Children love investigating spaces, be it a closet full of never-before seen treasures or a corner of the park they’ve never been to before. So what better way to spend an exciting birthday exploring? Children will love the idea of finding fun party objects in mysterious places, and you’ll love how easy this party is to throw together!


This party plan is intended for children ages 8 to 12. Generally this type of party will last two hours.

The Invitation:
-Using your computer, print the details of the party (date, time, place, etc) in a very small font onto regular paper. Cut into small squares and send to guests along with a miniature magnifying glass to help decipher the message. You can purchase miniature magnifying glasses in the party supply section of you local craft store.

The Favor:
-Place a miniature flashlight inside a small canvas tote bag (about the size of a large deck of cards), and include a rough drawing of the search area as a map. The children can store their finds in the bag and then later, carry them home in it.

The Decoration:
-You need not decorate specifically for this theme. Regular birthday balloons, streamers, etc are perfectly acceptable.
-You can throw this party either indoors or out, depending on the weather. Having the scavenger hunt outdoors would be slightly easier, as there are fewer areas to go through.

The Hunt:
-Send each child out to the hunting area with their party favor as well as a list of items they are to look for. Be sure to tell them to bring back only one of each item.
-For younger children, hide the items more out in the open. You could hide the items in and under things for older children, but be sure to tell them to look carefully, especially if there is a wide age range of children at the party.

Here is a sample list of items children could scavenge for:
-A Magnet
-Miniature Bubbles
-A golf ball
-A key chain
-Hard candies
-Chocolate coins
-Loose change
-An empty thread spool
-A noise popper
-A Small bulk packaged party favors, out of the package
-A Small package of crayons

Party Food:
-Food for this party should be kept simple: Kids are going to be ready to run off and hunt for goodies. Stick with simple, quick to eat foods such as miniature pizzas, chicken nuggets, and French fries. You could even serve cupcakes instead of a sheet cake and set up a decorating area filled with gummi bears, sprinkles, extra icing, cookie bits, and other cupcake appropriate toppings.