Make Mystery Footprints
Detectives often look for clues, like footprints, to help them solve a case. Using the sole of a shoe as the “stamp” and the paint as the “ink,” create a trail of footprints to examine together.
Materials
Directions
Pour a little paint onto a paper plate or plastic tray and smooth it around. Have your child dip the bottoms of a pair of shoes into the paint, covering the entire sole. You can also use a sponge to paint the soles.
Stamp the shoes on the poster board – making a set of footprints. Repeat the process with the second pair of shoes, so that you have two sets of prints.
While the paint dries, talk about how detectives might use footprints to help solve a case. What can footprints tell us about a suspect?
Grab your detective caps! Ask your child to measure the prints length from heel to toe, and the width from side to side. Have him write the measurements beside each print along with his observations about the tread (or design) of the print. Which print is bigger? Which is smaller? By how much? What else can you learn about the shoe from the print (e.g. is it a sneaker? A high-heeled shoe?)
Explore Further
Have your child make up a mystery story that uses the footprints you made as a key clue. What is the mystery? How do the footprints help you crack the case?
Math