The Missing Compass is a printable detective game for ages 4–8. A brass compass has disappeared aboard the Sea Raven museum ship. Your child reads or listens, chooses where to look and uses the clues they find to work out what happened.
Set up your first case
Print the edition that suits your child’s reading level and grab a pencil for the detective notebook. Read the opening together if that’s more comfortable for them. The case is designed for roughly 30–45 minutes, and you can pause at an investigation choice if they’ve had enough for now.
Let your child choose where to investigate
When the story gives you a choice, let your child pick the next place to look and turn to the page it points to. The captain’s cabin and the upper deck are among the places they can explore during the case. You can read the page aloud while they decide what to make of what they find.
Help without solving it
When a detail catches their eye, ask, “What did you notice?” They can write a word in the notebook or make a quick sketch. If they’re stuck, try, “Which clue would you look at again?” Before you read the answer, give them a chance to tell you what they think happened and which detail helped them decide.
That’s the part I wanted when I built Milo: a parent can sit beside the child and enjoy the story while the child gets to lead the investigation.
See The Missing Compass and choose an edition. If you’d like to see a sample first, try a free Detective Milo preview.
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