The "CSI: Love Edition" Date

Being a teacher definitely comes with perks! We may not get paid enough....but getting free things here and there helps to "soften" the financial blow. {WINK}  A few months ago, Nevada teachers were given the opportunity to go thru one session of The CSI Experience in downtown Las Vegas for free.  I have never really watched the show so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Holy hannah...it was a BLAST!!

We were given the choice of three possible crime scenes to examine and solve.  We chose the most interesting one....a car that had driven through the living room of a house.

The driver was pronounced dead....but there were some fishy things about the crime scene, there were bloody handprints on the driver's door, some bloody footprints, some blood on the couch, and a dent in the hood of the car...that could or could not have been made by a human body.  It definitely looked like the driver had gotten out of the car...yet he was still sitting in it!?!

 

After examining the crime scene, we were directed to mini-labs in which we would do "tests" which slowly got us closer and closer to solving the crime. We examined the footprints, questioned possible suspects, examined the DNA evidence, learned about "blood splatter", and much more!

After the date, Jamie & I were amazed at how much fun we had!  I would never want to be a real detective - I don't think I could handle all of the horrible things they have to see....but I sure enjoyed trying to piece together what events led up to the {pretend} crime as well as how and why things happened.  

 

Jamie & I talked about how we could recreate this date for our friends....for FREE!  All we needed was a crime scene.....

 

OK, so I just have to say that I couldn't have pulled this off without my SWEET husband!  He kept coming up with the best ideas!  At one point...while trying to figure out "whodunnit"...we had our cute puppy as the criminal....and we were going to leave evidence like half of a doggy treat at the crime scene. Haha!! We were cracking ourselves up trying to think of what the crime was and who did it. :)  Thanks to my husband's inspirational ideas....I finally came up with a "fun" crime! :)  

 First, I created the invite, of course!  I always like a little suspense!  Even though my husband knew we were going to do a CSI date...I left this in his car the morning of...

You can download your free invite HERE.  I also created a "label" that said, "CONFIDENTIAL" in red...I placed a long envelope beneath it & held it up to the light so I could see the outline...and cut it out.  I then adhered that label to the front of the envelope (so it looked like it was printed on it).  I also put on some bright lipstick....and kissed the envelope a few times.  Jamie loved it.  :)

 

I sent the invite to a few of our friends....and we planned to have a homemade Cafe Rio night.  We tried the recipe that Lisa M. recommended in her Bear River Lodge date.  You can find that recipe here.  I assigned all of the girls something to bring.  Since this was the first time any of us had made this...we laughed when every girl showed up saying that she didn't think her part turned out!  :)  It turned out tasting delicious anyway.

 

I tried to make this date as easy as possible....and used items we had around the house.  I already did the hard part and created the entire crime & all of the handouts. {WINK}  Here is a list of all of the things you will need to gather for your date:

 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

*The FREE CSI Invite

*White balloons {1 per person}

*Pencils {1 per person}

*Clipboards - Optional {1 per person}

*The FREE CSI Downloads

*An old stuffed animal {the victim}

*Washable red paint

*White chalk

*Orange or Yellow crepe paper {or Police Line tape if you have any left over from Halloween}

*Four shoes that have very similar tread {I used tennis shoes}

*Nine Manila envelopes...depending on how many couples there are {or you can use regular white envelopes}

*Adhesive {I use scrapbooking tape because I don't like how glue wrinkles up your paper!}
*"Sticky Fingers" Activity - Optional
*Stamp Pad

 

Prepping for this was pretty easy and quite fun!  :)  

#1) First, gather all of your materials. 

#2) Printed off the free download(s) above, cut everything apart, and adhere all of the labels to manila envelopes. 

#3) Take the shoe that supposedly belongs to the criminal, paint the bottom with washable paint, and carefully "stamp" it on the Footprint Analysis paper. If you use washable paint...and you are quick...it will wash right off the bottom of the shoe.  {HINT:  When you are finished washing the paint off...if you are anything like me...you will have gotten the shoe wet in the process.  If your date takes place shortly....then you won't want a wet shoe for everyone to examine.  Just swap it out for the other half of the pair.}  

#4) Place all of the suspect statements, the handwriting samples, the fingerprint analysis, and the "Whodunnit?" paper into their correct folders.

#5) Place the Crime Scene Evidence into it's folder as well.

#6) Place the strips labeled "Owner of Shoe"  into four shoes....with the word "Owner" sticking out.  Make SURE that the strip that says, "Lois Price" on it is stuck into the shoe that stamped onto the Footprint Analysis paper.

#7) Cut apart the "Crack The Case" cards & place them in a jar along with pencils or pens.

#8) OPTIONAL: Download the "Sticky Fingers" Activity & place the Student Worksheet in the CSI Training Folders - 1 per person. I had couples share a folder.  Also place balloons in the folders.  
{HINT: I would also use a stamp pad when doing your own fingerprints.  The "pencil trick" doesn't work that great.  Just read the instructions on that paper and you will see what I am talking about.}

#7) Create your crime scene.....or in other words....place the victim & his injury {washable red paint} preferably where your guests & spouse will see it first.  :)

We have a great group of friends that are always game to go on our crazy group dates with us.  When they showed up, they were greeted by the actual crime scene!!  Everyone loved it...and it was the perfect way to kick off the evening.

Poor Jack Tupp had been killed!!

Great start to a fun date.  :)  After eating our yummy homemade Cafe Rio Pork Salad....we got down to biz-ness!

I handed out the CSI Training Envelopes - one per couple.  Inside was the "Sticky Fingers" activity and a "mini-crime" to solve.

{Include balloons & pencils}

 This is an activity I found online for teachers to do with their students.  I found it SO fascinating....how different every fingerprint is....that I thought it would be neat for the couples to take their own prints to see what they look like.  You basically place your fingerprints on a balloon...using ink....and then blow it up to see an enlarged version of your prints!  THEN...each couple tries to solve a crime that happened at a local bakery...at which fingerprints were left behind.  It's pretty interesting.  This part is totally optional!  You can do this to get everyone "warmed up" to solve the real crime...or skip right to the action!  :)

When your group is ready to start the actual solving of the crime...

Read aloud the "Crime Scene" & the bios of the Possible Suspects.  {This is on the first page of the download.}  Then - get the "Suspect Statement" envelope & hand out the statements to different people to read. The people in our group were HILARIOUS when reading those statements!  Cute Lynsie started it off with an funny accent that cracked us up...and then after that everyone changed their voice up in some way.  Anjuli was last...and I loved her expression when we told her that she had to do an accent as well.

I then pulled out the Crime Scene Evidence Envelope & everyone looked at that stuff.  {You will need those items for the rest of the investigation.} We continued on going through the different envelopes....checking out the evidence and talking about it each step of the way.  I would suggest doing it in this order:

#1 - Suspect Statements
#2 - Handwriting Analysis
#3 - Fingerprint Analysis
#4 - Footprint Analysis
{This should be the most obvious...so save it for last!}

Since you will know who did it as well as all the details....you can slightly "prod" everyone else and make sure they are on the right track...by asking questions, pointing out details they may have missed, suggesting they go back & look at certain things, etc.

After the LAST analysis is finished, hand out the "Crack the Case" slips, have everyone fill theirs out, and then read aloud the paper in the "Whodunnit?" envelope.

NOW...this can be a group date OR a date with just you and your spouse.  Whatever floats your boat!  :)  You could then end the night by watching the classic movie....CLUE!!  :)

I found a few other websites that had CSI related things on them....some were even interactive Murder Mysteries. They looked interesting...but I didn't play any of them so if they don't "pan out"....lemme just say they aren't officially "Tara-Approved"!

CSI Odds & Ends
**"On The Run"  - Interactive Crime Case
**Choose a Crime - {There are five.}
**I found an extremely creative KID'S murder mystery party HERE!
**A bunch of educational & fun CSI activities HERE.
**SUPER creative party supplies if you want to go ALL out on this date...HERE!
**Another crime you can download & solve....about a morgage company & shredded documents....click HERE!
**A virtual crime you can solve...I am not sure if the entire thing is free...or just the first "session". Go HERE!
**BBC Radio Murder Mysteries (You download the clues/papers that go with it and listen to the play…and then figure out who the killer was.)

That should give you enough ideas/references to put together a FUN and memorable CSI night with your sweetheart! :)