• Set up a taco bar for your party gueststacos image by aline caldwell from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  Toddlers and young children love the television show "Dora the Explorer." The excitement and wonder of watching Dora and her best friend, Boots, explore the world makes children feel like they are part of the adventure. A Dora-themed birthday party is a great way to bring the excitement of the show into your own living room. With a little creativity you can throw a Dora birthday party that any young explorer will enjoy.
  
  

Decorations

• Turn your "Dora the Explorer" birthday party into a fiesta. Choose orange, pink, turquoise and purple balloons, streamers and table covers. Create a pathway using explorer stars made of yellow card stock, glue and gold glitter that lead the guests to the front door. Create large tissue-paper flowers and tie them to the chairs. Fill sombreros with Dora-themed napkins, cups, plates and eating utensils.
  
  

Food

• Serve Dora-themed food even the youngest explorer will enjoy. Include cheesy quesadillas, bean burritos, empanadas, fruit kabobs, Dora fruit snacks and animal crackers. Set up a taco bar with flour tortillas, beef, chicken or bean filling, grated mild cheddar cheese, lettuce, sliced olives and mild salsa. Set out bowls of multicolored tortilla chips with queso dip or guacamole. For your more finicky guests serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches shaped like a boot. Offer mango juice or fruit punch or serve Mexican hot chocolate garnished with cinnamon sticks. For dessert, serve cake shaped like one of the characters from the show and fried ice cream or create a banana split bar and let the kids build their own banana splits.
  
  

Activities and Games

• Plan several activities to keep your party guests entertained. Take a walk around a nearby pond or lake and search for wildlife. Have a scavenger hunt, play a game of jungle-animal charades, set up an easy obstacle course where the guests have to slide down a slide, go through a tunnel and jump over a hula hoop. Set up a craft center and provide materials to make colorful tissue-paper flowers and toilet-tissue-roll binoculars. End the games and activities with a "Dora the Explorer" pinata.
  
  

Party Favors

• Purchase small purple felt bags at a party supply store to use as goody bags. Fill each bag with a compass, bubbles, small plastic binoculars, candy, Dora stickers, a yellow bracelet, maps, trail mix, explorer star cookies and a notepad.