Super Hero Party 4yr - Confidential Mission

We just fininshed my son's 4th Super Hero themed birthday party.  I was very frustrated because he changed his mind about what type of party he wanted every day.  Some days he would enthusiastically want a Spiderman party, the next day it was Incredibles, or Batman, or Superman so.. this birtday party idea was inspired by his lack of commitment to any one super hero. :) 

Invitations:  We used file folders and wrote Mission #4 CONFIDENTIAL in red pen on the outside.  Inside the file folder was the following papers: (paper 1) Attention All Super Heros  Use your special mirror to decode this urgent message (I printed the following on a transparancy and then cut it out and copied it backwords on the invite) Please meet all super hero friends on July 31st at _____ Rd in CITY to help complete a mission. MISSION:  Catch the villian responsible for Alex's missing birthday cake.  (the following was not backwords and was in normal font)  Since this mission is only semi-classified, this message will hopefully not self-destruct.  Feel free to wear your super hero costume as the location of the event will ensure identitied remain secure.  Please confirm your assistance in solving this mission by calling ----.   (paper 2)  To get to the confidential location follow these directions.  (I then made a map and directions)  (paper 3) A super hero coloring page The invitations were put in the white letter sized enevelopes that have First Class written around them in green.  (These ones were actually cheaper than the plain brown ones.) 


DECORATIONS:  I had all sorts of super hero things.  I put a justice league inflatable bop it and a spiderman bop it bthe front door with signd taped to them saying "Hurry in, we need you."  We had red, blue, and yellow streamers around the house.  I got an assortment of balloons, one Hulk, Incredibles, Superman, Batman, and WOnderwoman and put them in different locations. We also had this type of assortment in cups, napkins, and plates.  All were a different super hero. 

CAKE:  We had an icecream cake with ALEX turns Fantastic 4 written on it with comic stlye writing of the words POW, BOOM, ZIP in black icing.  We also had 4 figures sitting on it- Batman, SUperman, Green Lantern, and WOnder woman.  

GAMES:  WHen the chidlren arrives I had coloring books (from dollar store) and crayons for each child.  After they each colored a page from their book I tore it out and hung it up as decoration.  I then put their books in their gift bags they would take home at the end. I got all the children together and told them, "Someone took the birthday cake and we needed their help.  There was a man in the front yard who only talks if he is wet enough--.."  I then gave them each a water balloon and told them to go find the man.  It was my husband in a red t-shirt, a black paper eye mask, and a red plastic fire fighter hat.  He was holding the water hose and spraying all the kids as they got close.  They loved it. 

After much water balloon throwing he was wet (some of the kids could not get their balloons to pop so my husband would catch them and squeeze them on himself so they didn't get discouraged)  He told all the kids he heard a buglar had stole the cake and sent the kids on a hunt in the backyard.  Before he sent them off he told them Spiderman had left them some web making stuff and handed them each a bottle of that crazy string.  The kids went in the backyard and my brother in law was wearing a buglar mask (it looked like Hamburglar from the olden McDonald days).  They chased him and sprayed him and then he told them there was a cat in a tree that needed them.  I had a stuffed cat on top of a gazbeo type thing that was about 8 feet up.  I put a ladder against it and each child got to climb the ladder and rescue the cat. 

After they rescued it I gave them a fantastic 4 tatoo.  Then my sister-in-law came out as Catwoman carrying the cake-  She told them that when they rescued the cat she knew they were good people and was sorry for taking the cake.   Goody Bags:  Each kid got a mesh Fantastic 4 bag ($1 at walmart) with a slip on spiderman, a hulk pencil, some batman bandaids, fantastic 4 buttons, bubbles (I took labels off and put Incredible stickers on them), a super hero coloring book with crayons, and sheets of stickers.  

We had a great time.  The kids loved getting together in costume and working as a team to solve a mission.  It was a day filled with child and adult laughter!