Here's a kid party idea - try a murder mystery game
Kids love playing games - and these mystery games are a great way to keep a group of kids entertained. A truly great kid party idea.
Some of these party games are a bit different to the other games on this site. They're not all interactive murder mystery games - I hope you like the wider choice.
"Just to let you know that my daughter played Curse of the Pharaoh with 9 other girls for her 17th birthday party and it was a great hit. We haven't done anything like this before and admittedly it was quite a complex plot for a first attempt! However everyone loved dressing up (especially dressing as men!) and they all had a great time. Thought you'd welcome the feedback! Thanks very much." From Liz Marshall
Kid Party Idea #1: Playing with grown-ups
The easiest way to play with kids is to just incorporate them in the regular murder mystery parties described elsewhere on this site. Although there are often younger characters in the games, you might want to vet them first to ensure that they are suitable.
This works really well when you have only one or two kids, but is a little trickier when you have more kids than grown-ups. In that case you may need to consider your casting choices carefully (you may want to pair up kids and their parents) - or choose one of the options below.
Kid Party Idea #2: Pirate Island
Pirate Island is something slightly different - it's not a murder mystery party game but is instead a pirate-themed interactive party that's suitable for including into a larger pirate-themed party.
Pirate ships have gathered off a small Caribbean island to take part in the Pirate Games and quest for treasure. Whoever wins the most doubloons is the winner!
Pirate Island is for 6 to 24 pirates and is suitable aged 8 and up (it's great for adults as well!) and is published by Freeform Games LLP.Click here to learn more about Pirate Island.
Kid Party Idea #3: Way out West
Way out West is an interactive murder mystery game set in Cactus Gulch, a small town in America's Wild West. Way out West is for 10-24 kids, plus you'll need someone to host it.
Set in Cactus Gulch's saloon, Way out West features land disputes, cowboys and lawman, disreputable card games, strange folk from out of town and hostile Indians...
(Freeform Games wrote Way out West as a family-friendly game to start with, but they've had a good deal of feedback from people who've run it for groups of kids and younger teens, for birthday parties and the like. So they've now written a version of the game specifically for kids, and they're giving it away free with the standard game!)
Click here to discover more about Way out West.
Kid Party Idea #4: Hollywood Lies
Hollywood Lies is an interactive murder mystery games set in the fabulous world of Hollywood. Dazzled to Death has swept the board at the Eric Awards ceremony - and it is now the time of the post-awards party. However, Dazzled to Death's leading actor has been killed - is it murder?
As well as solving the murder, Hollywood Lies includes a movie-making game - there are three producers who need to make their movie. Each movie needs a screenplay, actors and a director - and the cast and crew of the movie act out a scene from that movie. Hollywood Lies is suitable for older kids aged 14+.
Click here to learn more about Hollywood LiesKid Party Idea #5: Halloween Lies
Halloween
Lies
is simply the Halloween version of Hollywood Lies. Instead of being set
at a glamourous "Oscar-night" style party, Halloween Lies is set at a
Halloween-themed party and the movies are changed to horror movies.
As well as solving the murder, Halloween Lies includes a movie-making game - there are three producers who need to make their movie. Each movie needs a screenplay, actors and a director - and the cast and crew of the movie act out a scene from that movie. Halloween Lies is suitable for older kids aged 14+.
Click here to learn more about Halloween LiesKid Party Idea #6: The Birthday Party Games Lady
The Birthday Party Games Ladyis a site that provides downloadable party games (some of them mystery parties, some of them more traditional) for kids of varying ages. The games include:
- Medieval Madness: a "whodunnit" for 6th graders.
- Search and Riddle: a detective mystery for 9-10 year olds (with treasure hunt and ghost!).
- Survivor: a survival game for 6-8 year olds.
- Harry Potter: play Quidditch at Hogwarts - for 8 to 10 year olds.
Kid Party Idea #7: Mysteries on the Net
Mysteries on the Net produce games where the emphasis is on solving the murder. While their adult games can be quite fiendish - their kids' games are much simpler. In all their games a few kids play the suspects, while the everyone else is a private detective trying to solve the mystery.
- The Sticky Case of Chuckles the Clown is for 8 to 20 10-12 year olds.
- The Curious Case of the Lost Elephant is for 8 to 20 9-12 year olds.
- The Mysterious Case of a Quarterback in Space is for 8 to 24 13-16 year olds.
- The Hair-Raising Case of Rapunzel's Green Tresses is for 12 to 30 13-16 year olds.
- The Perplexing Case of the Pilfered Pooch is for 8 to 20 8-11 year olds.
- The Ghostly Case of the Haunted Amusement Park is for 8 to 20 kids.
- The Strange Case of the Disappearing Presents is a Christmas game for 8 to 25 kids.
Click here to go to the Mysteries on the Net site and learn more about their games. (Make sure you click on the "Looking for a Kids Mystery" link when you get to the site.)
Kid Party Idea #8: Dinner and a Murder Mystery Game
Set in 1920s America, Murder at the Four Deuces is set at the opening of The Four Deuces, a lavish gangster nightclub. During the evening a murder will be committed and the guests (playing the part of gangsters, molls, gamblers, congressmen and other important figures) will be in the thick of the action...
Murder at the Four Deuces is for 12-20 kids and is available in an NC15 version - it's the same as the adult version, but without the liquor and prostitution and is therefore suitable for older teenagers (and sensitive adults!). There is also a sequel - also suitable for teens and adults.
Click here to read more about Murder at the Four Deuces and its sequel.
Kid Party Stories and News
Have you got a story to share about kid's parties - or maybe a relevant news item? If so, please tell us all about it!
What Others Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
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Personalized Kid's Mysteries
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An exciting new mystery opportunity. Working in conjunction with Mysteries-on-the-Net and Inspector Jack, we have launched instantkidsMystery where all...
The Confusing Case of the Lost Letters to Santa
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Mysteries-on-the-Net have a new murder mystery for 8-24 preteens: The Confusing Case of the Lost Letters to Santa. Here's the story so far: Christmas...
The Terrifying Case of Strange Island
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Mysteries-on-the-Net have a new murder mystery for 9-30 kids (great for boys!) aged 13-16: The Terrifying Case of Strange Island. Here's the story so...
The Troubling Case of the Trophy Theft
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Mysteries-on-the-Net have a new murder mystery for 8-25 kids aged 9-12: The Troubling Case of the Trophy Theft. Here's the story so far: Each year in...
The Chocolaty Case of the Costume Conspiracy
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Mysteries-on-the-Net have a new murder mystery for 9-25 pre-teens: The Chocolaty Case of the Costume Conspiracy. Here's the story so far: Once a...
The Sizzling Case of the Soccer Saboteur - an all girls mystery
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Mysteries-on-the-Net have a new murder mystery for 8-30 girls aged 11 to 14: The Sizzling Case of the Soccer Saboteur . Here's the story so far: ...
Tips for Kid's parties
Here are tips specifically designed for kid's parties.
Hosting a Game for Kids: If you've not run a game with kids before, here are a few tips and suggestions.
Stress Free Kids Party Planning: Make your kids' party stress free - by Patricia Jensen.
Ten Kids Party Planning No-Nos: How to avoid those simple mistakes - by Patricia Jensen
Other kid party idea links
Links appropriate to parties for kids:
- Kids Fancy Dress - a uk costume site for kids.