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Rating: 
Reviewed by: Cici
(Read all my reviews)
Location: Kansas City, MO
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Photos: (click for full-size)
Title: What a cute party!
Date: Nov 25, 2009
If I do say so myself, my daughter's 3rd birthday party was adorable!
She told me she wanted a "Wixar of--....Wizar off--.... a DOROTHY party!" How fun. She loves the Wizard of Oz, so I was not surprised at all.
I had the party at our local community center and invited my daughter's preschool class, family, and friends.
I made the invitations using layout software. The front had a movie still of Dorothy and her friends looking down the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City. The caption read, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road...." Inside it read, "To I---' 3rd Birthday Party!" Then there was a picture of Glinda, with the caption, "Calling all Munchkins (and their parents!), Come out, Come out, Wherever you are!"
After looking around at a few party stores in town and striking out on Wizard of Oz-themed party goods, I went to celebrateexpress.com and found everything I wanted. I ordered a rainbow pinata with a pull-string conversion kit, napkins/plates/cups, rainbow lollipops, and ADORABLE favor boxes that looked like Toto's little basket.
A woman I work with made a gorgeous sheet cake with ruby slippers, yellow brick road, poppies, and the Emerald City. I purchased a roll of yellow paper and used a marker to make a "yellow brick road" that I taped to the floor. We blew up balloons, too, and I printed out movie stills and movie posters to tack up around the room. I also printed out photos of all the main characters, glued them to cardboard--front and back--cut them out, and added a stand. Voila--table toppers!
I also made a Scarecrow game. I cut out parts of the Scarecrow--his head, torso, arms, and legs--and hid the pieces around the room. I told the kids the Witch "took his arms and threw them over there! And then she took his legs and threw them over there!" The kids looked around the room for the Scarecrow's parts, then we assembled them on the wall. When he was complete, we had cake and ice cream. I used my wicker picnic basket (lined with blue gingham, of course!) to hold bags of chips that we passed out.
The kids also enjoyed the rainbow pinata. I purchased the pull-string conversion kit, and it was really easy to use. Because of the rainbow design, I ended up "making" another kit and putting one each on each of the rainbow's "legs." That way, all the goodies could fall out, and we even doubled the fun!
The adorable treat boxes were a huge hit. I filled them with Wizard of Oz stickers; mini spiral lollipops (like the Lollipop Guild's); and some heart-shaped locks, (to represent the TinMan), egg timers (to represent the Wicked Witch), and bubble bottles (to represent Glinda) I found locally. Plus, I downloaded the Wizard of Oz soundtrack and made copies, with printed jewel case inserts, for everyone who came.
The best part of the whole party, though, was I paid two actors to come play Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion. They were a hit! They interacted with the kids, led the pinata and Scarecrow activities, and passed out snacks and goodie boxes. I couldn't really afford to pay actors *and* rent costumes, so I went on a local community theater email list and recruited people who had played the parts before (and therefore already owned the costumes). They knew all the lines and the story, too, and could improv in character. The kids believed they really were from the movie! "Dorothy" even gave her stuffed Toto doll to my little girl as a gift--and my daughter has slept with him every night since then. She still talks about how "Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion came to my birthday!"
All in all, it was an amazing party!
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