Rescue Heroes 5yr - Heros Training Course

Rescue Heroes Party for a 5 y.o.--We had a great time at our Rescue Heroes Party!  18 kids came.   It was from 1:30-4:00 p.m.  I started planning 1 1/2 months in advance for this party.  It went quite well but I couldn't have done it without my husband and son's babysitter as helpers, plus several parents stayed and came in handy.   

I downloaded lots of stuff from the Rescue Heroes website.  The invitations were from the website.  Also, I made the badges from the website up ahead of time and laminated them using the self-adhesive laminating sheets you can buy, and I glued the badges on file folders and cut them out to make them more sturdy, then glued pin backs on them.  I also glued badges onto white paper bags for the goodie bags.  I rented a hall for this because of so many kids. We had taped the Rescue Heroes theme song from one of the videos to play during games. 

1:30-1:45 p.m. People arriving. I had the badges and bags laid out on a table and as they came in I had each child choose a badge, I wrote their name on it and also on their matching goodie bag, and pinned the badges on them.  They were told they would get the goodie bag at the end of the party.  I had all my son's rescue hero toys set up in a corner where the kids could play until they were all there.  They were also told they could decorate a plate to be used later in a party game "Meteor Shower".  They were Chinette plates (strong) that had the Rescue Heroes logo labels (I had scanned the logo and printed it out on labels, then put the labels on the plates.)  Since most of the kids were boys they didn't care about this too much and preferred to just play, but they did it.  I probably wouldn't bother next time and would just hand out the plates at the time of the game. 

1:45-2:00 p.m. Rescue matching game:  This was a game to get the kids warmed up to each other.  I made cards with pictures of rescue-related things like there were 2 fire engine cards, 2 police car cards, 2 kitten cards, etc.  I had put a strip of masking tape on the floor and had all the kids stand on the tape so I could explain the games.  It was the best thing I could have done.  I then had them choose a card from the bowl, and when I said "rescue heroes find your match!" they were supposed to find the person with the matching card.  There was some confusion for the really young ones with this, but finally they found their partners.  I then had them put the cards on the floor (my teenage assistant picked them up for me) and then had them do ring-around-a-rosie rescue heroes all fall down!  They enjoyed this.  We did this two more times and then moved on to the next game. 

2:00-2:20 p.m. Rescue Heroes Training!  Obstacle Course.  I separated them into two teams.  The obstacle course started by team 1 "get down low and go go go!" under a sheet (smoke) being shaken by the team 2 kids.  Then they weaved through 4 2-liter bottles ("fire") filled halfway with orange water and with red shiny tissue paper taped on top to look like flames.  Then they hopped "get out and stay out" over an exercise step and "stop drop and roll" went over an eggcrate mattress pad I had lying on the floor, then climbed into one of those Little Tykes cubes with slide attached, grabbed a ball, slid down and tried to put out the fire in the "burning building" which was a stool that I had attached poster board to with windows drawn on it and sitting on top of the stool were 5 red paper cups stuffed with more of that red shiny tissue paper, and some yellow tissue paper.  They LOVED it!  Then I told them they could return to the Rescue Heroes Command Center and pick out a prize while they awaited further orders.  I had a "prize bus" that was a transformed LEGO toy chest on wheels filled with little novelty prizes.  When Team 1 finished, they held the sheet and yelled fire! Fire! While Team 2 crawled under it and did the course.  You could also put a couple of red and orange balloons on top of the sheet to keep those kids interested.  They were having a hard time waiting for their turn!  During the game my husband was playing the Rescue Heroes theme song.  Also, I had my teenage assistant at the "building fire" returning the cups to the top of the "building" and putting the balls back for the next Rescue Hero trainee. 

2:20-2:35  Cake and ice cream at the birthday table!  Power juice, Hero Cupcakes (I had made little flags out of labels with the Rescue Hero logo on them and stuck them on toothpicks in the cupcakes.  These were a big hit), and Avalanche (vanilla) ice cream.  At this time I also put out a big bowl of popcorn, and some tortilla chips, soda, and coffee for the grownups if they wanted something, and some of the kids were grabbing handfuls later on in the afternoon.  I did not make snacks available before cake and ice cream so they would be plenty hungry and eat everything!  They did!  2:35  Let the rescues begin!  Each rescue hero earns a trip to the Prize bus for each rescue they do (encourages kids to participate) 

2:35-2:45  Rescue the animals from the flood!  At the starting line there is a plastic snow saucer with 2 handles (you could also use a towel).  Line the kids up in two lines and have them hold hands with the kid next to them.  That is their partner.  Opposite the starting line I had a blue double-sized air mattress (could just be a blanket if you are on carpeting but if you are on a slippery floor you need something that won't slip, you could even go without) with lots and lots of stuffed animals in a pile.  Tell the kids Oh My Goodness something TERRIBLE has happened, there has been a big flood and I need your help to rescue them!  They hold the saucer between them, run and each takes an animal and puts it on the saucer, then runs back and puts the animal in a big box "safe house" and hands the saucer to the next couple in line.  They really loved this one, and wanted to play it again, I should have let them but was afraid I'd run out of time! (I didn't).  NOTE:  while this game was going on, I had the parents who were there helping to get my Volcano activity ready at the birthday table. 

2:50-3:00 Meteor Shower:  All Heroes ran to get their Chinette plates that they had decorated earlier.  They stood on the line of tape. My handy assistants were ready with the balloons (red and orange ones).  My husband had taped the Rescue Heroes theme song over and over 8 times from one of the video tapes.  I turned on the music and the balloons were thrown up into the air, and all the kids were having a great time trying to keep the "meteors" from hitting "earth".    3:00-3:15  Volcanoes!  (Quiet activity at the birthday table)  I built a large volcano using ideas I got from various websites on how to make a "volcano eruption" using baking soda and vinegar.  The large one was made with an empty beer bottle on a large plastic plate, and covered with foil to look like a mountain.  I made a hole at the mouth of the bottle and taped the foil.  Then put 2 tsp. of baking soda in the bottle.  I put 1/3 cup of vinegar with 10 drops of red food coloring and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid in a cup.  I poured the vinegar mixture into the volcano and it made a fine eruption!  Then The kids all did their own eruptions at the table in front of them I had put a large foam cup turned up-side-down to look like a mountain, with a hole cut in the top.  I had taped a small dixie cup inside at the top.  1 tsp. of baking soda in each cup and then the kids each have a dixie cup filled 2/3 full with vinegar, 2 drops of food coloring and 1 drop of dishwashing liquid.  It was very dramatic and fun!   

3:15-3:45  Pass the power stick! I covered an empty paper towel roll with foil. Children sat in a circle around my son with their gift behind them.  My husband played the rescue hero theme music and the kids passed the Power stick!  When the music stopped the kid holding the Power stick gave the birthday boy his gift, and when it was opened and everybody saw it (and the child properly thanked) then the music played again, and that child could go get a prize from the prize bus, and then rejoin the group.  This worked really well!  While they did this my teenage assistant took each gift and wrote down who gave it so thank yous will be easier!  SHE was invaluable!!!  3:45 p.m.  Piñata Time!  I had found a Rescue Vehicle piñata at a local party store and filled it with candy only since I had so many novelties for them in the prize bus, I figured they didn't need any more. (I was thanked later for not putting hard candy in it!)  

3:55 p.m.  Rescue Heroes parade to Rescue Heroes theme music! With the birthday boy leading the parade. I wanted them to be holding balloons, but we couldn't because most of the balloons had broken in the Meteor game!  They loved this anyway!  Then they got their goodie bags and the party was over!   

GOODIE BAGS:  The bags had flashing safety lights and cool Rescue-Hero type sunglasses I had found at Sherman Novelty company online.  They have a lot of cool cheap stuff!  But good quality.  Also in the bag were a small sheet of Fire Engine stickers, and a pack of local Police Officer trading cards I got from the local town Police Department, which they gave me for free!   My son and his friends loved this party, and it worked well for all the kids (ranged in age from 3-8 with most of them 4 & 5 year olds).