# Kids' party ideas - Detective theme **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783 "2003-09-15T19:12:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/1 "2003-09-15T19:12:39Z")
We wanted to do a detective themed party for our daughter’s 9th birthday. Sort of a Nancy Drew thing. We thought of getting some cheap props and having them either solve a mystery, or find a treasure through a series of clues. Preferably we would like to do teams, but might settle for a group project to keep it simple. Does anyone have any suggestions? We’ve done treasure hunts in the past with maps, but thought it would be fun to have a story line and make it a little more involved. Any help would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/2 "2003-09-15T19:29:06Z")
That’s an awesome idea. My sometimes creative mother would arrange treasure hunts with successive clues and we thought it rocked. For instance, can you guess where the next clue is? Going round in circles today? All the kids have come to play? Read these clues and soon you’ll be Almost there and soon home free. Getting there is half the fun Even now you’re halfway done! ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/3 "2003-09-15T19:59:41Z")
In the Garage? I wonder if they have those ‘host your own mystery’ kits for kids like they have the host a murder mystery for grownups? Sounds like a cool party … wish you could have been my parents! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/4 "2003-09-16T00:46:39Z")
Google up “children’s birthday party themes.” Entire sites dedicated to great birthday ideas. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/5 "2003-09-16T13:00:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dangerosa \* > \*\*Google up “children’s birthday party themes.” Entire sites dedicated to great birthday ideas. \*\* I actually did, but was having trouble finding specific ideas for our plan. Does anyone have ideas on how to organize a mystery that kids can solve? **Bruce\_Daddy** , I have no idea…a playground? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/6 "2003-09-16T13:56:40Z")
Start with a funny clown in the living room. Kids love clowns. Have the clown be doing magic tricks and telling jokes. Kids love magic and jokes. Have all the lights flicker off for just a moment. Kids love flickering lights. When the lights come back on have the slightly convulsing clown lying in a pool of blood with a 12" butcher knife impaled in his/her back. Kids love “Who killed the clown?”. Hey, you asked for suggestions, not good suggestions… ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/7 "2003-09-16T15:46:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doctor Jackson \* > \*\*Start with a funny clown in the living room. Kids love clowns. Have the clown be doing magic tricks and telling jokes. Kids love magic and jokes. Have all the lights flicker off for just a moment. Kids love flickering lights. When the lights come back on have the slightly convulsing clown lying in a pool of blood with a 12" butcher knife impaled in his/her back. Kids love “Who killed the clown?”. > > Hey, you asked for suggestions, not good suggestions… \*\* Well, aside from the convulsing and the pool of blood, I wouldn’t be against something along those lines. Where we go from there in the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/8 "2003-09-16T15:52:58Z")
There are some fun detective party games like ‘Murder in the Dark’. I loved that game as a kid. They have those “how to host a murder” game/party kits you buy, I’ll bet they have kid versions as well. ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/9 "2003-09-16T15:54:57Z")
Hmmm like this? [http://www.birthdaypartygameslady.com/detective\_party\_game.htm](http://www.birthdaypartygameslady.com/detective_party_game.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/10 "2003-09-16T15:57:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lost4life \* > \*\ ***Bruce\_Daddy** , I have no idea…a playground? \*\* **tanookie** got it. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/11 "2003-09-16T16:20:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tanookie \* > \*\*Hmmm like this? > > [http://www.birthdaypartygameslady.com/detective\_party\_game.htm](http://www.birthdaypartygameslady.com/detective_party_game.htm) \*\* Yeah, that’s on the right track. I’d like to do it myself rather than order it, but I got a few ideas from their description. It’ll be in October, so I want to make it Halloweeny-ish. Um, now I get **Bruce-Daddy** ’s clue:smack: I probably can use that too. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/12 "2003-09-16T16:35:53Z")
How many kids would be at the pary? ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-party-ideas-detective-theme/201783/13 "2003-09-16T17:28:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\*How many kids would be at the pary? \*\* Who knows! Probably around 8-12. I’m starting to get a plan. I’m thinking of having teams solve a bunch of mini-puzzles. Not just things on paper, but maybe hunting down stuff. Solving the puzzles leaves each team with a letter clue. When they all put their letters together, it’ll spell out the solution’s location. Maybe a buried treasure they have to dig up, or the location of the murdered clown’s shallow grave (they can split the contents of his wallet). It has to be entertaining, take some time, and be challenging but something they can solve.