Coolest Spy Detective Games for Kids

Here’s an awesome collection of Spy Detective party games for kids, perfect for throwing the coolest ever Spy Detective theme party. 

Mafia and Detectives

Rules of the game: Everyone sits in a circle on the ground or in level chairs except for one person (everyone must be able to see everyone in the circle). The person standing up is the command giver (CG) and is in charge of telling people two basic commands, picking the Mafia, and telling the other people (the detectives) if they where right or wrong about who they think the Mafia is. At the beginning of the game, the CG tells everyone to “go to sleep” (close their eyes). The CG walks around the circle and chooses someone to be the Mafia by tapping twice on their head (the rest of the people become detectives).

The CG then tells everyone to wake up and open their eyes. Then everyone makes eye contact with everyone while the person who is the Mafia tries to “kill” people by winking at them. If a certain person is winked at, they must die dramatically. The game is ended either if someone guesses who the Mafia is (and is correct; if that person is wrong – he/she must “die” on the spot), or if the Mafia has “killed” off everyone. If someone does guess who the Mafia is, they then become the CG. This is one of those games for kids that usually lasts a few minutes and the kids normally want to play it several times.

Gumshoe-Shoe Detectives

Have every person that arrives at the party outline their shoes on a piece of paper. Collect all the papers and give each page a different number (making a list of the kid’s name and the number of the page where his/her feet are outlined on). Then, during the party pass out a shoe outline to each kid (make sure not to give a kid their own shoe outline) and give the kids a few minutes to figure out who’s shoe outline they have. They will have a really good time while they frantically try and measure other people’s shoes, while others are trying to measure their shoes!

Detective Memory

Here’s one of those fun party games for kids. Ring out a tray full of items or put these items on a table. Cover them with a small blanket (use items that a spy might use: camera, watch, passport, headphones, tape recorder, etc.). Lift the blanket for 30 seconds allowing the kids to view it. When the time is up, cover it and give each kid a paper and pencil. Give the kids 2 minutes to write everything that they remember from the tray and whoever remembers the most is the winner.

Detective Touch

Take a regular big cardboard box and make 2 holes in the side (big enough to fit both hands). Put all kinds of things in the box (for example cooked spaghetti, Jell-O cubes and pudding, a duster, etc. Use anything that can be very mysterious to touch and must be guessed without knowing what’s inside the box. After putting different kinds of interesting things, close off the box and let the kids put their hands in.

They then need to write on a piece of paper their guesses to what the mystery objects are in the box. The winner is the one who guesses correctly the most items inside the box. You can also just do this by blindfolding each kid and giving him or her something else to touch. They each then have to guess what it is by sense of touch (keep wipes close by). This is one of the coolest games for kids!

Diffuse the Bomb

This is a fun game to play inside or out. You can take either the favor bags or any other kind of prizes, tie a long piece of black, white, or gray yarn to each one. String the pieces of yarn across the room, going over, under, and around anything that is in the party area (tables, chairs, furniture, etc.). Leave the ends of the yarn available for each party kid. They then need to take their end of the yarn, follows it (as if it’s a bomb wire) all the way to where they find their prize. It can get a bit crazy if their are a lot of kids, but this game is a lot of fun!

Spy Training Games for Kids

Here’s one of those really fun and interactive Spy games for kids. After all of the kids have arrived, have someone ring the doorbell and leave. Once you and the kids open the door to see who it is, there should be a brown manila envelope with “Top Secret” written on it addressed to “Smith (your last name) Spy Agency”. Bring it inside and in the envelope (that you organized before the party) either have a written assignment or even better a tape recorder with the mission recorded on tape. (If you choose not to record the missions you can use a coded message, invisible ink, etc.).

Once the kids listen to the tape they will understand that they are recruited (and of course if they choose to accept the assignment) they need to go through Spy training. First start by taking pictures of the kids (with either a Polaroid or digital camera) and print out their pictures (the size of a driver’s license picture). Place the pictures in lanyards (you can get these in any office supply store) and let them write their name, make up a serial number for them, and even have them dip their fingers in ink to put their fingerprint.

Give each a little spy kit (this can consist of a plastic black hat, black sunglasses, a mini flashlight, a little notepad and pencil, magnifying glass etc.). Now the fun part starts… Each mission can be on the tape recorder (they press play, wait for instructions and stop to complete that particular assignment). The next few activities written here (after “Surprise Messages) can be used as spy missions (you can choose to do some or all, or even come up with a few of your own).

I Spy

This one of those games for kids that’s best with younger kids and is a good time filler if you are busy preparing for other games for kids. You need to start by saying “I spy with my little eye….. Something beginning with the letter ‘L’ …” or another example “I spy with my little eye…. Something that is colored red”…. And the kids need to figure out what it is by guessing.

Cake Hunt

Here’s another one of those fun games for kids. You can give the kids a “briefing” and introduce yourself as head chief of police. Tell them that someone mysteriously stole the birthday cake and show them a picture or drawing of the cake that was stolen. Tell the kids that you decided to call on them so that they can bring order and figure out where the cake is.

A more creative way of starting this hunt is by taping yourself onto a tape recorder with a deep and mysterious voice (or tape regularly and slow down the voice to sound deep). As you record, say what the mission is (what crime has been done to solve). At the end say something like “this message will self destruct in 3 seconds” and add an explosion sound. Then take the tape recorder and wrap it many times (lots of layers – even put in boxes). At the party start of with the game “pass the parcel”.

Have the kids sit in a circle passing the package. Play a mission impossible or any other spy detective tune. The kid who holds the package when the music stops, is the one to unwrap one of the layers. This goes on and on until the last person to unwrap finds a tape recorder. They press play and everyone gets to hear the mission.

Then divide the big group of kids into small groups and put an adult to be responsible (if the hunt is in an outside area like a park, etc.). Provide each of the kids with a notepad, pen or pencil and a magnifying glass. Then give each group a clue that will lead them to their first station (you will need to hide all of the clues before the party). Each clue can be hidden in all kinds of places (in the refrigerator, inside a pair of shoes, between bushes, etc,), and every time they find a clue it should also give a certain assignment to do to sharpen their detective skills. Examples for such assignments can be

• Collect certain items that are listed
• Look for a certain bug and then draw it while looking closely in the magnifying glass
• Look for items that are shaped in all kinds of different shapes (diamonds, circles, rectangles, etc.)
• Find a rock that resembles something specific
• All kinds of other assignments that you can make up yourself

The first team to locate the cake gets served first! (You can also do this with many other things, for example hide all of your kid’s presents when the kids aren’t looking; then when everyone is getting ready for present opening, act astonished as if someone has stolen them). This is one of the party games the kids will really get excited with playing!

Take a look at our complete Spy Detective Birthday Party Themes section for more of the coolest party-planning ideas.

Kid Birthday Parties › Kid Activities › Spy Detective Games for Kids

Related posts:

Coolest Spy and Detective Birthday Party Themes The Biggest Collection Ever of Awesome Pool Party Games Coolest Indoor Birthday Party Games Coolest Water Party Games Coolest Kid Activities and Birthday Party Games Coolest Outdoor Birthday Party Games Coolest Carnival Birthday Party Games Coolest Sesame Street and Elmo Birthday Party Ideas