Spy Party Games and Activities

Your spy party guests are now officially enrolled in Spy Training School! Each of these spy party games listed below can be their "tests" ... if they pass, they've earned their spy degrees and get spy certificates! Just make sure you give one to each guest.

Spy Word Hunt: To keep the children busy while you wait for all your guests to arrive, print copies of our Spy Word Hunt and let them find all the hidden words. If desired, you may print a copy of our answer key (below) as well.

Fingerprinting: Using washable ink pads and index cards, have your guests take each other’s thumbprints. Make sure to have a box of hand wipes ready to clean their fingers afterwards.

Destroy the “Bombs”: Fill black balloon “bombs” with air (not helium), and tell the children to destroy them all. Stand back and watch the fun as the children sit or stomp on the balloons to destroy them!

Disguises: Every spy should be able to change his/her appearance. Offer a variety of different clothes, hats, sunglasses, and washable markers, and let each of your guests create a disguise. (Use the markers for freckles, scars, and mustaches.)

I Spy: This classic game is perfect for a spy-themed party! Start with the birthday child, and let him/her secretly choose an item in the room. Then have him/her tell your guests “I Spy something [give the color of the item].” One at a time, let each guest try to guess the object the birthday child has chosen. Whoever guesses correctly gets to choose the next secret item.

Listening Skills: Have all of your guests sit in a row with the birthday child on one end. Before the party, choose a message for the birthday child to whisper to the child next to him/her. Each child whispers the message on down the line, and the last child announces to everyone what they heard. If they get the message right, they all passed their listening training! If they don’t get the right message, they’ll all be laughing at whatever the message has become!

Secret Code Breaking: Make a simple code by assigning the letters of the alphabet to random numbers. Write a message in code on index cards before the party, and pass them out with pencils when your guests arrive. See if the children can decode their secret messages. Alternatively, you can give each of your older guests a copy of our Crack the Code Cryptoquiz puzzle. Print a copy of the answers as a reference, too. If any of the children have trouble with the puzzle, give them one of the letters or phrases from the answer sheet to get them started.

Who Am I? Game: Write down the names of movie and cartoon characters the children will know on index cards. Have all of the children sit down, except for the birthday child. Tape a name on the birthday child's back, and have him/her stand with his/her back to the group so your guests can read the name taped to his/her back. Then, he/she must ask the group yes or no questions until correctly guessing which character he/she has been assigned. Let everyone have a turn. Appropriate characters for this game may include Shrek, Cinderella, Harry Potter, Tinker Bell, Aladdin, Mr. Incredible, James Bond, etc.

Secret Agent Obstacle Course: Tell your guests that secret agents need to show strength and speed. Set up an obstacle course in your home or yard using everyday objects like a wooden board "balance beam", a nylon tunnel, a play fort or small tent as “enemy headquarters”, a slide as an “escape chute”, hula hoops set on the ground, bean bag chairs to jump over, etc.

Memory Test: Fill a tray with 10-15 items a spy might use, like a passport, binoculars, a camera, a watch, a magnifying glass, an inkpad for fingerprinting, and so on. Let the children study the tray for about 15 seconds, then cover the tray and remove one item. Bring the tray back, uncover it and ask your guests which item is missing. When someone guesses correctly, start the game over. If desired, you can award a small prize to each child who guesses correctly.

Satellite Photo Identification: Print overhead satellite photos from the internet of familiar places such as your house, your child's school, a local grocery store, a baseball stadium, your guests’ homes, etc. Show them to the children one at a time, and let your guests try to identify them. They will be especially excited to see their own houses! Use Google Earth or another website to find the photos.

Writing an Invisible Message: Before the party, prepare a bowl of lemon juice and gather up some cotton swabs, such as Q-Tips. Let each guest dip a Q-tip in lemon juice, use it to write a message on a piece of paper, and then let it dry. To read their messages, the children must hold their slips of paper up to a warm light bulb or candle, being careful not to burn themselves or their papers. After a moment, the lemon juice will darken and reveal the messages.

Following Clues: All spies need the ability to follow clues! Tell the children an enemy spy has stolen their goody bags! Make up clues before the party, and hide them in the yard or party area. Hand the children the first clue, and let them start searching! Each clue should lead to another envelope containing a clue. The final clue should lead to the stolen goody bags. You can substitute a piñata or the birthday cake as the stolen item, if you prefer.

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