The Detective Party

The Invitations

 I purchased some colorful 81/2" x 11" file folders and cut off approx. 4" off the width to create a mini file folder. My daughter helped me find letters in magazines to paste TOP SECRET on each invitation. I've personalized each invite with a label (this one was addressed to Agent Rico). The fingerprint photocopy raises intrigue  in the the young detective's mind!  

 

 With the extra cut scraps of the file folder I created a secret pocket to the file folder for the detective to discover (content of secret pocket in picture below). The invitation recruits detectives to solve the mystery of the birthday girl's missing cake! There's also a note indicating that their first mission is inside the secret pocket.  had also included

 The first mission was to fill out the response card. Each detective had the check the appropriate boxes and return it to Agent Mickaela.

- Yes, I will be attending "child's name"' b-day party on "date"
- No, I will not be able to participate in this mission
- Signature of parent X_____________________
- Returning this assignment to Agent Mickaela
- Will complete this first assignment by "date"

 Every Top Secret folder had the detective's own personalized name tag (a pass to enter the crime scene) laminated (dollar store) with a string to wear their identification cards around their necks.

 The Loot Bags

PAPER BAGS! Labels...make it look cool and shady... Each detective was handed their detective gear as they arrived at the crime scene.

 The dollar store is amazing for loot bags. I found a whole detective kit in the toy section for $2.00 ea. It included a police badge, secret walkie-talkie head set, cell phone, compass. It also came with gun which I threw out...no need for guns. I added a detective hat, note pad, a pencil (all dollar store), and a secret code watch (which I made) and little extras.

 The Secret Code Watch

What you will need:

- Velcro (dollar store)
- Match boxes (dollar store)
- Computer

 

I found the picture of a cool looking watch on the internet and printed it in color. Then, cut to size and pasted the watch picture on the now empty match box. Made up a secret code with symbols and printed it small enough to fit inside the empty match box. Cut the velcro to wrist size and slip around bottom of outer match box. There you go...a secret watch! How cool is that?

The secret code watch was used at the very end of the mission. Each detective was give a certificate of achievement which was written in code. Each was personalized in code (make sure you write the initials of the detective somewhere so that each get the one addressed to them). The code said something along the lines of "Agent Rico, Thank you for helping solve the mystery of the missing birthday cake. Good work!"

Preparations

 This party requires A LOT of preparations but I assure you it is worth it! You will need some actors so grab your friends and family and have a little fun with it. I found my suspects on the internet. Found pictures of some really interesting and bizarre people and printed out 8 different suspects. I assigned parts to family, friends and even parents of guests at the party. I wrote a small description of each suspect which I gave to the "actors" ahead of time...THEY KNEW ONLY WHAT WAS ESSENTIAL to know about their character. They knew what they had to answer to the questions to their interrogation. Each suspect had their interrogation one by one. The questions were ones that I had prepared and pulled out of a detective hat by each of the agents. The agents had to find out WHO (ate the cake), WHERE (which room of the house), WITH WHAT (the drink they had with it) and HOW (with what utensil).

The Notebook

 Seeing that these agents had just started Grade 1 and 2 their handy detective notebook was prepared in advance for them. On the first page was a printed list of all the suspects WHO. They crossed out suspects names by process of elimination...the last name left would be their culprit. The second page was a list of HOW - with hands/with fork/with spoon. The third page had a list of WITH WHAT - milk/juice/water. The forth page had a list of WHERE - kitchen/living room/game room.

 The suspects all had funny names with play on words. Mine were all in french. The not so pretty suspect in the picture above was "Paulette Pantoute" which would mean "not ugly at all". We had "Gilles Gout" with translated means "I feel like it" ...each had a unique comical name.

The Agents

The guests took their roles so seriously that they quickly forgot they were playing a game. Once we found the guilty party and all the make-up was off the suspect who played "the guilty" was asked by one of the kids "but, why DID you take the cake...that was really mean!" She was a trooper though and played along...she explained to the agent (again) that it just looked soooo goood and afterall, she had REPLACED the cake!

If you would like more information regarding this party don't hesitate to comment below and leave me your e-mail address. I'm sure I can dig up the written scenario of the mystery.

We had a wonderful time...and the agent boys were disappointed the following year as we had the SPA PARTY...girls only!