Doodlebops & HSM (3-4yr) Ice Cream Microphones

We combined our kids parties this year but allowed them to each choose their own theme.  Our 3 year old chose Doodlebops and our 4 year old chose High School Musical.  Because the underlying theme was music, we held it at the kids' music class academy!  The academy that they go to owns a Victorian home that has been converted and we had full use of the living room, dining room area, kitchenette, wrap around porch, and 1 acre backyard. 

COSTUMES: For HSM - the kids wore matching Gabriella" outfits.  They wore white tennis skorts red shirts with white t-shirts underneath white knee socks and sneakers.  For Doodlebops - the birthday girl wore a DeeDee Doodle costume (with the pink wig!) and her sister wore a red sequins dress and one of my hair pieces (it is a 60's style flip) like Jazz.

INVITATIONS: the kids had their photos taken professionally in all 4 outfits.  I had no clue how to incorporate the two themes so I made a magazine!  I bound all pages in a clear covering - the first page was a scan of "High School Musical 4 All Access" (I put the 4 in as the birthday girl was 4) and a photo of her posing like gabriella.  The next two pages (that faced each other) were photos of the birthday girl with pom poms and in front of a juke box - I Photoshopped in all of the party information.  The next two pages (that faced each other) were photos of the two girls together with the to different themes.  If you flip the book over the first page is "DeeDee Doodle" with Doodlebops live background.  The next two pages (that face each other) are the birthday girl in different poses singing with the remainder of the party information. 

PARTY & CRAFTS:  As guests arrived they picked up a lunch bag that had their names on it.  In the lunch bag contained: a red lanyard name tag a paper mache lunch box (oriental trading had them - way too small!  I bought the 5" ones and they were 4 1/2" not big enough to hold anything but the kids liked decorating them) to decorate a red and a white stretchy bracelette (red and white is HSM colors) a class list (what was happening during the day and a poem asking guests to upload photos to a photo website) a box of milk a tupperware of lasagna a roll up of red silverware in a HSM napkin and a red hair elastic holding it baby carrotts in a small ziploc. 

The kids took their lunchbags to the table where we had sitckers glue stars tissue paper etc to decorate their lunch boxes while eating.  The adults had tuperwares of lasagna and salad (I opted against sandwiches as my youngest has severe food allergies which include contact).  We served water and iced coffee for the adults (I got a box of Joe from Dunkin Donuts and put it on ice) - HUGE HIT! 

When the kids were finished they came inside to play the HSM version of pin the tail on the donkey - it was pin the item on the character: we bought a HSM poster with the characters and I printed out pineapples golf hats microphones basketballs pink Prada totes chem sets.  I put removable double sided tape on the picture and the kids matched up the items with the characters.  They then choose prizes from a backpack.  We then had music class - the kids' music teacher created a 45 minute music class and incorporated HSM songs in the beginning along with their own songs.  Half way through the class I took my kids out and changed them into their Doodlebops outfits.  Their teacher announced the Doodlebops and played some of their interactive songs and let my kids lead.  When we ended the music session and went out on the porch. 

I had asked all kids to bring one white cotton item (tshirts dresses towels etc).  I had 1 bucket set out per family (dollar store) and filled each bucket with 1 gallon water.  Each parent put soda ash into each bucket and the kids put their t shirts to soak.  I told them after cake we were going to tie dye (I found a kit at walmart for $8 where the tie dye was out of bottles but the shirts had to soak for 20 minutes first). 

We then went in the back yard to have cake.  My youngest has severe food allergies so the cake is always a challenge for us.  So I made 3 dozen cupcakes with a chocolate fudge frosting (it is dairy free gluten free and soy free.  The two cakes were cupcakes aranged into notes - one was an eigth note and the other one was two eigth notes.  They both wanted musical candles that had the numbers as well. 

After they blew out the candles each guest was given a "microphone" - I made ice cream cones out of pizzelles (again there are no allergy free ice cream cones so I had to make one -- feel free to use regular cones because they're a pain to make!!) and put the cupcake on top and covered it with the chocolate fudge and black sugar to look like a microphone.  I wanted to put licorise string coming out the bottom but non are allergy free!  I put the cone in a Doodlebops cup and surrounded it with mini-marshmallows to hold the cone secure.  the kids loved singinging into their cupcakes then eatng microphones!  The adults ate the cupcakes that were made into notes. 

After cake the kids washed up and went to tie dye.  It was a little chaotic because parents had to get involved -- going forward I would recommend getting rubber gloves for everyone (the kit came with 4 pairs of plastic gloves that ripped apart when we put them on) and buy more rubber bands (the kit said there was enough for 15 shirts but that didn't include enough bands!).  but the kids had a blast choosing color combinations and the shirts came out wonderful!  We chose the tie dye because the Doodlebops are very bright colored characters and everything is very bright (you have to see the show to get the connections!!).  We then played "Don't pull the rope" limbo until everyone left (used a rope to play limbo).

PRIZES AND GOODY BAGS: prizes were pretty simple HSM pencils HSM stickers Doodlebops stickers necklaces bracelettes harmonicas kaliedescopes Doodlebops noise makers.  The goody bags were Doodlebops and had HSM pencils and a CD made by our music class which had a picture of the two girls (each in their respective costume) and songs from music class.  The kids took home their decorated lunch boxes and tie dye outfits.  everyone was telling me their kids wore the tie dye the next day!

DECORATIONS: I kept decorations simple I put up red mylar heart and star balloons everywhere (they're $1 a piece at the dollar store so I buy TONS - they even blow them up for you!!) and allowed the kids to take some home.  I also put up HSM posters photos and party decorations I found on sale at the party store.  I had a 10x10 tent in the back yard and decorated that with metallic stars and curling ribbon.  I had bright colored balloon table cloths for the HSM part and then put Doodlebops table cloths when we switched over. 

I hung red and white pompoms red and white megaphones and cheerleader rubber ducks.  I also have very brightly colored party hats that is one a string with pom poms - that was hung over the tie dye area.  I had all the kids all sign the HSM poster and we have that up in the play room.  The kids all wore Doodlebops party hats and used the blowers during cake - and HSM tamborines clappers for the first part.

THANK YOU NOTES: I took a close up of the two girls laying down.  They are laying opposite each other and their heads are next to each other - that's the front of the card and the inside has music notes. I highly recommend the tie dye kit but learn from my mistakes and be a little more prepared.  The parents weren't really paying attention to the directions so I was more heling the parents than my own kids!  Luckily my husband was having fun doing it for our kids!"