Seven year olds are the best in so many ways. Their personalities are really starting to take shape and their imaginations are vivid. My son Parker loves to put on mustaches, which sparked the idea for a full on spy-themed birthday party in partnership with Oriental Trading Company.
Here is what we did:
Invisible ink invatations - I used this pen, filled it with lemon juice, and wrote out the secret invitation. To accept the mission, each agent needed to text a thumbs up to my phone. I also included a note inside the envelope that had instructions for revealing the birthday invitation and my phone number if they had any questions (or if it didn't work).
Spy kit - as kids walked in the door to our home, they were handed a spy kit which included (sunglasses, a mustache, notebook, pen, and spyglass). They were also fingerprinted for security.
Trick piñata - the first activity once everyone had arrived was the piñata. Parker took a mighty swing and the whole thing busted open, spilling beans everywhere. Yep, beans. This was the beginning of the mystery to find the piñata candy. A puzzle piece and a clue had also been placed inside the piñata and was quickly found by the excited kids.
Puzzle - I purchased an blank puzzle at our local craft store and wrote clues that would reveal where the candy was hidden inside the house. There were 12 puzzle pieces, so I had 6 activities were they could earn a puzzle piece and 6 scavenger hunt style clues that I found on here (Rhyming Riddle Scavenger Hunt for Your Kids). She even provides a free printable.
1. Piñata (piece hidden inside)
2. Clue #1: puzzle piece hidden in our toothbrush drawer.
3. Be innovative - make a bowl out of balloons, chocolate, and parchment paper (piece upon completion)
4. Clue #2: puzzle piece hidden on a cereal box.
5. Play "telephone" (piece upon completion)
6. Clue #3: puzzle piece hidden under the party silverware.
7. Navigate the maze (piece on the other side). We wove yarn throughout the kids' bedroom and everyone had to get across safely before the puzzle piece could be collected. This was everyone's favorite activity!
8. Clue #4: puzzle piece hidden near the bathroom mirror.
9. Examine fingerprints. We took another set of fingerprints, used the magnifying glass to look at them, and talked about how everyone's were different.
10. Clue #5: puzzle piece hidden on the inside doorbell box.
11. Secret scratch notes.- Put two pieces of paper together and use a ballpoint pen to firmly write on the top note. Then, give the bottom piece of paper to another agent. They can then use a pencil to gently rub back and forth until the message is revealed.
12. Clue #6: puzzle piece hidden in the shower stall.
Once all the puzzle pieces had been collected they worked as a team to put it together, think about the final four clues, and then search for the candy.
A few other fun things added excitement to the party... We used trick candles for the birthday cake, put footprints all over the house, and took a group photo with everyone in their mustaches. It is safe to say that the party was a success. AND as a parent I enjoyed having enough activities to keep the kids busy for the entire two hours. The last 10 minutes, as parents were coming and going, got a bit wild, with the kids running around the house and having fun. 10 minutes of wild was plenty for everyone!
