|
|
 Mary
Kate & Ashley Detective Party
Party
Ideas by Party Consultant Michelle Hylton
Updated: 11/14/2008
www.PartyShelf.com
This party starts with a Detective Orientation
from the Trenchcoat Detective Agency.
Each rookie detective is finger printed, given an
ID card, detective kit and hat.
The detective training starts with solving some
mysteries and playing fun games.
The closing ceremony includes induction in to the
Trenchcoat Detective Agency, with
a official certificate, mug shot in a trench coat
and detective hat and their mission rations.
|
Invitation
Ideas |
|
|
|
|
|
Craft with Foam Craft a
Magnifier Invitation |
Manila
Folder |
Create a Computer Invite |
|
As seen in this photo, I simply cut a
magnifier template on black foam craft and then a smaller one on white
foam craft. Glued the pieces together and added a magnet to the back.
I wrote Mystery Party on top, with date, time, place and rsvp
information. On the handle I wrote "Clue: ". Here you can put
"Twin Detectives" or "Child's Name Birthday" or any other cute saying
for your party. |
These are inexpensive and require just a
little time creating.
Front of Folder: You can write "Top
Secret", draw or decorate with die cuts. You can put question
marks, foot prints, words like "mystery, clue, secret code", etc.
Inside Option 1: Simply write your party
details in the inside of the folder.
Inside Option 2: Put a secret code
decipher on the inside and then on the opposite side write your party
info in secret code for your guest to unscramble.
Inside Option 3: Write your party info
backwards and ask guest to hold up to a mirror to decipher. |
Use clipart and add some creative words
to make an invitation. Here is sample to start you thinking.
Cover:
Trench Coat Twins
Detective Agency
Will Solve Any Crime
Before Dinner Time!
Inside:
Agents Mary
Kate & Ashley invite you to be a celebrate
Agent
Mary's 8th Mission!
Date:
Time:
Secret Location:
RSVP To Agent Mom: |
|
Decorating
Ideas |
|
|
|
|
|
Color Scheme
|
Detective Briefing Room/Area |
More
Ideas |
|
Of course, the darker colors black and
gray are the colors most of think about when it comes to
detectives and mysteries. Here are a few color combinations that
work for this theme.
Use anyone of these for your table
decor, place settings, balloons and garland. |
You will need to set up a detective room
or area. This will be a multi-purpose room in which you will use
as a Detective orientation room and for cake celebration.
You will need tables, folding tables
work nice or use your kitchen table and additional tables. Everyone will
need a place to sit.
Use black table coverings, then use
one of the coordinating colors to add balloons, garland, etc. Set up a
corner area where finger printing and later photos will be taken.
At each seating have a detective hat
and a detective brief ready for the new recruits.
The detective brief can be a color
coordinated plastic pocket folder for party favors. Include the
following in the brief:
-
a small notepad
-
cool pen or pencil
-
disappearing ink
-
magnifying glass
-
spy glasses
-
binoculars
-
ID Card
-
Secret Decoder
 |
Create ID cards using your computer and
business card paper. Leave a spot for a thumb print to be put on
there during finger printing. I also color coded ID's to make teams for
game playing.
Using White shoe polish, paint "?"
marks on your black balloons.
Cut out black foot prints and large
question marks. Have footprints go from outside on the sidewalk into the
house into the party room (detective room). Hang question marks up
around on the walls for décor.
Create signs either by computer or
draw them free hand. Here are some sign suggestions:
- For the entrance to Detective
Room - "Trench coat Twins Detective Agency .....New Agent
Orientation...Date/Time."
- Agency Slogan Sign - "Trench coat
Twins
Detective Agency … Will Solve Any Crime By Dinner Time.
- Create a Spy's Code of Ethics,
for example:
- Always be on time
- Do not divulge your name,
only answer to your Agent #.
- Always be in disguise
- Always carry your ID card
- Never leave fingerprints -
wear gloves or wipe
- Be alert for double-agents
- Don't leave any of your trade
tools behind
- Do not get caught on a
mission
- Always keep the chief's name
a secret
- Be home by dinner time!
- Create Wanted Posters to hang in
the Detective briefing room.
Create your own secret decoders.
Here are some links to some decoders kids can make as an activity
instead of a game or you make them ahead of time.
Hang up posters of Mary Kate & Ashley.
|
|
Party
Outline |
|
|
|
|
|
Opening Activity
|
Game/Celebration
Time
|
Closing Activity |
|
As your rookie detective arrive, have them go to the briefing area to
get their assigned seat.
At each seat have a secret code that has
to be deciphered by the rookie using their decoder in their brief.
Or have them make a secret decoder ( see decoder books below).
Once all rookies have arrived, announce
that the goal of this gathering is to graduate as a detective for the
Trench Coat Agency by solving mysteries and having fun. At the end
of the gathering, they will receive their Detective Certificate and
Mission Rations (treats). But first, all detectives must be
fingerprinted. Using the ID cards in their briefing have them line
up to be finger printed.
Finger Printing - Use a nontoxic
black-ink stamp pad and rubbing alcohol to remove ink form finger with
towel.
(Approximately 15-20 minutes of party
time)
|
Under games below I have designed some games for this theme and listed
other detective like games that you may want to play.
Plan games for 30-40 minutes, then give
the rookie detectives a break and celebrate with cake.
After cake, you can open gifts for about
20-30 minutes, but make sure to leave time for your closing activity.
|
Gather all the detectives into the
briefing room for graduation ceremonies. Have detectives take
their seats and call them up one by one to receive their certificate of
completion, have their picture taken in a trench coat and hat and
receive their next Mission and Rations (treats).
If using a Polaroid camera you may
want to take two pictures, one for your scrapbook and one to send to
your guest in their thank you card. Otherwise, with digital get two prints of
each photo.
Certificates can be easily made on your
computer or purchase inexpensive ones at an office supply store and fill
in the lines.
|
|
Game
Ideas |
|
|
|
|
|
Team
Clue |
Mind
Bender |
Mary
Kate & Ashley Trivia Game |
|
Supplies Needed:
Decorate 3 clue bags per team. This photo
shows an example. The small square is colored to match the team color.
Each team will have 3 Clue bags to search for.
Design a Team Clue Sheet to have the
following format:
Detective Team Color ______
Clue #1______________________
Clue #2______________________
Clue #3______________________
Mystery Person is:_______________
Mystery Message is: __________________
Prior to the party find some interesting
facts about Mary Kate & Ashley. Here's an example of one that I used.
Mystery Person: Ashley
Mystery: Born 2 minutes before Mary Kate
Clue #1: The words "First Born" on a
piece of paper.
Clue #2: two diaper pins ( or a #2
magnet)
Clue #3: watch
Get creative and depending on your groups
age this can be easy or hard. As you can see the clues can be
objects too.
The mystery person will either be Mary
Kate or Ashley. Create CLUE #1 to help identify the mystery
person. Clue #2 & #3 will help identify the mystery message
or fact about the mystery person.
Each clue is put in their own bag.
Hide bags around the party area, other rooms or outside prior to the
party.
Game time - Break guest into teams ( use
color codes on ID's or count off). Give each team their team clue
sheet and a pen/pencil. You may also want to put the sheet on a
clipboard.
Teams search the party area for their
three clue bags. Once the three bags are found they must gather back at
the Detective room. The team must huddle together and speak in
whispers to try to solve their mystery.
The first team to fill out their sheet
and turn into the Chief will end the game. All other teams must turn in
their note sheet, whether they finished or not. The Chief (you) will
reveal the answers and see if the first team won. If a team missed, they
"FUMBLED THE CASE"……the next team who solved most of their mystery will
be the winner (no prizes were given out just a round of applause). |
Supplies Needed:
-
Tray
-
Cloth cover
-
15-20 small trinkets
Each guest gets a turn to figure out
what is missing from a tray of trinkets. A guest will get 10 seconds to
look at the tray; the tray is then covered and removed from their site.
A trinket is removed and the tray is returned covered.
The guest now has 10 seconds to guess
what was removed from the tray. If they guess right, they get a
small detective favor.
Be prepared to play this one several
times, kids like guessing.
Variation: Place
objects in a bag. Guest have 60 seconds to feel all the objects in the
bag and then write down what is inside. The detective with the
highest number of correct answers wins!
|
Divide guest into teams ( or team colors).
Each team is asked a question and they
must decide together what the answer is.
Multiple choice answers can be given
like "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire."
The number of questions may vary,
usually the same number as the birthday child's age.
The team with the most correct answers wins.
Here are some source with Mary Kate & Ashley trivia:
|
|
Spy Ring |
Taste Interrogation |
If the Shoe Fits |
|
All detectives sit in a circle. The Chief
whispers a secret code into the ear of the first detective who then
passes it on to the next detective. The code is passed around the
circle until it gets back to the Chief. The last detective tells it to
the Chief. The Chief tells everyone what the original message was. |
While blindfolded a detective has to taste
different pieces of food and write down what he has tasted. The
detective who guesses the most pieces of food is the winner.
|
As detectives are fingerprinted they can
also have their footprints taken. Outline the right foot of each
detective onto a piece of white paper. Assign a number to the paper (try
not to allow the child to see the number). On a master list of
guest names, write the number next to it.
Game Time: Pass out randomly a sheet
of paper to each detective. Give them 3 minutes to figure out
who's shoe outline they have.
After the 3 minutes are up, have
detectives line up and show you their footprint and their guess.
Congratulate the detectives who solved
their mysteries! |
|
Favor
Ideas |
|
|
|
|
|
Detective Briefcase - Use colorful plastic folders with
closures.
Mission Rations- Bag of treats, don't forget the life savers. |
Hats |
Glasses |
|
|
The Case of Camp
Crooked Lake |
|
Try one of these books for your secret
decoder:
Detective Briefing
Room
Mary Kate &
Ashley
Detective Party
Prop1
Olsen Twin Links
http://www.kidsreads.com/series/series-olsens-facts.asp
Return
to Children Themes
|
