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Spy Party -7yr- Pink Panther Musical Chairs

April 2008

Camille in Salt Lake City, Utah USA

Special Mention

Since my daughter was inviting both boys and girls to her party we thought this would be a great gender-neutral" party.  It was SO fun this is my new favorite. 

INVITATIONS:  Typed and "called all secret agents to headquarters to train to be special birthday spies...the message would self destruct..etc."  They were delivered in plain brown envelopes stamped with "TOP SECRET" (using scrapbooking stamps) on the outside.

ACTIVITIES:  When the kids arrived my teenage daughter and her friends were on the front lawn dressed in all black wearing sunglasses and very officially taught the "agents" the secret knock to get into headquarters.  My husband and I were dressed in trench coats and glasses and spoke very quiet and "spy" like when we let them in the house.  We had made ID cards w/a place for them to write their new code name and a place for their fingerprint in the corner..again using scrapbooking ink.  The kids did this while we waited for all to arrive.  Then we quickly laminated them using the peel and stick laminate sheets.    When everyone was there we called them into the briefing room where we explained that the town had been hit hard by the "Birthday Bandit" and that he has spotted in our neighborhood lately.  This meant we needed more spies to help apprehend him.  We had a swearing-in ceremony where each child promised to train their best to help apprehend the bandit.  Then we showed them a picture of the bandit (our 10 year-old son in wig/hat/and bandana pulled over his face...even his sister didn't recognize him).  If you have a Wii plug your media card in and pull the picture up on the tv screen..it looks more official!  Then we began the games...er "training missions" 

GAMES: 
1.  sneaky moves:  musical chairs to the pink panther theme off i-tunes.  They couldn't just walk around the chairs they had to sneak drop and roll etc.  They loved this 

2.  Noticing every detail:  20 spy tools on a tray (sunglasses compass money keys etc) and then we took one away giving each child a turn to guess what was gone.  We also used the favors from the spy kit (see below)  so we eould explain each one's purpose 

3.  hand-to-hand combat:  sounds violent but it wasn't at all!  A neighbor had made jousting swords out of a 3 ft. piece of PVC and then duct taped pieces of swimming noodles to each end.  They balanced on round wooden discs and pushed each other off the discs w/the soft noodle.  Doing this in groups of 2 the last one standing won and kept going in the competition.  You could do this on low stools too.    While my husband ran the jousting in the basement I hid all the gifts and left a note from the "bandit" thanking them for their gifts and "Haaa you'll never catch me!" 

There was also a paper w/Clue #1.  I started screaming as loud as I could and the kids came bounding up the stairs to find the letter and clue.  They read the clue   **go to where you can jump for an hour and not get tired***  (trampoline) Clue 2 was a box w/ a walkie-talkie.  They used it to call headquarters and get their next clue.  I reminded them to be VERY careful and on the lookout for the bandit (the teenage girls were going w/them on the treasure hunt)and to ONLY use our code names!  

The bandit (my son) snuck out the back door and trailed them just far enough that they would catch glimpses of him AND SCREAM..like little girls..and a few of the boys...like to do.  They would call "headquarters" all excited that the'd seen him.  We'd remind them to follow the clues to get the gifts back.  They went to a neighbor's house to the park where there was a gardening hand shovel next to an "x" in the sand made from red yarn (a shoe box was buried just under the surface w/ a clue) 

The clues weren't clever or in rhyme..they're just 7 and wanted to be able to easily figure them out and race from place to place.  My son came back and I tied him to a kitchen chair w/a jump rope and when the last clue sent them back to the house I was standing at the front door telling them to HURRY!  I explained that the bandit knew they were hot on his tail and so he came back to ditch the presents and we were able to catch him at headquarters because of their great detective work.  My son did the whole scooby-doo speech like "I would have gotten away w/it too if it weren't for you pesky kids!"  They were clapping and dancing around.   

FAVORS:  We then had a graduation ceremony after presents and cake where they were called up told one exceptional thing they personally had done in training and then given their spy kit.  I had sewn muslin bags w/ribbon handles and written "SpY Kit" w/fabric paint.  Inside were all the essential tools purchased at Zurchers (like Oriental Trading)  Squirt ring chinese handcuffs whistle for when you need re-enforcements note pad and pencil to write down clues compass and of course their own ID card. It was a huge hit and every time I volunteer at the school I have a few kids come up and whisper "Hi BIG MOMMA"..that was my code name.   Thanks to all the great ideas on this site that we could incorporate! "

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