Secret Agent Party

Age of Birthday Boy: 10 years old
Age Range of Guests: 7-12 years old
Gender of Guests: boys and girls

Potential Age Range of Theme: 5-13+ years, depending on specific focus & activities



Invitations: The invitations were requests to join a top secret agency of spies.  Guests were asked to report to headquarters (our house) at a certain date and time for training to become secret agents.

Cake: This one was easy but still turned out great.  We made a stencil template on paper that read "TOP SECRET", placed it gently on a frosted 9x13 cake and sprinkled red sprinkles over top.  To make it neater we could have used a stiffer icing or a larger piece of paper but for the limited time we had to prepare we think it turned out really well.

Activities: As guests arrived their names were checked off the official secret agent training camp list.  They were given name tags to wear and each guest chose an alias or code name, marking their name tag with a fingerprint (using washable ink).

Guests were put into two groups of new recruits - it happened to be a girls team and a boys team this time but it didn't have to work that way.  The teams were instructed that they would go through secret agent training to see if they had what it takes to be a spy.  There would be stations to get through to test such qualities as teamwork, accuracy, agility, and problem solving.

Teamwork: This was essentially the human knot game - an old stand-by that remains a favorite.  The kids stood in a circle and reached across it to grab someone's hand.  Anyone's hand was fine as long as you weren't holding both hands of the same person.  Then they tried to untangle themselves into one big circle.  You could also try this blindfolded for a bigger challenge, or have only some kids blindfolded and/or some unable to speak.

Accuracy: In this challenge one of our secret agent instructors (aka: dad) sat by a tree.  The kids were given water balloons and told to break the balloons on the tree over the head of the instructor.  Points were awarded for correct placement, and deducted if you hit the instructor. Of course, some kids didn't care about the deductions so the instructor got fairly wet!!

Agility: Teams were given a rope with loops for handles and instructed to go through an obstacle course all together single file.  We set up chairs to crawl under, board to cross, hoops to jump through, etc.

Problem Solving: Here, teams were given some items and a task.  They had to create something long enough to reach and grab a key hanging on our play structure while they stood on the deck.  The kids had to figure out the best way to use the sticks, rope, and a hook to create something both long enough and strong enough to reach, grab, and retrieve the key.

Final Challenge: As kids were finishing up their last task it was announced that an urgent matter had come to the attention of the instructors.  Since all other active agents were currently assigned it had fallen to the new recruits to solve the mystery for the agency.  They were given clues and coordinates to a hidden stolen treasure.

The teams had to decipher the coded messages to determine the general location of the treasure.  Then they had to follow instructions for placing string from one spot, across the playground area, to another spot.  This was done 3 times.  Where all the strings crossed is where they were to dig for the treasure (sort of an X marks the spot kind of thing!).  Each team had a different specific location in the same general area.

Both teams found their treasure which meant all the new recruits graduated form their training and were granted full secret agent status.

Goodie Bags: Kids were given certificates of completion and they also kept their new recruit name tags. In addition to various candies and chocolates, the goodie bags included a stick-on mustache and sunglasses to help with their spy disguises.  Each child also got a pen and notepad as well as a spy decoder ring.

This party was a bit more work to pull together as far as planning the activities, but was so much fun - as long as you don't mind kids digging up your yard! Fortunately we were getting our playground area ready for wood chips so it was ready for the purpose.  A sandbox would work just as well.

Olympics, Summer

Age of Birthday Boy: 9 years old
Age Range of Guests: 7-12 years old
Gender of Guests: boys and girls

Potential Age Range of Theme: 6-14 years, depending on the specific focus & activities, and how physically difficult you make each event

Our son's 9th birthday coordinated nicely with the timing of the Beijing Olympics so it was a natural party theme idea and he was thrilled.


Invitations: Invitations were easy but unfortunately there is no photo.  We drew the Olympic Rings on white card stock and put party information the back.  We found some flag stickers to decorate the envelopes.

Cake:  Again, this one was very easy - Olympic Rings out of colored frosting with a white background on a 9x13 cake.  We also had cupcakes with the same design.

Activities:  This was the highlight!  The kids had to register as they arrived for the party, receiving numbers, and choosing a country to represent.  We had flags from various countries and each child chose one to carry during our opening ceremony.  We even had a "torch" to light (cardboard box and tissue paper)!

The guests were sorted into groups to rotate through stations.  Events included javelin (broomstick), shot put (bocce balls), high jump (using a mattress to land on), long jump, basketball, and soccer.

We also had a station where the kids had to identify countries by their flags with points earned for how many could be completed correctly.
After the games were completed, medals were awarded to the guests (everyone received one), and we had our closing ceremony complete with the Olympic Fanfare music.  Then it was on to cake & ice cream!

Goodie Bags: We filled red party bags with candy and various Olympic themed items such as stickers, pens, etc.  They also kept their flags and we took a picture of each child receiving their Olympic Medals to send along with thank-you cards.

Letterboxing

Age of Birthday Boy: 8 years old
Age Range of Guests: 5-10 years old
Gender of Guests: boys and girls

Potential Age Range of Theme: 5-13+ years, depending on specific focus & activities

You could very easily do a geo-caching version of this party, especially with an older crowd, but that is an activity we didn't discover until later.

Invitations: The front of the invitation had a compass rose on it and the coordinates of our home. Inside were party details, a map, and a request to come ready to explore outside (socks or long pants, hat, sunscreen, etc).

Cake: The cake was very simple for this party. A round cake was turned into a compass rose design. Cupcakes in coordinating colors had frosting magnifying glasses on them with letters that spelled out a happy birthday message.

Games: The main event for this one was letter-boxing. Ahead of time we planted two letterboxes in a nearby forested area. We then created clues to help the party guests find the boxes. Once the guests had arrived we divided them into two teams (it happened to be older kids and younger kids).

The kids all got a letter-boxing pack which later served as their goodie bag. It was a simple drawstring backpack from Oriental Trading Company. Inside was a compass, a notebook and pencil, a water bottle, a small snack, and a rubber stamp of their choosing with an ink pad (washable ink). A grown-up in each group also carried extra water, a small first-aid kit, wipes for washing hands, and a cell phone to keep in contact with the other group to gauge progress.

The kids had to follow specific instructions to get to the forest and look for the clues to help them find the box once they were there. The two groups set off in different directions once we got to the forest. They would eventually find both boxes but started with different ones to make it less crowded as we walked.

Once a box was found each child stamped their own stamp into the notepad inside the box and left a note in the notebook. Then they used the stamp from the box to make a mark in their own notepad. We stopped for a snack when the two groups met mid-way between the two boxes. Once both groups had found both boxes we walked back home for cake & ice cream.

Goodie Bags: The kids each had their own draw-string backpack as their goodie bag. They got to keep it, the compass, rubber stamp, notepad, and pencil, plus we added candy and stickers once we returned home. In addition each child was given general instructions for letter-boxing and websites for their parents to look up if they were interested in doing it as a family.

This was a super party. The one event took the entire time making planning easy, and the kids loved the detective/exploring part of letter-boxing. For most party-goers this was their first exposure to the activity.

Red Sox Baseball

Age of Birthday Boy: 7 years old
Age Range of Guests: 5-9 years old
Gender of Guests: boys and girls

Potential Age Range of Theme: 3-13+ years, depending on specific focus & activities and how difficult you make the games

Invitations: We printed out a Red Sox logo, glued it to red construction paper, and wrote party details on the back. We found some Red Sox stickers to use on the envelopes (the iParty store is an official Red Sox merchandise distributor and was a good source of items for the party).

Cake: We decorated a 9x13 cake with a baseball diamond using frosting, crushed graham crackers for dirt, and mini marshmallows cut in half for the bases. A Red Sox scoreboard was printed out on the computer and added to the field (complete with the score showing them beating the Yankees - important detail). Using a Red Sox/Yankees chess set we placed players on the field. It was a hit!

Games & Goodies: Party guests were encouraged to wear Red Sox pariphinalia, or the team colors, and were each given a Red Sox souvenir pin as they arrived at the party. Everyone had a chance to stand in front of a "Red Sox Clubhouse" sign and pose for a photo with a baseball bat & glove if they wished. These were then made into personal baseball cards (quickly downloaded & printed out during the party while other activities were going on) which the kids filled out later with personal stats. They also all posed for a team photo. Other activities involved baseball type events - throwing small soft baseballs at a target, catching balls that were being bounced off a re-bounder (a bouncy net used for soccer and baseball practice), and running "bases" outside in an obstacle course set-up.

Goodie bags included a then-current Red Sox player baseball card, baseball shaped pencils with baseball notepads, sports themed erasers, small soft baseballs, Red Sox stickers, candy, & gum. Plus they got to take home their own personal baseball card and a team photo.

Detective - Jigsaw Jones

Age of Birthday Boy: 6 years old
Age Range of Guests: 3-9 years old
Gender of Guests: boys and girls

Potential Age Range of Theme: 3-12 years, depending on specific focus & activities


This party was inspired by the "Jigsaw Jones" chapter book series by James Preller which our son loved at the time. But, it could easily be adapted for any detective-themed party.

Invitations: We cut out puzzle shapes and glued them on the outside of the invitations. Small stickers taped the card shut for a more "secretive" feel.

The Cake: Using a 9x13 inch cake we cut it into a puzzle shape using a template made from wax paper. This was decorated simply using frosting & sprinkles with a simple math problem on it that indicated how old our son was turning. Cupcakes were decorated with a number code and the kids had to figure out that it read "Happy Birthday".

Games & Goodies: The front door read "Welcome to the Jigsaw Jones Detective Agency", each child was given a detective badge as they arrived, and they put their fingerprints on them using washable ink. We played a number of scavenger-hunt and code-breaking games, as well as games to test their memory. The kids had to follow clues, crack the codes (number codes, alphabet codes, riddles, and symbol codes), and find missing puzzle pieces.

 There were then two puzzles to put together once all the parts were located - one for younger kids and one for the older crowd. For a memory game the kids were briefly shown a group of random household items, the items were hidden, and they had to remember as many as possible. The first turn gave the kids plenty of time to see & remember the items. By the last try the items were viewed only briefly and they all did a great job figuring out how to work together to get them all right.

Goodie bags included detective notepads & pencils, puzzle piece erasers, their name badges, and a variety of candy treats.

Dinosaurs & Volcanoes

Age of Birthday Boy: 5 years old
Age Range of Guests: 3-8 years old
Gender of Guests: boys and girls

Potential Age Range of Theme: 2-8 years, depending on specific focus & activities

The Cake: For this cake we used a pan that is designed for the skirt of a doll - you can purchase it at most craft stores and it can have a variety of uses. For us it became a mountain and we placed it beside another base cake. We then covered it with chocolate frosting and added orange frosting for lava.

 Malt balls & crushed chocolate cookies were rocks coming down the side of the mountain but any round or crumbly cookie-type food will work. Green & blue frosting made up the grass & a watering hole. Around this we placed plastic dinosaurs. We also had extra cupcakes with blue or green frosting and a plastic dinosaur on each one.

Games & Goodies: Games were dinosaur themed versions of classics such as pin the scale on the dinosaur. Goodie bags included candy treats, dinosaur stickers, and plastic dinosaurs.