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Dragon Detectives

How to Prepare:

1. Print the picture and clue cards. You may want to print these cards in color so children can use color clues to help find matches.
2. Cut the cards out and place them into two piles-one for the clues that you will give to the Dragon Detectives and one for the pictures that you will hide. You may wish to select the same number of card matches as there are party guests. If you have a large number of guests, you can either print more than one set of cards to hide or group children into teams for their detective search.
3. Write a secret message on the back of the picture cards that you plan to hide. Make sure that each card has part of the message (a letter, word, or phrase) and then place a small number on the front of the card showing its place in order. See example below:

   Picture Card Fronts

   

   Picture Card Backs

   

   A few other ideas for secret messages include:
   • Are you ready for dragonberry cake and ice cream?
   • H A P P Y  B I R T H D A Y _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (insert letters of birthday boy or girl's name)
   • F E L I Z  C U M P L E A Ñ O S !
   • Look inside the Knuckerhole for your prize! (Note: This can be a basket or paper bag in which you have hidden a small prize for each party guest.)
4. Hide the Picture Cards around the party area.
5. Place the Clue Cards inside a book. (Any book will work. You can even read the story to children first!)

How to Play:

1. Pretend you are Quetzal and that the niños (children) are Dragon Detectives who will help you find a hidden secret message.
2. Open the book and hand the clue cards out among the children. If you have 8 guests and 8 clues, each child will get one clue. Otherwise you can divide clues among small teams of children or give more than one clue to each child.
3. Explain to the children that they are holding clues to pictures that are hidden in a specified area. They must use their Dragon Detective skills to find the match to the clues. For example, use the mushroom clue card to find the card that has a picture of Mushroom Meadow on it.
4. When all of the guests have found the match to their card(s), they bring them to you to arrange in order (picture side facing up). Flip the cards over in order and read the secret message to the Dragon Detectives. This activity is a great example of teamwork and problem solving, and gives the Dragon Detectives an exciting payoff when they work together to solve the secret message mystery!
5. Celebrate everyone's effort by punching holes in the badges and stringing them on some ribbon or yarn so the guests can wear their uniquely designed badges for the rest of the party and then take them home!

Perfect Pairs

For younger children, use the cards above for a simpler matching adventure. Print and cut out two of each card. Hide one set and divide the second set among teams of children who search for the exact matches to their cards.