Top Secret, Spy, Detective, Mission Impossible Event Theme

Many of us have imagined ourselves in the role of detective or international spy. It was one of my longest held aspirations when I was a kid. I made up codes, wrote in invisible ink, and created my own Private Eye business cards.

All of this was fueled by books, movies and even cartoons. From Hong Kong Phooey to the Pink Panther and Scooby Doo and the Mystery machine - I had no end of entertainment. My bookshelf still boasts copies of Trixie Belden, Alvin’s Secret Code, Nate the Great, Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Poirot Investigates, Sherlock Holmes and more recently TheMysterious Benedict Society.

When the opportunity arose to have a spy themed Vacation Bible School I was literally living my dream! We called it Mission Possible and taught some of the accounts of spies in the Bible. (Yes, the Bible talks about spies - Numbers 13, Joshua 2, 7 and in the book of Judges to name a few.) It may be my new favorite theme we’ve done for VBS. But it would make an unforgettable party theme. So, here are some of the decorations and activities we used - I hope they inspire you!

I made the silhouettes by cutting out copies of characters and placing them on an overhead projector. I didn’t have transparency pages but since I was only tracing outline details plain paper worked fine. I taped bulletin board paper on the wall with painters tape. All that was left to do was trace the outlines and cut the figures out.

I used a utility knife to cut out simple inside details. The painters tape also kept the silhouettes in place without damaging any walls.

Book Safes and Secret Missions…

What would this theme be without some covert missions and secret messages? We made hollowed out books to hide coded messages. There are several online instructions for how to make them. They work best with hardback books that are over an inch thick - the thicker the book the deeper the hollow for concealing items. Cutting them out should be done by an adult but kids can Mod Podge them. Depending on the ages of your guests secret messages could be in code or cypher if you provide a key. The simplest way to hide a message is to use invisible ink. If you don’t want to rely on heat to reveal a lemon juice note (which is how I did it as a kid) you can order spy pens with invisible ink and black lights for reading it. I used business card paper for messages which fit perfecting inside these coin envelopes. Print out some CONFIDENTIAL or TOP SECRET labels and you’ve got yourself a Secret Mission worthy clue.

Magnifying Glass Cookies

Combine crafting with eating and you’ve got some yummy fun. We made magnifying glass cookies with sugar cookie dough, crushed candies, and pretzel rods. Find the recipe and instructions on hallmark channel’s website. I can’t wait to try these again. Next time I plan on adding a step by dipping the handles in melted chocolate!

Spy Slime - Concocting Top Secret Evidence…

Disguises

Disguises for Agents is a must! We had a collection of hats, wigs, sunglasses, mustaches, and even a trench coat. The Agents chose their disguise and posed for pictures for I.D. badges.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Book vs Disney TV Series

Disney released The Mysterious Benedict Society in a 1 Season, 8 episode series which is based on Trenton Lee Stewart’s book of the same name. I was relieved that the series remained true to the spirit of Stewart’s story. The actors did an excellent job of portraying the characters and a season 2 has been confirmed!

There are several minor and a few not so minor differences between the books and the tv series. SPOILERS AHEAD….

One of the first big differences I noticed was Constance’s age which is much older in the tv series but this wasn’t surprising since it would have been difficult to translate her true age to the screen. (She really is aptly named Contraire and we get her full gargoyle poem composition in the film.) The other big difference regarding this character is her team’s concern for what would happen to her specifically once Dr. Curtain’s mind control machine becomes more powerful since Constance is already so affected. In both the tv series and the book the kids are committed to saving everyone no matter the risks.

In the books Mr. Benedict and his brother are almost identical in appearance except that Dr. Curtain uses a motorized wheelchair and reflective glasses to conceal his narcolepsy. (Instead of wearing a plaid patterned suit Mr. B uses a plaid swatch to calm himself.) Mr. Benedict is targeted in a security breach instead of the children which actually makes more sense to me but the brother’s awareness of each other in the book vs tv series is difficult to keep straight.

In the book S.Q. is one of Dr. Curtain’s kid executives but in the tv series he is his adopted son. Martina Crowe does not have any redeeming scenes and there’s no tetherball mentioned at all in the book.

Mrs. Perumal does not find and confront Mr. Benedict in the book. Reynie does compose mental letters to her in both the book and tv series. I’m glad this was included because its an enchanting insight into Reynie’s character.

Other slight character differences include Sticky’s parents vs his aunt and uncle raising him and how he lost his hair. As well as how Milligan gets his name despite not remembering anything about himself or Katie-Cat (the Great Kate Whetherall).

There are many more differences between the book and tv series such as the absence of a peregrine falcon, graffiti, a submarine, and a blimp. If you’d like to comment or discuss more differences you can find my Mysterious Benedict Society post on instagram @ UnforgettableEntertaining.

Utility Belts

After each completed mission our “agents” earned something for their utility belts. The belts were made from a double sided hook and loop roll - just wrap around the waist and cut to fit with and an extra couple of inches for fastening. So easy! I used 1 1/2 inch black but 2 inch would work well also. Accessories can be anything from flashlights to binoculars. I used smaller velcro fasteners on each item to attach them to the belts.