Dora the Explorer Birthday Party

 Young children love Dora the Explorer!  This theme makes a fun and exciting birthday party.  Most 1/2 card stores or stores such as Target or Walmart carry Dora plates, napkins, table spreads, party hats and so forth.  Your paper products can be purchased at one place which makes it very convenient.

I shopped at the Dollar Stores to get other items for party bags.  Each child received a little backpack that I purchased at a Dollar Store.  They happened to be selling florescent packs that were transparent so the gifts inside could be seen.  I also purchased stuffed monkeys to represent Boots for each child.  These stores sell compasses, bubbles, items that have Spanish words on them, fiesta items as well.  I gave each child within their backpack a "Boots", a compass, magnifying glass, little notepad, pencil, party blower, spinning top, toy binoculars and glow in the dark star kits.  The kids were ecstatic upon receiving these as a goody bag when they left the party.

For the cake, I made a Dora face.  I used a large, round cake pan and tinted the frosting a peach color for Dora's skin.  For the hair, I used thin Hershey chocolate bars, cut into sections and flipped over so the Hershey name didn't show.  I used white frosting for the eye and outlined the eyes, nose and mouth with black icing.  For Dora's eyes, I used a round, chocolate wafer cookie with a dollop of white icing and a dark brown M&M for the pupil.  Her mouth had a cut up fruit roll up for her tongue.  I cut out the front 1/2 of a party hat and placed it on the cardboard base above her hair.  I served rainbow sherbet with the cake.

For balloons, I got multi-colored balloons and made sure that each child got 1 or 2 to take home with them.  I filled a monkey pinata with bouncing balls, candy, little plastic toys and gum (all purchased at the Dollar store) and used the pull string kit so that I didn't have to worry about anyone getting hit with a bat! 

Games involved following clues to find little treasures around the house.  Each child received a little Dora book (from the Dollar store), gold chocolate coins, plastic eggs with a piece of candy in them or a little kaleidoscope. These goodies as well as the treats from the pinata were put in a gallon size baggie with their names written on them and a Dora sticker.

Since so many items can be purchased wholesale at discount stores, it is easy to throw a Dora party without breaking the budget.  Feliz Cumpleanos (Happy Birthday)!