Dora the Explorer Birthday Party
 

 
Before the party, make a "Puzzle Bridge" using stone shapes cut from felt. Write large numbers or shapes on each stone with a permanent marker. At game time, form a circle using the stones. The children will walk from stone to stone while music is playing. When the music stops, call out a number. Whoever is standing on the stone with the corresponding number, will receive a small prize (sticker or candy). Repeat this game until all of the children have received at least one treat!  Tip: play Spanish music to keep with your theme.

Combine you party treats with a fun activity.  Make frosted yellow cupcakes topped with Dora the Explorer rings.  Before the party draw some simple pictures on 3x5 cards of items around your house or yard. Dog bowl, swing set etc. The children play as a group. Give them the first card -- dog bowl--at the dog bowl they'll find their next clue -- swing set--there they'll find the next card and so on. The last card will have a picture of you. When they find you....you'll have cupcakes and juice for them to eat at the table. Don't forget to say "We did it" Dora style-- Lo hicimos!

Before the party, place a few more objects than there are children, inside a purple backpack. Use items with interesting shapes and textures that can also be prizes, like a ball, bubbles, headbands, crayons and small plastic animals. Sit the children in a circle. Pass the back pack around one child at a time. The players feel for an object inside the backpack, guess what it is without looking and then keep their object as a prize.  Tip: You can sing the "backpack song" while you pass the back pack around the circle. 

This traditional Mexican party activity is appropriate for this party theme. Fill a Dora pull string piñata from Birthday In a Box with small toys and treats. Then hang your piñata in the party room, or use it as a centerpiece on your party table, until it’s time to start swinging. We recommend using a pull-string piñata for safer play.



Birthday Cake Idea from lds.about.com
Cake Ideas from Coolest Birthday Cakes (scroll down)



Dora and Boots




Dora and Diego Zipper Pulls




Draw the different Dora Characters onto cardboard paper. 



Dora's Printable Birthday Party Invitation
Invitations could read, "Find your way to my Fiesta!"
 

Use a Mexican Fiesta Theme. Serve Tacos, taquitos, chips and salsa.




Surprise Hat-Each child got to chose a birthday party hat to put on. Whichever child had a Dora sticker under the hat- won a prize. I had a big basket of inexpensive prizes that the children could choose one prize every time they won a game. (Idea from Kelley in CA)

Musical Chairs - Write the names of the Dora characters on paper plates.  Each child stands on a paper plate-when the music started they walked in a circle. When the music stopped, I pulled a Dora character out of a hat and whichever child was on that plate, had to pick up their plate and sit out of the game. Last one standing wins.
 

Dora's Car Bingo
Dora Paper Doll Template
Dora's "You Did It" Certificate! from NickJr.



The last game was to find the party favors.  I gave the children three hints.  The first hint was- "Now that the party is almost through- you have to find your next hint on something that floats and is blue."  So the kids had to find a blue balloon where their next clue was- "So, you found your first clue in a bunch of balloons- the next can be found on what Morgan watches her cartoons." The kids had to find a TV for their next clue.  The last clue was-"This is the last clue before you say good-bye, your prizes can be found where the clothes get dry." I had all the party favor bags in the dryer. The kids loved this-trying to figure out the clues.  The party favor bags were purple gift bags that I got after Christmas for 75% off- I cut out eyes and mouth out of construction paper and glued to each bag to make it look like Dora backpacks. In each bag was a thank you card, binoculars, compass, horn, whistle, and baby food jars filled with M&M's. (Idea from Kelley in California)

Sources:

www.amazingmoms.com
www.BirthdayPartyIdeas.com
www.nickjr.com