Introducing a few mystery party games into your daughter’s next party is something you should definitely consider. Your daughter’s party will certainly be memorable as mystery party games can be quite rare. They are lots of fun when done correctly.
The first question you need to ask yourself is
what can the mystery be?
The key point of a mystery party game is that the participants are required to solve something.
Now you'll need to ask yourself
should i incorporate a theme?
Mystery party games are great when connected to a theme. Typical
mystery party games revolve around the ‘the butler dunit’ sort of themes, however this does not need to be the case.
Think about what your child finds funny. Are any particular countries high on her list? Each is able to become a theme for a party, and each of these can have accompanying mysteries. ‘Who is my prince charming’ can be a mystery for a princess party theme: the mysteries are limited only by our own imaginations.
However, if you decide against having a theme, there are a lot of mystery party games to include.
Miming games are always fun, as is Guess Who and What Song Is This.
Next up, ask yourself
how much of the party should focus on mystery party games?
If you’re prepared to do heaps of preparation, the mystery can continue the duration of the party. Some pre-party hair and make-up are a great idea, as would be getting everyone to come in costume. Further, you could let the party-goers do some baking to make some treats suitable for the party. The choice is yours.
If you’d prefer to not do any planning, it’s better to focus on games other than those solely associated with mysteries, like puzzles and other fun party games. The key point is that kids adore variety, so mysteries are an excellent addition.
The next question is
how much preparation are you prepared to do?
Responding to this question will help you to decide the types of mystery party games are open to you. Deciding on ‘lots of’ advance preparation, will enable you to create a full-on mystery party for the whole party.
However, you can create a fairly good mystery party by undertaking a bit of preparation. Obviously, you can still incorporate some puzzles too.
By opting for ‘minor’ preparation, your focus should be on puzzle games and minor mysteries rather than a whole themed party.
The next question you need to answer is
what types of mysteries are appropriate?
Remembering the times you have hung out with your daughter and her friends will point you in the right direction. You could also consider asking your child’s friends’ parents to see if they are happy for your ideas.
Puzzles are frequently preferred to frightening games by girls. It’s perfectly feasible for more gruesome parties to entertain people; it just depends on the age of the party-goers. Some girls might be fine with a ‘murder mystery’ party, while others may have a preference for something more along the lines of "who stole the teddy bear?".
You could have a chat with your daughter beforehand to get a good idea of the preferences of her and her friends.
Next up, you'll need to ask yourself
how big is the group?
You will need a good idea of numbers if you are undertaking a lot of advance preparation. If you're not fussed about preparation, concentrate on puzzle games.
Finally, you will need to ask yourself
what do i need to do now?
What mystery you choose will help to determine this. There are plenty of party packs for sale online which provide everything you will require for a mystery evening. They typically also include a fun dvd. If you do not have much time, these are ideal.
However, it’s also a fun challenge (and more special) to make your own mystery. To do this, decide on what your mystery is. Next, determine which characters to incorporate. Your goal should be for each character to have at least one interesting fact that the rest of the characters do not know. It could be that this is connected to the mystery or maybe it’s just something else for the party-goers to discover. If you’re adventurous, you could include scenarios for the characters to interact in. Uncovering the mysteries is the game’s key thrust.
A top tip is that if you intend to include your child in the planning, think about trying to conceal the mysteries from her so she can join in too.
