20018

Scooby Doo Mystery Party -6yr- Malt Shop Garage

June 2009

Elizabeth in Beaverton, Oregon USA

Runner Up

Groovy Scooby-Doo Mystery  Age 6 

INVITATIONS: I designed them on my computer and then printed 4 to a page on orange and purple card stock. The front was purple and in black ink using a Scooby-Doo font, it said, Scooby-Doo Where Are You?"  Under that was a drawing of Scooby found online. Underneath the picture it read "At Alex's Birthday Party that's where!"  I adhered this to the orange piece of cardstock cut larger so the purple side had a border of orange.  On the orange side were three paragraphs each with an all caps title centered above it.  It read "ZOINKS!  Alex Last Name is turning 6 and you're invited to his Totally Groovy Birthday Party Saturday June 6th from 2:30-5pm.  JEEPERS!  Join the Mystery Inc. gang at the Malt Shop (Street address here) in Beaverton next to the spooky old Last Name Mansion.  Like bring your appetite for Scooby Snacks and wear shoes you can chase m-m-m-monsters in.  JINKIES!  It won't be a party without all you meddling kids so please call (555) 555-5555 and say you'll come."  We delivered or mailed them in white envelopes with the guest's name in orange ink. 

DECORATIONS:  We'd intended to decorate the inside of our house as a haunted mansion with white sheets over the furniture and cobwebs candles and a few plastic skulls leftover from Halloween but at the last minute ditched the idea and the kids did not even notice.  We did hang signs on certain doors that read "Do Not Enter" with a drawing of a spooky ghost on them because the party would be held throughout the house and certain areas were off-limits.  We decorated our garage as the Malt Shop where the Scooby-Doo characters like to hang out. 

We cleared out most everything and threw a sheet over the bikes in the corner.  We even re-painted the walls to make it nice for the party. The bonus is now our garage looks great!  It has 2 garage doors plus a regular door to the backyard. The smaller garage door was kept open as the entrance to the party.  Above that door I hung a big sign that said "MALT SHOP" and below that was a sign that pictured the 5 faces of Scooby and the gang all wearing party hats. It read "Welcome to the party meddling kids."  I photocopied the pictures from the back of a Scooby-Doo picture clue book called "Scooby-Doo Decodes a Mystery."  It's a level one reader published by Scholastic.  Inside the garage was decorated with streamers and balloons in the party colors (orange and purple lime green and turquoise blue.)  I also hung a mylar Scooby-Doo balloon and a green and yellow traditional star-shaped pinata which you can buy at Mexican grocery stores. 

I put up two long folding tables and one card table (that held the goodie bags and a stuffed Scooby-Doo toy) and covered them in lime green plastic tablecloths.  When it was time to clean up I just grabbed the four corners and tossed the whole kit and caboodle!  Later on when it was cake time we used plates and napkins in the party colors.  On the walls and the large garage door I taped signs backed in purple and orange colored paper that read "ZOINKS! JEEPERS! JINKIES! ALEX IS SIX YEARS OLD!" and "RAPPY RIRTHRAY RALEX!" with more pictures of the gang.  Then I plastered the walls with orange and purple flower cutouts like the flowers painted on the mystery machine.  I used construction paper and a die-cut machine.  I was hoping to have a cutout of a jukebox in the corner to hide our CD player but couldn't find one in time. 

The music that played was a selection of songs I got from a CD called "Scooby-Doo Snack Tracks."  All the tracks came from Scooby-Doo cartoon episodes.  They were a mix of different Scooby-Doo TV show theme songs and the music that played in the background during montages and chase scenes.  In between songs were really cool clips of the Mystery Inc. gang talking taken from episodes of the cartoon.  I thought kids might dance to the music but it just served as background music.  I also hung Clue Cards throughout the party and will describe those later. 

COSTUMES: MEET THE CHARACTERS - When kids arrived they each received a Scooby-Doo hat.  Before the party I photocopied drawings of Scooby's head on brown construction paper cut them out and glued them to yellow construction paper strips to which I wrapped around the kids' heads and secured with staples.  On either side of Scooby's face I wrote the kids' names followed by "Doo" (i.e.: ALEX-DOO.)  I was worried that after all that work no one would want to wear their hat but they all did.  These were similar to the ones my kids sometimes make and wear on special days at school.  My older son dressed as Shaggy in an oversized green t-shirt and my husband wore a blue collared shirt and jeans and all the kids thought he was Fred.  I have long red hair so I dressed like Daphne in purple with a lavender headband and green scarf.  

ACTIVITES:  THE MYSTERY BEGINS - I gathered the kids for cake and we all sang Happy Birthday as I brought out a tray with an opaque cake lid over it.  When I lifted the lid the tray was empty.  In its place the kids found a note written on paper with torn edges.  The note which can be sung to the tune of the Scooby-Doo TV show "What's New Scooby-Doo?" read "What's new Scooby-Doos? Have fun finding clues Gotta solve this mystery.  If you want cake to eat a yummy birthday treat you gotta capture me!  Signed The Birthday Phantom."  I told the kids "I guess we can't have a Scooby-Doo party without a mystery to solve.  Let's split up and look for clues." 

We split the kids up into two groups.  One went with Fred to the back porch the other with Shaggy (and another adult) into the family room in "the old mansion."  At each activity there was a Clue Card posted.  I made signs on computer paper and backed them in black construction paper.  The signs read the name of the activity in all caps and showed a corresponding cartoon which I color-copied from a Scooby-Doo math workbook I'd found at the Dollar Store.  Next to or taped to the back of each clue card was an envelope.  On the front of the envelope I printed and pasted the script/instructions for each activity.  Inside each envelope was a clue awarded to the kids after they completed the activity.  Each clue was a word written in code on a piece of paper with torn edges.  Later on when the kids captured the Phantom he gave them the final clue which was the key to the code.  (For example 1 = A 2 = C 3 = E and so on.  So the clue "13  5  3" was cracked to read "THE".) 

DAPHNE DISAPPEARS - (The clue card had a picture of Daphne on it.)  Fred took his group to the porch while I (Daphne) snuck into the house and hid in an upstairs storage closet with a box of Scooby Snacks (Scooby-Doo graham crackers shaped like dog bones.)  Fred read "In Scooby-Doo cartoons Daphne is always getting kidnapped by the bad guy and today is no different.  You'll have to play Hide And Seek to find her.  Quietly look for Daphne hidden in the house somewhere upstairs.  When you find her she'll give you a Scooby Snack.  Then meet me back here to eat your snack and wait until everyone has found her.  Be careful don't run and stay away from doors that say "Do Not Enter!"  The kids loved this game but it was a little claustrophobic for me ha ha. 

Meanwhile Shaggy and the other group of Scoobies played VELMA LOSES HER GLASSES. (The clue card had a picture of Velma on it.)  Shaggy read "My glasses!  I can't find my glasses!  Poor Velma is always losing her glasses.  To receive this clue you'll have to help her find them.  Everyone sit on the couch super close together with your hands behind your back."  Shaggy chose one person to be Velma and said "You'll be the first Velma.  Come here and stand next to me.  Now turn around and cover your eyes."  Then he gave a pair of glasses to someone sitting on the couch and said "Hide these glasses behind your back and Velma will try to figure out who has them.  If you like you can pass them back and forth to each other but be careful Velma's watching Ok Velma turn around uncover your eyes and guess who has your glasses."  The person caught with the glasses got to be the next Velma.  After these activities the kids received their clues which they then gave to Shaggy to put in his pocket for safekeeping.  Then we switched groups and repeated these two games.  Afterwards we all got back together and went outside to the backyard to look for more clues. 

ZOINKS! RUN! IT'S THE PHANTOM! (The clue card had a picture of Scooby and Shaggy running away in fright.) "Scooby-Doo and the gang are always getting chased by monsters and ghosts whenever they have a mystery to solve.  So have a seat in a circle and we'll play Scooby Scooby Phantom (just like Duck Duck Goose) to practice running away."   Everyone had fun but it helps to remind them that they are to touch the person they are chasing not tackle them.  When we were done I gave them the clue and my husband had them all chase him out on the grass.  He ended up getting swarmed by Shaggy and 12 Scoobies and the kids loved that! 

SHAGGY AND SCOOBY HAVE A SNACK - (The clue card had a picture of Scooby about to eat a mile-high sandwich.) We read "Solving mysteries makes Shaggy and Scooby very hungry.  To receive your next clue you'll have to build a sandwich tall enough to fill them up."  We split the kids into pairs and marched them back into the Malt Shop.  On the tables were big orange bowls filled with plastic food the kind that comes with toy kitchens.  Each pair received a hamburger bun on an orange plate.  We had a contest to see who could build the tallest sandwich using the buns and plastic food. The winners got to read the next clue.  

DRESS UP A DECOY - (The clue card showed Shaggy and Scooby tangled together in mummy wrappings running for their lives from a Mummy.)  "Shaggy and Scooby often dress up in costumes to try and fool the monster that's chasing them.  We're going to help Shaggy and Alex-Doo by dressing them up as Mummies."  We split the kids into 2 teams and gave each a roll of white crepe paper (toilet paper would work too) and at the end took a photo of our mummies.  If time and weather permits you can also play "Keep Away from the Mummy" Tag but we moved on to the next activity.   I said "Good job Scoobies here's another clue. Now let's help Shaggy and Alex-Doo get cleaned up."  My husband took all the crepe paper to the trash inside the house while I took the Scoobies outside to get ready for the next activity.  My husband brought the real cake into the garage then went back in the house and changed into the Birthday Phantom costume. He dressed all in black and wore the scream mask and a long black cloak with a hood.  He waited inside until Shaggy came to find him. 

LET'S SET A TRAP AND CAPTURE THE PHANTOM - (The clue card pictured Fred and Velma looking determined.)  I said "We've found lots of clues now let's capture the Birthday Phantom!"  I brought all the Scoobies out to the backyard and we brainstormed ideas to capture the Phantom.  We set a trap for him and prepared to catch him in a big net.  I said "But we'll need someone to lure the Phantom this way."  Of course all eyes turned toward Shaggy who said "Like no way. I'm too scared."  I asked if he'd do it for a Scooby Snack and when he said yes I gave Scooby Snacks to everyone.  Some kids stuck by the net others waited for Shaggy to come out of the house followed by the Phantom.  Shaggy came running outside screaming in mock fear and for a minute it was pandemonium!  The Phantom zigzagged through the backyard chasing Shaggy me and a half dozen kids who wanted to join in.  I was a bit nervous that he would really frighten some of the kids but he was such a ham they loved it.  They had so much fun screaming for pretend fear.  Then we lured him to the net and the kids threw it over him and cheered. 

One little girl spoke up and I couldn't have planned it better. She said "Now let's find out who the Phantom really is!"  We sat the Phantom down on a chair and unmasked him.  My husband said in a villainous voice "Yes it's me!  I took the birthday cake and I would have been able to eat it all by myself if it weren't for you meddling kids!"  Then he laughed and pulled the clue code paper out of his pocket.  "Good job Scoobies!  You found all the clues and captured me!  Here's your final clue. Now you have everything you need to solve the mystery of the missing birthday cake."  We all moved over to the patio and passed out the clues so each pair of kids could decode one word.  The birthday boy got to hold and read the code key.  As the kids read out their numbers and Alex decoded them I wrote down the decoded words on slips of paper.  The kids then unscrambled the message which read "The cake is in the malt shop."  Off we went to the Malt Shop for Cake.

CAKE. I baked a rectangular chocolate cake and iced it with chocolate frosting.  I bordered it with yellow and blue dog bonz candy which matched the colors of Scooby's collar and dog tag.  I cut out Scooby-Doo's face from a box of fruit snacks and laminated the back of it with clear packing tape.  Then I stuck it to the frosting.  Scooby had a big grin and open mouth like he was about to eat the yellow dog bonz candy that I used to spell out Alex's name. It looked really good. I used blue and yellow candles and tossed on some sprinkles.  Simple easy and cute.  (For the first time ever I froze the cake before frosting it.  Frosting the cake was so easy this way no crumbs got mixed in with the frosting.  I took the cake out of the freezer about 5 hours before the party and it defrosted in plenty of time.) We served cake and juice boxes then opened presents in the family room while my husband hung the pinata in the backyard. 

PINATA We had the kids wait behind a rope safety line we laid on the grass as each got a turn at bat.  Our palo (pinata stick) has a loop of rope on the handle. We have the hitter put his wrist through the loop in case he lets go of the palo while swinging.  The pinata hung from a rope. One end was tied to the top of our basketball hoop while my husband standing on a ladder held the other end.  He could maneuver the pinata all over the place.  Once the pinata broke and all the candy was scooped up the kids played in the backyard as parents started to arrive. 

FAVORS - Alex passed out the goodie bags to his guests as they left.  The bags were orange with individual packages of Scooby (graham) Snacks Scooby-Doo fruit snacks and some Scooby-Doo candy sticks I found at the Dollar Store.  Everyone had a groovy time!

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