Scooby Doo Mystery Birthday Party - My daughter will be 5 in October, so I have been planning her party early. She is really into Scooby Doo, so I took her to Party City and let her pick out her theme plates, cups, etc. (celebratecentral.com & party411.com offer on-line buying - I found it cheaper at Party City) It's Scooby Doo, of course, with the flower power motif and Shaggy on the plates, cups, napkins, tablecloth, etc.  Since her birthday is on Halloween (and it kind of ruins it because of the holiday) I thought I'd be creative this year. We are getting the kinds to wear retro-70's clothes (which seem to be popular again) and we are having a "Solve-the-Mystery" party. I have the latest kids dance music on tape for after-party festivities and a Scooby-Doo movie and some of the episodes on DVD, too. For the main Mystery game, I am writing clues on dog bones which are hidden throughout the yard. The kids find all of the bones and bring them to the picnic table and try to put the clues together to find out where the "GHOST" is hiding. I bought a gazebo tent for a luau so we are decorating it on the inside as a maze with paper-mache ghosts, goblins and the like hanging from the top. Sheets are used to cordon off "walls". At the other end of the tent we are going to scare the kids with the "GHOST" and make them chase the "GHOST". First child to take off the mask wins a prize. Games will include an old-fashioned apple bobbing, dipping caramel apples then decorating with sprinkles, and goodies to eat such as The Blob (Jell-O), Dead Dogs (hot dogs and mini-corn dogs), Crispy-fried brains (French fries), and Vampire Blood (fruit juice). I bought a Scooby Doo cake pan (Wilton cake pan @ Chocolate Wonderland - they have everything Wilton)and will be baking a chocolate-raspberry flavored cake and decorating in Scooby-Doo colors. We also have some other games like Pin-the-Bone-on-Scooby (the kids get a posterboard bone to color as they come in inside their "trick-or-treat" bag) and a scary music version of Musical Chairs. My neighbors have agreed to be trick-or-treat hosts after the party so the kids can trick-or-treat safely. For the adults at the party, we have chicken wings (baked with Jamaican Jerk sauce & some plain), crab dip w/ crackers, veggie & cheese tray, REAL punch to drink, and a few other snacks. I figured 12 kids, 30 adults and about $100. McDonald's and Chucky Cheese, eat your heart out.  Better food, not as expensive (Chucky Cheese wanted $8 per child for one slice of pizza & drink & McDonald's $6.50 for 2 hours) and lots o'fun.