Secret Agent Training Academy

This year for Jaimason's birthday, we decided to do a Secret Agent/Spy theme.







We started out by sending invitations in the form of a mini file folder with "Top Secret" information inside. It included a summons to the SATA (Secret Agent Training Academy), and even a secret code with invisible ink. The code was to be used in order to be admitted to the training facility. This is what the inside said:

You Have been recruited for the

secret agent training academy

to celebrate jaimason's 5th birthday.

Report to the academy on Saturday, September 19, 2009

at precisely 1300 hours. You will need a secret password

to be admitted to the Academy.

Communicate your mission acceptance or declination

to Field Master Trenholm by September 15, 2009 at *** - ****.

Further instructions will be provided at this time.

To receive the secret code, hold the enclosed slip of paper

over open flame until code appears. Once code is obtained,

destroy immediately!

At the party (we had it at a park), we put up a sign with the SATA logo welcoming them to the Academy, and set up a check-in station where participants were weighed, measured, fingerprinted, and photographed for their ID cards. This is Jaimason's:

front

back

They were then given their Secret Agent briefcases. Inside was a magnifying glass, pen/notepad, gun, disguise, and Spy Decoder Wheel.

bad, dark picture of the briefcase

On the front, it says "Top Secret! For (person's name) eyes only"

Once everyone arrived, we started the training. First we talked about fingerprints, and how everyone's were different. We looked with our maginfying glasses at the lines in our fingers and on the examples on the training posters I made. We also tried to determine what the fingerprints and handprints were made out of. We talked about how we need to use our brains to think about the clues. For example, a yellow fingerprint could be from mustard or paint; or a brown fingerprint could be from chocolate or mud.Then we talked about footprints, and that you can tell from a footprint if it's from an adult or a child, and what kind of shoe he/she was wearing.

Next came the Physical Training portion. The kids were shown an obstacle course where they had to climb up the ladder, down some stairs, then hop over the "lasers" (red string strung across the play structure), across a bridge, up some more stairs, under some more "lasers," down a slide, and then they had to shoot some targets with thier water guns. As we were doing this, Ben was hiding the cake.

Jaimason carefully stepping over the laser beams

Target practice: Evan and Hudson shooting the targets

Jack and Evan shooting the targets

Next it was time to put our newfound skills into action. After the Physical Training, we went to go eat cake, but discovered that it was missing! Fortunately, the culprit had left a clue. It said:

Haha, I was hungry, and now I can eat cake without a frown!

For the next clue, go to the place where you slide down.

The kids went to the slides (There are 4 homongous ones!) and looked all around for the next clue. It took some adult help, but finally they found it underneath a slide. It had blue frosting fingerprints on it and it said:

I have eaten some cake,

but there's more--you're in luck!

Go to the pond where you might see a duck.

The boys ran down to the pond at the bottom of a hill. Taped to the side was another clue. It had a big (adult) muddy footprint on it, and it said:

This footprint belongs to me, I can say.

Now go to the bench where moms watch their kids play.

This time, it was back to the playground. The kids had an easier time finding the last clue, which read:

You're getting closer--it's not very far!

Figure this out; it's in the _p_ _n_ _e_!

The children had to use their secret spy decoder wheels in their spy kits to figure out the word. It turned out to be "car." The kids ran to the car, where the cake--and the bad guy, Ben-- were waiting. The kids pulled out their guns and shot the culprit. Then they read the last note:

You've figured it out, and had some fun, too.

Now let's go eat cake, and sing "Happy Birthday to You!"

After cake, the kids played for a while on the play structure, and then we opened presents.

The kids were awarded their certificates of completion at training camp, which again, had the SATA logo on it. They were now "official" Secret Agents.

Now, there are 3 things we learned from this party:

1. Do not, under any circumstances, plan an outdoor party in September in Texas. It is WAY TOO HOT! (If you look closely in the pictures, you will notice how red Jaimason's face is).

2. If you are going to plan a party at a public park, make sure you do NOTHING in the grass--the fire ants will eat you alive.

3. (And this is the most important) Never, ever, assume that people who say they are going to come to the party actually will! We invited 10, 8 said they'd come, and 4 showed up. Lesson learned.

Despite the suffocating heat, it was actually really fun, and I think those who DID show up had a great time!