An artist activity for Create Week created by Joe Rizzo Naudi. Children should only do this activity under adult supervision.
Get Inspired
- Find an interesting object. It can be big or small – for children, make sure a parent or carer says it’s OK to use.
- Gently touch the surface of the object:
- Is it rough or smooth, hard or soft?
- Is it wet or dry, cold or hot?
- Does it feel similar to anything else?
| Amelia’s found an interesting plant in her kitchen. Its leaves are smooth and firm to the touch, and they seem quite dry and warm, because the plant’s been in the sun. |
Your Very Own Detective
Now we’re going to use your interesting object to create a detective, who we’ll use to solve a mystery!
First, use the describing words from your interesting object to imagine what kind of clothes your detective enjoys wearing.
| The leaves of Amelia’s plant were quite warm, so she’s decided that her detective likes wearing a green woolly hat, whatever the weather! |
Next, use your object’s describing words to imagine what kind of food your detective character likes eating.
| Amelia’s chosen tomatoes, because tomatoes are smooth and firm, just like her leaves! |
Now, think of a name for your detective!
Finally, speak about, write or record a description of your detective, or draw a picture – or both if you like!
| Persimmon Chadwick is a teenage detective who loves wearing green woolly hats and eating tomatoes. Her favourite tomatoes come from her grandmother’s vegetable garden. |
What’s The Problem?
Every detective needs a mystery to solve.
- Find another interesting object.
- Carefully investigate it using one of your senses (for example, hearing, touch, smell or vision).
- What words can you think of to describe this object? Is it similar to anything?
It’s often fun to compare things which are different. Amelia’s found a shiny bathroom mirror, which reminds her of a shiny silver necklace!
- Now, use your object to think of a problem for your detective to solve. No mystery is too big or too small. Speak about, write, record and/or draw it!
| Persimmon Chadwick is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a silver necklace belonging to her grandmother. |
Solving The Mystery
- Find another interesting object in your house.
- Investigate it carefully using one of your senses.
- What words can you think of to describe it? What is it similar to?
| Amelia’s investigating the wooden kitchen table. It makes a deep, solid sound when she taps it with her knuckle. It reminds her of a treasure chest! |
- Use your object to help your detective solve their mystery! Speak about, write, record and/or draw your solution.
| Persimmon Chadwick speaks to her grandmother, who shows her a small wooden jewellery box which she found while digging in her tomato patch. Together they slowly lift the lid of the box and there, glinting at the bottom, is her grandmother’s silver necklace! But how did the necklace end up in the box – that’s another mystery! |
Joe Rizzo Naudi
Joe Rizzo Naudi is an Arts Council-funded writer, researcher, curator and facilitator. In 2022 he won a London Writers Award by Spread The Word. Much of his work explores blindness as a creative way of knowing the world.
Instagram: @joeraudi
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