can help you to find a lot of clues and solve mysteries. , This could be anything from working out where the missing socks are going to finding a neighbor's lost pet. , Just make sure it isn't a real crime, as the police won't tolerate an amateur sniffing around making things harder for their real work.
   
   Pick up some clues and write them down in your book; take photos if wished. , Think for a while.
   
   Maybe you can figure out some possibilities.
   
   If you can, make sure you write them down.
   
   You never know when you might need them. ,,, They may think of something you may never have thought of in your wildest dreams. , Being curious can help solve your case and make it a bit easier. , If you find any put them with the other clues and work it out. ,,, You don't want to be a kid detective if you don't have fun now do you?
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   Step 3: Learn to be sneaky.

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   Step 4: Learn to be astute.

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   Step 5: Make up a fake identity.

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   Step 6: Consider having some sidekicks with skills of their own.

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   Step 7: Ask plenty of questions about the clues and of the people involved.

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   Step 8: Find a non-dangerous mystery.

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   Step 9: Visit the source of the mystery (aka the crime scene).

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    Step 10: Look for the clues

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    Step 11: obvious and not-so-obvious.

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    Step 12: Think of all the clues you get as pieces of a puzzle and in your free time try to put the puzzle pieces together.

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    Step 13: Think some more and cross out some of the possibilities you thought of earlier that are now not possible.

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    Step 14: Ask your friends and families for possibilities.

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    Step 15: Always ask and answer questions.

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    Step 16: Go back to the crime scene and check for clues you have missed.

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    Step 17: Interview people that may know something about this mystery.

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    Step 18: Keep on repeating these steps and you will eventually solve the mystery.

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    Step 19: Have fun!

Detailed Guide

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