CSI - Crime Scene Investigation Party

The key to any great party is organization and lots of pre-planning.  Theses party instructions and photos should help you cut out a lot of the time it take to plan - 
why reinvent the wheel?

I typically invite lots of kids and run parties in stations. I figure if I am going to go to all the work to develop an experiential party, why lot let as many kids as possible enjoy the experience?  Make sure you have a couple of helpers on hand - I am famous for enlisting unsuspecting adults and teens!
The Invitation

CSI

Command Center Instructions:

1.  Welcome each new Agent. (Set up the party so the guests do not get a look at the crime scene ahead of time.

2.  Take the photo by the height chart – have them write their name and any number.

3.  Name badges – IMPORTANT – there are three different ones – these will divide the agents into groups. Use a Miami badge, than a NY and than Las Vegas. 

 

Fingerprint                __________________                                Name

4.  Have the Agent print their name and then add their fingerprint in the square. (Let them practice their finger print on the paper table cloth first – it helps get a good print and it adds to the decorations!)

5. Write down the Agent’s name on the master list under their “city.”

6. Give each Agent a Notebook and Pencil.  Made by using the CSI logo, printing on card stock and folding.  The following is printed on the inside;

                                                      Crime Scene  

                                                      Location:___________________________

                                                      Victim    M   F

                                                      Evidence Bag 1:  _____________________

                                                      Evidence Bag 2:  _____________________

                                                      Evidence Bag 3:  _____________________

                                                      Evidence Bag 4:  _____________________

                                                      How did the victim die? _______________

                                                      Observations: _______________________

7. Each group of CSI Agents will be escorted by their Chief.

8. CSI Miami will go to the crime scene first.

9. While the other two groups are waiting (CSI Las Vegas and CSI NY) Lead a game.  Tell them this game will develop their powers of observations.  There are two sets of cards and this will be played as a relay.  Place the sets of cards on the mat – have the groups sit at the start line.  The first player run to the mat, choose a card to bring back.  The second player must “examine” the card and run to the mat to find its match.  If the cards don’t match, the next player (not the same player) takes his turn or if they do match the next player runs to the mat.  First team to complete all six matches correctly wins. 

10.  When the first group has finished their investigation, CSI Las Vegas will go.  The remaining groups (CSI NY and CSI Miami) will play the second game.  Have players sit in a circle.  Each player gets one playing card – they are not to show it.  One card is the Joker – the holder of this card is the murderer. (Show them this card) The murderer kills my winking at his victim.  He must be very careful when he winks so the other players don’t catch him.  There is no talking except for when a player has been winked at – that player makes dying sounds and lays down.  That player is out until the next round.  If someone thinks they know who the murderer is, they can make a guess.  Once the murderer is revealed a new game can be started.

11.  When the last team goes on their investigation – have the two remaining teams play either game. 

CRIME SCENE

Chalk outline of victim, Murder Weapon (airsoft gun), Spent Shell Casing, Bloody Footprint (shoe print make with red paint on paper,) hairs, finger prints on glasses.  

Bring the investigators to the crime scene and check their ID before the enter.  Give them an investigation kit made up of rubber gloves, tweezers (to pick up hair evidence), evidence tents, evidence bags, & packing tape (to lift finger prints.)


Give the investigators numbered tent cards to place next to the evidence they find. Have them record their findings in their notebooks.  One they have recorded the evidence they and place the items in evidence bags (ziplocks with Evidence Bag and Numbers 1-4 written on them.)

Investigators will need to dust the drinking glass for fingerprints and lift the finger print with tape.  Once all the evidence is collected the investigators will move to the Crime Lab.

Crime Lab is set up with: 
     Sample Shoe Prints for comparison
     Microscopes to examine hair
     Fingerprints for comparison and magnifiers
     Suspect Line Up
     Envelope with the victim's "bloody" shirt with bullet holes in it.
         (Delievered to the Crime Lab from the Coroner's Office.)

6 shoe prints were made from with shoes with distinctive tread patterns with brown paint for the investigators to compare the bloody footprint to.

Have several hair samples in plastic bags, chose different color hair and different texture hair for the investigators to compare to the hair sample collected at the crime scene.

Have sample fingerprints available for the investigators to compare.  They will need the magnifying glass to inspect the ridge details.  

Once the investigators have examined all the evidence, allow them to develop their case.  Ask them how the victim died, what color hair did the suspect have, what size shoe, etc.  By examining the bloody shirt they can determine how many times the victim was shot compared to how many shell casings they found.


Once they think they have a profile of the suspect, give them a Photo Line up to determine who they think is the perpetrator. (I used 6 mug shots with the following names,  

      Tommy Gunn                      Lou Zar                               Jay Walker

        Darren Deeds                      Pat Downe                          Robin Banks

 Make sure one the mug shots has the same hair color as the one collected at the crime scene.

Time for the Goody Bag Scavenger Hunt... (I kept them in the original 3 groups and ran the hunt in different orders for each group - below are the instructions for one group - I just reordered the clues for each group)

CLUE #1 Word Seach Clue with Pencils NEXT LOCATION Sends Agents to the Pantry  
     I used a website that makes custom word searches with the following instructions and words.  I chose a word search that creates a secret word.
          1. Work together to find the 15 words in the puzzle.
          2. Look for the Hidden word - hint it starts with a "P."
          3. Go to that location for the next clue
                                             Words
            Analyze                 Suspect               Mystery
            Detective               Investigate           Clues
            Hair                      Shoe                    Murder
            Evidence               Ink                       Fingerprints
            Lab                       Crime                  Weapon




CLUE #2 All boys into the pantry with door closed,  use black light to illuminate the clue.  (I used glow in the dark paint to write the message "Find the Getaway Car"   NEXT LOCATION Driveway      


CLUE #3 Find "CSI Miami" puzzle and solve. (I used a sheet of poster board, painted a tire with black paint, drove over the poster board several time and then painted in red the message "Go to the Backyard Hideout."  Then cut it up into several pieces so the kids would need to put it back together like a puzzle to read the clue.                     NEXT LOCATION One of the two towers on the swing set             

CLUE #4 Find the CSI Miami envelope and solve the Coded Message     NEXT LOCATION Front Door          
   Use this Code to Solve the Next Clue

 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  

 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10  11 12 13 

  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

___ ___ ___   ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

 20   8  5    19   21  19  16  5  3   20

    ___ ___ ___ ___ ___   ___ __

    2   18   15  11   5   9   14

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___   ___ ___ ___

 20 18  8   15   21  7   8    20  8    5

   ___ ___ ___ ___ ___   ___ ___ ___ ___.

    6   18  15 14   20    4  15   15  18

CLUE #5 "Use your reflection to read this clue"     NEXT LOCATION Any Mirror         
       I found a mirror print on the internet and printed out the message "Go Upstairs to find your city."  Each of the three groups had a different room to search for the goody bags.


CLUE #6 Message reads "Go upstairs to find your city"     NEXT LOCATION Bedroom Door - read instructions on the "Stop Sign"   

It is unlawful to search without a Search Warrant

                                                  Find the Judge back at the Command Center to get your Search Warrant.

     Once you have the Search Warrant, you may seach for the goodie bags.   Caution Do Not Mess Up the Room!!!  

Goody bags contained stretchy handcuffs, detective badges, gummy eyeballs & body parts, & magnifying glasses.

The Cake & Cupcakes