Kids young and old just love a good spy movie! And 2015 is the year of international intrigue with the release of the Man from Uncle, Mission Impossible –  and let’s not forget James Bond coming in October! If you want to join in the fun and have a Spy party for the kids we have some great ideas for creating your own exciting espionage games!

You’ll need a mix of clues written in code and invisible ink, all leading the secret agents to Special Spy Treasure. Each written clue should lead to the discovery of the next clue.

Examples of clues for the garden:

• The Man from Uncle might climb up this to get a good view of the enemy (reward: hidden at the base of a tree)

• A place for James Bond to rest while he plans his next move (reward: hidden on a garden chair)

• Its hungry work being a spy – Bond may find some sausages here in the garden! (reward: near the barbeque)

Examples of clues for inside the house:

• The Man from Uncle might like to get nice and clean (Prize: hidden in the bath)

• A previous agent dropped a clue whilst fast asleep in … (Prize: hidden in a bed)

• A spy came in from the cold and hid somewhere warm – (Prize: hidden in the airing cupboard)

• Your enemy left clue a cold place (Prize: hidden in the fridge)

• Where would Jane / James Bond cook his breakfast?

To make invisible ink here are three of the simplest and the best ways:

• Invisible ink with Lemon Juice

  Add the juice of half a lemon and a few drops of water into a bowl

  Mix with a spoon

  Use a cotton bud dipped in the mixture to write your message onto white paper

  Let the message dry completely – until it becomes invisible

  When your agents want to reveal the hidden message – heat it by holding it close to a light bulb or other heat source

• Invisible ink with baking soda

  mixture of 1/4 cup (60 ml) of baking soda and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water together in a bowl

  use a cotton bud dipped in the mixture to write your message onto paper and allow it to dry completely

  To reveal the message, brush the paper with a paintbrush dipped in any dark fruit juice and wait for the message to appear.

• Easiest of all – use milk to write you secret instructions.  Allow to dry.  When ready  use a light bulb to heat the paper and reveal the message

If you have young children and are feeling creative draw picture clues instead of using words in invisible ink – it adds variety and means even the smallest kids can have some fun.

Next you need to devise a code for some of the clues and leave a code-breaking instruction booklet – made out of a simple folded card.  For young children the simplest is a=b, b=c, c=d and so on.  The clue is written in code and they have to decipher it in order to find their next .

Of course the clues ultimately lead to a to the Spy Treasure – fabulous party bags including chocolate guns, pair of sunglasses , a puzzle or a water pistol!