Dora The Explorer Party Ideas

Photo courtesy of: Szlea

Let us help you create an amazing adventure with these Dora the Explorer party theme ideas.


First of all, to help get you into the Dora birthday party frame of mind, we've put together links to the best party supplies:

Dora Partyware, Decor & More
Dora & Friends Party Supplies
Dora Pinata & Party Decor
Dora The Explorer In A Box


DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR INVITATIONS

PASSPORT INVITATIONS - Cut an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of navy blue card stock in half to make each piece 8 1/2" x 5 1/2". Then fold in half to make it 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". On the front write, "This Is Your Passport (Name's) Dora The Explorer Birthday Party." On a piece of light blue paper, write or print out the following:

This Passport Entitles (Name of Guest) Entrance to A Fun-Filled Dora Birthday Party.

(Birthday Name) Will Lead An Exciting Expedition located at (Party address).

The adventure starts on (Date) and will last from (Time Party Starts And Ends).

Dora The Explorer Attire Required (Optional).

Please Contact The Customs Office at (Phone #) To Confirm Your Expedition's Reservation.

DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY MAP INVITATION - Use parchment paper, brown paper bag, or crumpled cream paper with burnt edges to create a map invitation that shows the route to the party location. Say: "We're going on a Dora the Explorer Birthday Adventure. Chart your course for (address) on (date). RSVP to (name and phone). Roll up invitation, tie with ribbon, insert into plastic bottle, add a little sand, and hand-deliver.

DORA THE EXPLORER INVITATION - Cut 8 1/2" x 11" yellow card stock into two pieces. Design the front edge with Dora the Explorer stickers. Glue a picture of the birthday child in the center. On reverse side, either write or type out the party details. Say:

Join (birthday child's name) for an amazing Dora the Explorer Birthday Adventure!
Date:
Time:
Location:
RSVP to (name and phone) so Swiper Fox doesn't swipe your spot!

DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR A FIESTA-THEMED INVITATION - Cut 8 1/2" x 11" yellow card stock into two pieces. Design the front edge with Dora the Explorer stickers. Glue a picture of the birthday child in the center. On reverse side, either write or type out the party details. Say:

Hola Amigos (boy) Amigas (girl)!
Join (birthday child's name) for a fiesta!
Date:
Time:
Location:
RSVP to (name and phone) so Swiper Fox doesn't swipe your spot!

EMBELLISH READY-MADE DORA THE EXPLORER INVITATIONS - Buy ready-made Dora invitations and embellish picture. Use glitter, sequins, jewels, ribbons, buttons, wiggly eyes, etc.


DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR COSTUMES

Dora loves to play dress-up. A great Dora the Explorer party idea is to invite your guests to dress up as their favorite Dora the Explorer character, or as they arrive, provide brightly colored hats, vests, scarves, ties, hair bows, etc. for the kids to wear at the party. The following Dora the Explorer party ideas are provided for creating your own costumes:

Dora The Explorer - The Dora costume is the easiest to put together. It is basically a pair of orange shorts, a pink short-sleeve t-shirt, and white tennis shoes. Add a Dora wig or create your own. Find a black wig and if it's too long, cut it off. If you're not in the mood to create your own, opt to by one of the infamous Dora wigs for your birthday girl that will instantly transform your child into the infamous Dora! Complete the look with a Dora the Explorer backpack.

Diego - The Diego costume is also relatively easy to put together. It is basically a pair of royal blue shorts, light blue short-sleeve t-shirt, and a cream-colored vest with large flap pockets on the front. Add a small orange rescue pack put on over the head and hung off shoulder.

Boots the Monkey - Have child wear a long-sleeve dark brown t-shirt and dark brown pants. Cut a large oval from tan felt and glue or sew to the front center of the t-shirt. Make a tail from brown fabric. Tie strip around hips and attach another strip (length appropriate for size of child) to hip strip that will hang down as the tail. Cut two 5" circles from dark brown felt and two 4" circles from tan felt. Glue tan circles into centers of brown felt circles. Glue or sew circles onto the headband to form the ears. Using face paints, paint the face brown, paint a black dot on the tip of the nose, and add pink circles on the cheeks.

Swiper the Fox - Have child wear a long-sleeve rust t-shirt and rust pants. Cut a large oval from white felt and glue or sew to the front center of the t-shirt. Make a tail from rust fabric. Tie strip around hips and attach another strip (length appropriate for size of child) to hip strip that will hang down as the tail. Glue or sew white felt to the end of the tail. Cut two 7" ovals from rust felt and two 6" ovals from white felt. Glue white ovals into centers of rust felt ovals. Glue or sew ovals onto rust colored headband to form the ears. Using face paints, paint the face rust, paint a black dot on the tip of the nose, and add pink circles on the cheeks.

Check out our visitor-submitted DORA THE EXPLORER COSTUMES photos and how-to tips.


DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR DECORATIONS

Set the stage with these Dora the Explorer party ideas by turning your party room into Spooky Forest. Upon arrival, your guests will know they are in for an afternoon of adventure and exploration. Create this festive atmosphere at your home by using some of the following Dora the Explorer party ideas:

• If you have a large wild animal, place it at the front door to greet your guests.

• If you don't have a large wild animal to join in the festivities, you might want to add a wild animal standee to greet your guests at the door or use it as a photo op.

• Decorate archways and doorways with green streamers.

• Attach green streamers to ceiling center and at tops of walls, while making loops to create canopy effect. Let streamers fall down the walls to the floor.

• Decorate wider walkways with green sheets tied back.

• Hang Dora the Explorer posters and jungle posters on the walls.

• Place real and fake plants and trees around the room.

• A great Dora the Explorer party ideas is to create tree trunks with large sheets of crumpled, brown butcher paper. The branches can be made from smaller pieces of this paper. Create large leaves from green butcher paper and glue to tree branches. Tape trees to walls using double-stick tape.

• Place wild animals (stuffed animals) around room.

• For decorating magic, you'll want to be sure to add some zebra and/or tiger printed gossamer prints. You can use it to cover your walls, ceilings, table, and furniture, to instantly transform your party room into a wild safari.

• Hang a banner that says "Feliz Cumpleanos (birthday child's name)." This is "Happy Birthday" in Spanish.

• Cover tables with green tablecloth or a Dora the Explorer patterned tablecloth.

• Cluster green balloons throughout the room.

• Cut out animal footprints from construction paper or card stock and affix them to your walkway.

• Get some large appliance boxes and paint them to look like Dora's Casa. The kids can play in them during the party.

The following Dora the Explorer party ideas will help you create Rainbow Road, Windy Valley, Crocodile Lake, and Grumpy Old Troll's bridge:

• Create a Rainbow Road by taping or gluing various blocks of colored construction paper to a piece of butcher paper and lay it down as the walkway to your front door.

• You can also create a Rainbow Road that runs through your home in a winding pattern. Just cut and paste large pieces of butcher paper together to create the road and cover with various colored blocks of construction paper.

• To truly transform your party room walls, add a Dora's World scene setter to cover your walls.

• Create Windy Valley, by hanging blue streamers in a doorway and position a fan behind them to blow out and create the wind.

• Create Crocodile Lake by filling a wading pool with cut-up pieces of blue bubble wrap. Place toy crocodiles inside the pool.

• Create Grumpy Old Troll's bridge from an appliance box and place it at the front door area. As guests prepare to cross the bridge, ask them to solve a riddle as Troll does in order to gain entrance. If you really want to do it up right, create a small bridge out of wood.

PRINTABLE GAMES - Here's a great site for some fun Print & Play Birthday Party Games that would be a perfect party game add-on:

Printable Birthday Games Ages 3-5
Printable Birthday Games Ages 6-7
Printable Birthday Games Ages 8-9
Printable Birthday Games Ages 10+

Here's an entire page with nothing but Dora the Explorer Party Games and Activities, such as:

• Friendship Bracelets
• Musical Puzzle Bridge
• Steal the Sombrero
• Guess What It Says
• Name That Animal
• Dora The Explorer Riddles
• Dora the Explorer Party Ideas for an Obstacle Course

TACO BAR - Provide shells, shredded chicken, hamburger, sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, etc. and let kids make their own.

TACO SALAD BAR - Provide cooked taco salad shells, shredded lettuce, hamburger, refried beans, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped onions, chopped black olives, etc. and let kids make their own.

NACHO BAR - Provide tortilla chips, hamburger, beans, melted cheese, salsa, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, sour cream, olives, etc. and let kids make their own.

QUESADILLA BAR - Provide flour tortilla shells, cheese, chopped green chilies, chopped or sliced black olives, shredded chicken, chopped onions, shredded cheese, etc. Either let kids pick out their ingredients and you put them together in a Quesadilla Maker or just make them ahead of time and cut them into pieces for serving.

BEANS AND RICE - Serve refried beans and Mexican rice as side dishes.

CHIPS AND DIPS - Tortilla chips with salsa and/or guacamole dips.

DORA THE EXPLORER TRAIL MIX - Either buy prepared trail mix or make your own by mixing together raisins, chocolate or carob chips, pretzels, and granola. Place in colorful bowls.

CHURROS - Sometimes called the Spanish donut. Churros are fried until they become crunchy and then they are sprinkled with sugar. You can serve them with chocolate dipping sauce or vanilla ice cream.

The following dora the Explorer party ideas for drinks are a perfect compliment:

ALLIGATOR-ADE - Green Gatorade.

SWAMP JUICE - Place a piece of dry ice into a plastic container. Punch holes into the container lid. Before serving drop the plastic container into your punch bowl. It will create a foggy look. Remember, dry ice can burn when it touches bare skin. Be sure to wear gloves or use tongs when handling. Also, it's not edible, so don't let it touch the punch.


DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR CAKES

DORA THE EXPLORER SCENE CAKE - Bake sheet cake and frost it yellow and place Dora the Explorer cake topper or plastic Dora the Explorer pieces on top to create festive scene.

DORA THE EXPLORER PHOTO CAKE - Take a picture of your child in their Dora Explorer costume and have a bakery put it on the cake.

DORA THE EXPLORER SHAPED CAKE - Use a Dora the Explorer shaped cake pan to create your masterpiece. Just follow the decorating directions to create a birthday masterpiece.

DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR A BACKPACK CAKE - Make a cake in a 9" x 13" pan. After cake cools, wrap in wax paper and then in foil and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer and cut off corners of cake to create a backpack-shaped cake. Frost cake purple. Using white, black, and red icings make white eyes, black eyeballs and eyebrows, and a red mouth.

DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR CUPCAKES - Make or buy cupcakes. Either buy Dora the Explorer picks or create some by taking two identical Dora stickers and sticking them together with a toothpick in between. Then stick a toothpick into each cupcake.

Check out our visitor-submitted DORA BIRTHDAY CAKES photos and how-to tips.


DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR FAVORS

A great Dora the Explorer party ideas is to put party favors into bandanas tied with yarn; cellophane bag decorated with Dora stickers; create purple felt backpacks using purple yarn to sew the pieces together, glue on wiggly eyes and a felt mouth; or go all out and use Dora backpacks. Fill with puzzles, Dora coloring book and crayons, storybooks, Dora toys, stickers, candies, finger puppets, compass, binoculars, Compass Clip, etc.


DORA THE EXPLORER PARTY IDEAS FOR PARTY SUPPLIES

Here's some teriffic Dora Partyware, Decor & More to check out.

Here's some wonderful Dora & Friends Party Supplies

Here's some great Dora The Explorer party supplies including ideas for partyware, invitations, favors, and lots of decor!

This party won't be complete without a fun colorful Dora The Explorer pinata, along with some other party decor options.

Dora The Explorer Party Ideas

Do you have some favorite Dora The Explorer party ideas? Do tell! Please share all your party tips and ideas for invitations, decorations, games, etc.