How to Plan a Murder Mystery Birthday Party

Add zest and excitement to a birthday party by giving it a murder mystery theme. It's easy to plan a murder mystery with game kits available inexpensively online or at bookstores, hobby shops and toys stores. You can find complete game kits for children, teens or adults that lay out everything you need to plan and host your perfect murder mystery birthday bash.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Soft drinks, punch or alcohol
• Gifts
• Birthday cake
• Streamers
• Murder mystery game kit
• Balloons

Plan a Birthday Party Around a Murder Mystery

1. Check out a website like Merri Mysteries or toy stores, hobby shops or bookstores for a murder mystery party kit (see Resources below). Many game kits revolve around a birthday theme, so you might consider choosing one to keep the focus on the birthday.
2. Make up your guest list according to the number of players needed for the game.
3. Send out invitations to your murder mystery party, being sure to note that it is also a birthday celebration.
4. Dress up your home or party venue with traditional birthday party decorations like balloons and streamers as well as any murder mystery decor.
5. Keep as much focus as possible on the birthday celebrant by giving her a key role, providing a birthday cake with her name on it, beginning or ending the party by singing "Happy Birthday" and making time to open any gifts.
6. Plan a party for young kids that focuses on a mystery without a murder by modifying your game kit or choosing a game without a murder theme. Other types of mystery kits include thefts and disappearances for guests who might be disturbed by a murder theme.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your party small to avoid focus drifting from the birthday celebrant.
• Invite the birthday celebrant's friends and close family. If you are unsure who to invite, ask one or two guests for suggestions.
• Pick a theme you know the celebrant will enjoy, or choose a game kit with a birthday element already included.
• Ask the spouse, parents, siblings or close friends to help you plan the party and invite guests for someone you don't know well.
• If planning a party for a child or teen, make sure the game kit you choose is appropriate for their ages.
• Avoid planning the murder mystery birthday party as a surprise unless you know the celebrant quite well.
• Don't invite guests the birthday celebrant doesn't know or (worse) doesn't care for.

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