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Map Adventure Party -2yr- Comic Strip Invite

January 2008

Mary Ann in Manila, Philippines

Special Mention

My Daughter is crazy over Dora.So for her 2nd birthday(this happened yesterday),I decided to give her a Dora The Explorer Adventure Party.

I custom made the invitation using a scrapbook software, I put Dora Picture which actually has my daughter's face (my sister-in-law cut the face of Dora using photoshop and replace it with my daughter's face, it was really cute!)I made it to look like a comic strip, I have backpack anouncing that Dora and friends have a new adventure, then map telling that it's going to be at my daughter's birthday party and my daughter telling the details, for the title I cut the Dora The Explorer logo and put boots and swiper at both ends, under it I wrote Come on Vamonos!Everybody Let's Go!".

For the food barbeque fried chicken and tacos. I have the kids eat first.For the adventure I basically incorporated the show's idea. After eating I let the  kids rest for a while.Then I went in front with my daughter and called their attention I told them that "Ava (my daughter) is glad that they came to join her celebrate her party and to show how thankful she is they all would be getting a treat box(store bought dora treat boxes)as a token". I handed out the boxes to each child.When they opened the box they were complaining that it was empty. I told them "How can it be?" and I asked them "Do you know who could have took it?" At the back I had my son hiding behind the plants holding Swiper (which is an enlarged picture I printed out and glued to a rubber foam and cut to its shaped and a balloon stick to hold it) and the children all screamed swiper!Then I say "So swiper swiped your goodies!" and asked them if they want to find and get back their treats to which they answered out loud "Yes!"

So here's where the kids' adventure begin.I asked them to all stand up I cued my husband  (who's in charge of the music) to play the show's opening theme to which the kids sing along and danced to.Then I asked them "Does anyone have an idea where swiper could have hide their treats?" and they replied "None".So I asked them "Well who do we ask for help when we don't know which way to go?".They shouted "The Map!".I asked them to say it again and louder.Again my son hiding behind the plants holds out map(which again is an enlarged clip art of map glued on a rubber foamcut to its shaped with a balloon stick to hold it) while the map song plays at the background.After the song my son(still hiding)handed to me the map(a map template taken from the show which I got on the web and I used powerpoint to add clip arts of the places to go).I held out the map and say "Here's where the map says where you need to go.

First you have to cross over the Balloon Bridge(I made a bridge and decorate it with balloons)then you have to crawl inside Rainbow Tunnel(I used a long table covered with colorful drapes over it)then an X marks the spot to where Candy Mountain(I cut out a rubber foam to a shape of a mountain and stuck lollipops on it and glued candieschocolates and other snack treats all over it using a glue gun)is.Then just like at the show I let them repeat the places where we need to go.I asked them if they see the Balloon Bridge?They all pointed at its direction.I told them to form in line and start walking to the bridgebut I stop them at the foot of the bridge and cued my husband to play "The Grumpy Old Troll" music(which I downloaded at Limewire).I told them that the Grumpy Old Troll won't let us pass until we solve his riddle first.I then say the riddle and asked them the answer to which they answered correctly.

They get to crossed the bridge.I asked them where to go next and I pulled the map again to show them.The Rainbow Tunnel is next.But before I let them crawl inside I told them that in fairy tales a treasure pot is always at the end of it(I used a box with a lock and filled it up with coins and placed it at the exit of the tunnel) let's see if we can find one at the end of this tunnel.So the kids still in line crawled inside the tunnel.After the last child I asked "did you find any treasure pot?".They said "No" but saw the box.I got the box and said "Let's see what's inside it".But the box is locked.I asked them "What do we need to open the box?" they all shouted " A key".But "Where is the key?" I asked.They stood there wondering.And I told them "Maybe we could check Backpack!".

They all called to Backpack(again an enlarged picture of backpack glued to a rubber foamcut to its shaped and a balloon stick to hold it) and again my son holding it out while the backpack song plays on the background.When the song ended my son handed the key.I asked on of the kids to unlock the box.  After it was unlocked I opened itheld it in front of them to see what's inside.I asked them what's inside the box and they all answered "Coins!".Then I tossed all the coins into the air and everyone picked up the coins they could find.We are done with Rainbow Tunnel so "Where shall we go now?" I asked.Pulled the map again show it to the kids and they answered "Candy Mountain!".So off we go to the Candy Mountain.

But before we could get any closer my husband played the swiper song and my son holding swiper appeared the kids took the cue from the music and said "Swiper no swiping" three times to stop swiper from swiping the X mark.And they succeeded on stopping swiper.So we found the X that marks the spot meaning we've found Candy Mountain.But the Candy Mountain is out of sight(I hid it behind a curtain to take them on a surprise).I asked them to stop and think.I carried my daughter with meand asked them what could be behind the curtain?.Let's find out.I helped my daughter pull the curtain and there it was the Candy Mountain.Everyone was thrilled even the parents of the kids gathered around it.I told them before they could get the candies to fill their treat box they all must sing happy birthday to Ava and they did.After the song I let them get the candies off the mountain.The kids were all so happy.

Then I lit up the candle on the cake and gathered the kids around it for the birthday girl to blow it we all sang happy birthday and Ava blew out her candle.Then I had my daughter hold on to a rope I asked the kids to pull on the rope to find out what's at the end of it.They found a "pabitin"(this is our version of the pinata)where we hang toys and other give aways for the kids to reach and of course take home with them.After this I let everybody eat their cakes.After eating they were getting ready to leave.They thought the party was over but I still have another surprise coming.I gathered them once more in front of me I told them somebody still wants to thank you(I had an enlarged picture of dora glued on large cardboard with  all the stuff I stuck on the candy mountain and this one is also covered with a curtain.I asked them if they could sing once more a happy birthday for my daughter they did and were so eager to see what's behind me.

Then I said Dora wants to say thank you and pulled the curtains again the kids even the parents pulled out the goodies out of the board.This time the party is really over and everyone went home happy.The kids all told me to have another party like this again.Hmmmm Let's See!     "

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