Kid's Party Tips
We use the word ‘detective’ but you can just as easily say spy or secret agent.
Mystery Bundle: Sometimes Detectives have to identify things without seeing them. Wrap an object in paper or cloth so that its shape is discernible, and have the children guess what it is. For younger kids make it an easy object closely wrapped, eg a doll in paper with string around the neck, waist, and through the legs, and have one child shout out their guess and ask the others if they agree. For older kids make it a harder object and have them write their answers down.
- A variation on this is Blindman's Bundle, where you blindfold a child and get them to identify objects by feel. You can also just have the items under a black cloth they can put their hands under.
Sniffing Out Clues - Detectives are often required to use all their senses when investigating a case. Using their heads, particularly their noses, Detectives will identify smells without being able to see what they are sniffing. Fill empty film canisters or other opaque containers with smelly items or essences, and place a cotton ball or something else over the item so it can’t be seen. Be sure to number the containers and make yourself a list of what’s inside each one. The detectives can say or write down what they think each smell is. Try using onions, soap, rose, garlic, bleach, peppermint, fish, vanilla, mouthwash, cinnamon, essential oils, etc.
Altered Evidence - Detectives must notice small changes that can happen while working on a case - attention to detail can make the difference between catching the crooks or letting them get away. Detectives will examine evidence and learn to spot the differences if the evidence is altered. This is a variation on the game of ‘memory’.
- Fill a suitcase with items. Let the Detectives view it then, hidden from view, remove or add things
- Dress a doll elaborately, let them see it, and then add or remove something
- You can also use a felt board and felt objects, a tray and items, toys in a bathtub ... you get the idea.
Secret Signals - Introduce your Detectives to Charades! Detectives need to be able to send messages silently. Gather a list of items or actions for one or two spies sending the message to act out and see how quickly the others can guess what they are doing. Everyone gets a turn.
Silent Snoops - This is the classic game of Freeze, with a Spy School slant.
Detectives need to sneak around. Half the kids are secret agents and pretend to search a place looking for clues. Blow a whistle warning them the crooks are returning and to freeze in place. As long as they are frozen they are invisible. The other kids, the crooks, come in and try to get the Detectives to move or make a sound, blink, giggle, smile, etc. - without touching them. Trade places and do it again.
Snitch - Detectives need to be familiar with both sides of the ‘Snitching’ skill. They need to be able to sneak up on a person and snitch something, and they need to be able to sense when someone is sneaking up to snitch from them. Have the kids sit in a circle or line, facing away from the centre of the circle or the person who is 'it'. Place a two inch square piece of felt on the shoulder of each of the sitting players. The person who is the snitch must remove as many pieces of felt as possible without being caught. If someone feels the fabric being taken they call out “Snitch!” The snitch must be caught ‘in the act’ to be put out.
Hot on the Trail – Start off the hunt by giving each Detective a list of items that have been stolen. For kids too young to read, use pictures. You can use items that are naturally around the house or hide things ahead of time. Detectives leave the items where they find them and check them off the list or write the location down. The game could end once everyone has found the items, or it could continue like this: Get a bunch of small locks and keys and put them on boxes with another clue inside. Each box contains a sentence that is part of a clue which tells them where the birthday cake or loot bags are hidden. Once a child has found all the stolen items they get a key, and whichever box it opens is theirs.
Beat the Bomb – set an alarm clock for five minutes and hide it. It must be found before it goes off. Played by itself or with any of the above games. Adjust time accordingly.
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