Because of my husband’s profession, we move around a lot. We can up and move on a dime, and as a family we’ve got the technique down to an art. I’m the one in charge of finding a house in the new destination, and I’ve had my good moments and my bad moments.

Currently we live in what we affectionately call the “Postage Stamp”, “Bread Box” etc. and our 2 kids, 2 adults and 100 pound lab are always playing real life Tetris with items and people in our house, but I’m tired of packing and unpacking so here we stay – at least until we’re summoned to the next destination.

Our Family Portrait!

In our new city I’ve met a number of fantastic people though, and participate in a business group in which we meet in people’s homes. I’m the only one in the group who won’t have the meeting at our house – because it’s too small! Sounds familiar?

It wasn’t until a girlfriend said to me, “Yeah, you don’t have a lot of space, but look at your YARD” that I started thinking about alternative entertaining, and really making the most out of my small space while still enjoying entertaining my friends in my home. These tips have helped me immensely – hopefully they will help you make the most of your small space too!

1. Move the party outside

If you have space outside in the back yard or on a balcony, encourage your guests to make use of those spaces. Set up chairs on your balcony for smaller conversations and, in the case of an interactive murder mystery game, investigations. If weather permits, consider moving the party outside all together! Set up a food and drink table outside and allow your guests to mix and mingle in the yard instead of inside the house. Many mystery parties, like The Birthday Party Murder, have flexible plot locations and can easily be adjusted to make use of your space without endangering the integrity of the murder mystery (we are always here to help make suggestions on how to optimize your mystery for backyard or other venues). Make your yard area appealing for mingling by lighting candles, Tiki torches, hanging lights etc. For some great tips on entertaining outdoors, read 6 Tips for Throwing Outdoor Parties.

2. Keep it simple – the food, that is!

If your kitchen is on the smaller side (and whose kitchen is EVER big enough really!) choose a menu that is simple. A simple, smaller menu will help you keep the food coming, drinks flowing and mess to a minimum.

3. Declutter your furniture

Rid your party space of any furniture you don’t need for the party. For many of us, this can mean temporarily moving love seats to another room to make way for more chair seating or mingle space.

4. Mirror mirror on the wall…

I'm not the fairest party host? HMPH!

Strategically place mirrors on larger walls to create the illusion of having more space in a small room. This simple technique helps people to relax in a small space – not to mention how handy they are for quick touch-ups or checking to make sure your dress is not tucked into your underwear.

5. Set up a buffet rather than a sit-down dinner area

A buffet-style food area will give you a space just for food, and you won’t have to worry about fitting everyone around a table. Tip: Make larger amounts of food and dishes that can sit out without spoiling so you don’t have to keep refilling the table.

6. At a dinner party, set your room up for a quick transition

Once, while throwing a Christmas dinner party, I set up a nice yet portable dining table in our teeny tiny living room. It looked great and was made of wood, but had screw-in legs. Once dinner was served, dessert devoured and coffee consumed, we broke the table apart in less than five minutes, stored it in the basement and created a relaxing mingle and rest space for our guests to spend the rest of the party. To make this work, have a plan ahead of time for tear-down so your guests don’t feel obligated to help. By the time they realize what has happened, the transition is complete!

7. Consider a “Progressive” party or Safari Supper

This is a great idea that we fully embrace. All you need is a few friends to participate. The idea is that each host plans a different course or section of the party, and the party moves from house to house. Obviously, you’ll want to save the alcoholic drinks for the last location so your guests won’t be drinking and driving or arrange car pooling. Your guests arrive at different venues at different times, and at the end the starting location hosts meet at the house of the person with the largest space.

8. Use walls and ceilings for decorations

When decorating for your party, whenever possible use your walls or hang things from your ceiling to create the ambience you desire without taking up extra space. A set of simple Christmas Tree Lights and some sheer fabric will do wonders for your party space without detracting from the limited space you have.

Give me more murder mystery party hosting tips!

I want to check out the mystery games, please!

There are actually a number of ways to involve kids of any age into a mystery or murder mystery party. Here are the tips we most commonly give our hosts who are faced with that conundrum.

1. You know the child better than anyone

We have had 9-year-olds facilitate an entire party on their own, and have even written special parts into mysteries like Vampires vs. Werewolves for 4 and 7-year-olds. In all of these cases, the parent has said, “My little Janey or Johnny is VERY advanced and can the responsibilty”. In all cases thus far, the parents have been correct. And while we all think our kids are the smartest ones in the world (but in my case, mine really are! haha) every parent knows the capabilities of their children. My three-year-old is the most brilliant boy I’ve ever known, but in a moment of complete honesty I can admit that he’s probably not up to playing a suspect in an adult mystery.  So, take a moment to objectively think about the capabilities of the child – and more importantly WHAT THEY WOULD ENJOY DOING during the party to spotlight their interests and strengths.

2. Have strong readers share the introduction and/or Confession

Even if your mystery party comes with audio introduction(s) and final “Confession” solution (where the culprit is revealed), you’ll also receive the transcripts of these files in your Facilitator Guide and in a separate file marked “Confession”. If you have a few STRONG READERS in your junior entourage, allow them to read the introduction(s) and final confession. A warning though: make sure your young reader can handle the language and reading in front of a group. I’ve been flabergasted to realize that some of my dearest ADULT friends are not strong readers – with embarassing results (Click here if you want to read the humiliating tale).

3. Kids can deliver and reveal the accusations

Your mystery kit comes with Accusation Forms that you can use to have your guests cast their accusation at the end of the mystery. Typically, when the investigations wind down or after a pre-set time, accusation forms are handed out and the detectives write down their name and the name of the suspect they accuse for bragging rights and/or prizes at the end of the mystery. In the case of a smaller party, we encourage our hosts to go around the room and have everyone share their accusation (they have to write it down so they can’t change their mind after hearing who everyone else is accusing). An easy way to integrate a younger child is to have them distribute the accusation forms and pens to each investigator and suspect. Once everyone is finished writing down their guess, the younger sleuths can gather the accusation forms and even read the accusations to the group. Something like this:

Child: Aunt Gertrude accuses Quickblade Charlotte. Why, Aunt Gertrude? WHY?

Aunt Gertrude: She just seems shifty to me and couldn’t answer many of my questions in a straight forward way.

4. Have the kids be “time keepers”

Many hosts choose to put a time limit on investigations. Not only does this keep the party moving at a good pace and prevent the investigations from going all night, it also creates a really fun and exciting sense of urgency as everyone rushes at the end to get their final questions answered. Giving kids a timer or stopwatch (most smart phones have them these days) and putting them in charge of announcing how much time is left at regular intervals is a fun way to get them involved without TOO much responsibility.

Hopefully these suggestions helped you come up with a few other ideas as well for ways to get your kids involved in your mystery party game. We’re always here to help, so if you would like to have some personalized suggestions, don’t hesitate to email us or click the “live chat” button on the left side of our website. If we’re not online, leave an email message and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

Give me more murder mystery party hosting tips!

I want to check out the mystery games, please!

• Battle of the Bugs

There are only three things in life that are certain – death, taxes and mosquitoes! (Didn’t see that one coming, did you?) Mosquitoes suck (in more ways than one), so protect yourself and your guests by providing a spray that contains DEET. To make sure mosquitoes are all you’re repelling, opt for the nicer smelling repellant so your guests won’t run from the stench. Citronella candles and citronella yard pellets are two easy ways to repel mosquitoes, but for people with sweet blood, aren’t always 100% effective. Try a mosquito net around your entertaining area to protect everyone coming to your gathering.

• Cover the Food

Even if you have nipped the mosquito problem in the butt, make sure you cover any food you may have out. Some bugs will always slip through. When you’re a kid, eating bugs provides extra protein, but as an adult, aphids in your food are just gross.

• Exciting Lighting

Lighting your outdoor space need not be boring! Line your paths and bushes with solar lighting to set a great mood – plus, it’s the environmental choice! The polar bears will thank you. Alternatively, set tiki torches around your outdoor space and let the luau begin!

• De-clutter

De-cluttering isn’t just good for your closet it is also good for your outdoor area, especially if people are walking barefoot. Remove toys, blocks of wood, etc. from the entertaining area so no one trips, and fill any holes in the ground or make sure they are clearly marked. Speaking of walking barefoot. . .

• Pick up the Poo

If you have a pet, make sure you clean up the poo, cause – EW!

• Fuego!

If you’re blessed enough to live in an area where backyard fires are not considered evil, rejoice! Just make sure your fire does not get too big, and make sure you have water on hand in case you need to put it out in a hurry. Don’t burn things like Styrofoam or plastic – be kind to our ozone layer!

• Join the Dark Side

Why not use the darkness to your advantage? Consider glow-in-the-dark decorations to say sayonara to summer with a touch of fun!

Give me more murder mystery party hosting tips!

I want to check out the mystery games, please!

So, how does a host throw an amazing “interactive” mystery party? Well, it’s essentially a cocktail party with a murder thrown in – or at least the mystery portion of the party is, so if you’re well-versed in throwing cocktail parties, an interactive murder mystery party will be a doddle. If you’re not a veteran cocktail party host though, here are a few tips to help you pull it off with the best results.

Seating

Even though your guests will be up and mingling around, make sure you still provide a small amount of seating for the relief of sore feet and any swooning that takes place on the announcement that there has been a murder (kidding). Remember though, if there are the same number of seats as bums, the liklihood the guests will mix and mingle decreases, so while the mystery is being played, less seating is more.

Space

How much room will you need for your mingle murder mystery? A good rule of thumb used by professional party planners is to allow four to five square feet per person. When deciding whether a room will accomodate the size of your guest list, remember to use available space only – not the size of the room. That antique armoire may take up more room than you think.

Room for Drinks and Food

Naturally, you’ll need to bring a few items into the party space that most likely aren’t usually there. A table for drinks and hors d’oeuvres, ice, glasses, plates, napkins and other items, for example. Make sure you have lots of space in front of the drinks and food table(s), as these will no doubt be high-traffic areas, and guests will naturally question one another as they fill their plates or mix drinks.

What to Serve

What you serve for drinks and food will depend greatly upon you and your group of people, the occasion for the party and the theme. Where you may be able to throw down a few bowls of chips to please some groups, a theme such as The Masquerade Murder, which requires your guests to dress up and takes place in the stunning Biblioteca Marciana should be paired with more elaborate food and drink. Our rule of thumb on this is: match the food and drink selects to the amount of effort your guests must go to in order to satisfy the theme. So, if you’re throwing a Vampires vs. Werewolves party, for example, and everyone is coming dressed the part, you’ll want to make sure your food and drink selection reflects the creativity they put into their costume (so vampire/werewolf-themed food is a definite must). On the other hand, if you’re throwing The Birthday Party Murder (which does not have any costume specifications and can be integrated into any party scenario, so guets can come as they are), a burger and hot dogs BBQ and beer is perfectly fine.

How long will your party last?

A traditional cocktail party usually lasts about two hours and starts early – around 5 pm. However, with an interactive murder mystery cocktail party, you should allow around 2-3 hours for the mystery (if you’re using a full version mystery. A Mini Mystery can be played in about an hour). Remember, the more food you serve, the later in the evening you can start your party and the longer it can last.

Give me more murder mystery party hosting tips!

I want to check out the mystery games, please!

But there are a few things a host can do to not only solve these problems for guests, but also make things easier for your other guests with kids. Working kid-friendly options into your overall party plan is a quick and easy solution, and something that will really stand out as one of those details you, as a really great host, tend to before your party. Here are some ways to do it without taking too much time away from the rest of your party planning.

1. Have a kids’ party in conjunction with your party

If the majority of your guests have kids, the obvious answer is to stage a kids’ party at the same time as the adult party. Hire or bribe an older, qualified kid to “babysit” the kids party in the basement while the adults have fun upstairs. If your party is in an event space, see if there’s a separate area you could use for the kids’ party. If you’re holding a murder mystery (ESPECIALLY one with a theme that requires costumes), find some games ahead of time that are along the theme, and allow the kids to come dressed up as well. Let’s say you’re playing The Masquerade Murder or The Pirates Revenge murder mystery games. Kids LOVE to dress up, and would enjoy an evening of masquerade or pirate costumes as well. Alternatively, you can select a kid-friendly mystery party from our catalogue of kids’ mystery games, and set them up to play a mystery themselves in another section of the house.

We all know what our kids can be like though… one minute your the mysterious Ravenna Berkley, sweeping through the Reading Room of the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice in your ball gown, investigating the murder, and then next moment your son is tugging on your dress with the urgent news that so-and-so took the car he was playing with. For this reason (and here we absolve you of all guilt), many hosts and decide to make their party child-free.

2. Provide your guests a list of babysitters, with phone numbers

If you want an evening just for the adults, you never want to say on the invitation “No Kids” – it just seems rude. Instead, include a note on the invitation that reads, “I hope you won’t have any trouble finding a sitter for the evening”, and include a few names and numbers of babysitters you regularly use and trust. If you have teens who have achieved all the qualifications and have friends that have done the same, a wonderful thing to do is mention, “My daughter Kayla is a very responsible babysitter and has her license, as do a number of her friends. If you don’t have a regular babysitter, please let me know”. From there, give your babysitter the opportunity to arrange the sitters a la The Babysitter Club (remember that series of books?)

3. Get them involved in the mystery

When there will only be one or two kids, many hosts want to have them participate but worry about limited attention spans and that famous childhood boredom setting in. There are always things kids can do in a mystery party scenario to get them involved without having them take on a character themselves, and without worry that they will lose interest after a few minutes. Many adult “murder” mysteries are written “Clean” (no sex or drug references, and all of our mystery kits contain no foul language). For more tips on how to get kids involved in your mystery without assigning them a character, follow the link below.

Junior Sleuths – Involving Kids in your Murder Mystery Party

Give me more murder mystery party hosting tips!

I want to check out the mystery games, please!

We should hope this is obvious, but just in case, step one is to remove the metal foil covering the wired cork. Keep your hand firmly over the cork while doing this, in case the cork has the desire to “pop” on its own.

Hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle and remove the cork by twisting the BOTTLE, not the cork.

Try to avoid making a loud popping noise when the cork emerges, as the noisier the pop, the more air will escape, resulting in the bubbles dispersing.

Serve your Champagne or Sparkling Wine extremely cold, and keep it that way throughout your festivities in a bucket of water and ice. The water and ice will conduct the cold and keep the Champagne tasting like it was just opened.

Or, of course, you can always just shake it up and let it rip!

How to play a murder mystery game at a party

There has been a murder or a theft! (*gasp*!) But we all know that – that’s the reason we’re getting together, after all. The suspects, anywhere between 5 and 20, will quickly make themselves known. Perhaps you’re a suspect yourself, but you may just be an ‘investigator’ or ‘sleuth’, questioning the suspects, gathering intel and piecing together the puzzle in order to correctly cast your accusation at the end.

If you’re merely attending as an investigator, this sleuthing is the extent of your role. In preparation for the big event we recommend screening old episodes of Murder She Wrote and Agatha Christie movies. Plan out some questions in advance, like ‘where were you at the time of the murder?’ ‘can anyone verify your whereabouts?’ or ‘did you have anything against the deceased?’. From there as you ask the suspects questions, their answers will lead you to more questions. Regardless of your current experience or comfort level, you will quickly find yourself cross-interrogating suspects to identify holes in their stories.

*Mystery Party Tip* Always verify alibis!

Are you playing a suspect?

If you are attending the party as a suspect, your role is slightly more complicated – but not by much. Either before the party or as you arrive you’ll receive an information booklet, either printed or via a .PDF file on email.

This guide will tell you about your character and motives, instructions for how to play and more. All the information you will need at the party will be in your guide.

As the party begins you will be questioned by others. You will answer these questions based on the information in your guide. Feel free to bring your guide to the party to refer to. You don’t have to memorize your information – unless you want to, of course! While answering questions you will also be interrogating others.

Guess what! If you’re the killer, you won’t know it. There are a number of reasons for this that are explained further in your guide. Trust us, it’s waaaaaaay better this way.

Regardless if whether your playing a suspect or attending a mystery party as a sleuth or investigator, you’re going to gave a fantastic time, and you’ll be talking about this event for years to come. Just remember to relax and enjoy it! Have fun!

Party Planning Saviours is hosted by Leigh Clements, president and head writer of Shot In The Dark Mysteries, the premiere online provider of mystery-themed parties, events and do-it-yourself, downloadable mystery party kits.

Each week, Leigh provides insights and tips to anyone in need of a unique, fun and exciting theme for their next event. Shot In The Dark Mysteries’ games are ideal to jazz up birthday parties, ice breakers, corporate meet-ups or marketing events.  Leigh offers invaluable advice on how to ensure your next event is the one that guests talk about for years to come!

The first, introductory podcast, answering the question, “Just what the heck is a mystery party?” is online and ready to go – check it out today!

Party Planning Saviours Episode 1: What is a Mystery Party?

At this festive time of year, Wouldn’t we all love to be a super host?  You know the ones – their Christmas parties have   been planned since  April, the house is decirated right out of Martha Stewart Living and  their dining table looks like the Lord Jesus has RSVP’d ‘attending’.  Yes, they really seem to have it all together, which can be  intimidating to the rest of us, leaving us with feelings of Yuletide  Inadequacy.

Let’s face it, life gets in the way. One minute it’s September and  you’re penning your guest list with a glass of wine, vowing this year  will be different. The next minute it’s December 6th and you realize  that between driving kids to soccer, winter colds and shoveling snow,  two while months have slid away like a toboggan down a mountainside.

It happens to us all!

But that doesn’t mean you can’t still throw a fantastic holiday party  and enjoy your family and friends. Here are some quick and easy last- minute Christmas party tips to help you throw a soiree worthy of rave  reviews – on the fly!

At this time of year, everywhere you look it seems like Christmas has  thrown up – stores of all kinds now sell decorations. If you have  the time, finding your decorations can be a fun process, but if time is an issue,  all you need are the following items:

A wreath and wreath hanger, preferably with some bells on it

While  bells may not be everyone’s dcorating preference, for our last-minute  purposes they are perfect, setting the festive mood immediately as  your guests arrive.

Wired Ribbon

Because of its versatility, wired ribbon is a fantastic way to decorate at the last-minute. Pick your favourite colour or design and tie it into gigantic single or double bows with long trailing tails. Use it to tie back your drapery, tie it around candle holders or the napkins at your dinner table.  Feed it through the posts in your banister in a variety of ways to add some quick Christmas colour to an other-wise drab space and festive cheer without the fuss. Trim your tree with ribbon and bows instead of those tacky ornaments you’ve always hated. Even better, when you’re short on ribbon for that perfect gift at 12:30am on Christmas Eve, a fabulous solution is only a trip across the house away.

Put the kids to work

Have kids AND a looming Christmas party? It’s time to put the kids to work. It’s arts and crafts time! Glitter, ribbon, bows and glue will not only keep your kids busy and distract them from their holiday cabin fever. Decorating certain areas of the house with your childrens’ home-made designs screams “quaint” as well as “trendy”. Mount their creations on beautiful scrapbooking sheets or frame them and line the stairwell with the family’s artwork. You might even get an hour of peace and quiet because of it.

Set the aroma of your atmosphere

The sense of smell is the strongest sense we have, so use this to your advantage. Burn scented candles, oil and incense to set the right aroma and ensure your guests feel “Christmas-y” the minute they step foot in your house. We recommend gingerbread, simply because not only is it festive, it also implies that you’re enough of a domestic goddess to be BAKING in your “spare time”, rather than running around at the last minute preparing for your party.  Another quick fix: most air freshener companies have the “plug in” scents. These work perfectly and can be smelled throughout your house within minutes. Other holiday scents can include:

Peppermint

Cinnamon

Rum (Am I right? Yup.)

Eggnog

Nutmeg

Cranberry

Pine (careful to stay away from the car-air-freshener scent though! UGH!)

Lavender

Vanilla

Turkey (just kidding. If you find a turkey-scented candle, you should report it to the authorities immediately.)

Tree Branches

Chances are there are still a few places around your house looking bare. Why not trim off some of those branches on your Christmas tree that are making it look lop-sided and enlist them to help in your holiday decorations. Perfect tree? Cut branches from the back – the side no one sees. Place the branches on mantles or combine with your ribbon to create some stunningly simple accent pieces. Scatter bits around your holiday table for a fantastic accent!

Why not add a fantastic Christmas mystery to your party? VIEW OUR CHRISTMAS MYSTERY GAMES HERE!

I think we had more fun with the props than they did solving the mystery! We were expexting six and ended up getting far more than that! It was a great party – an excellent way to commemorate such a big milestone. Happy birthday, Caleb – welcome to double digits!

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