Wizard of Oz Party -4yr- A Journey In Oz

In my desperate search to find unique party ideas and favors I had to resort to my own creations.  I tailored the entire party around my 4 year old Daughter's love for the Wizard of OZ movie and her journey down the yellow brick road.  My daughter's first birthday gift was a dorothy costume.  She opened and dressed up in her dorothy costume with plain shoes. 

All guests were given small rainbow colored gift sacks to carry with them. We escorted Dorothy and party guests to the front yard where the journey began.  She was greeted by her 6 year old sister who was dressed in costume to replicate Glinda the Good Witch. The area was decorated like Munchkinland.  Cellophane lollipops were created in several colors by using white cardboard circles and markers to color a swirl on the circle.  I totally unwrapped the cellophane from its center cardboard tube,which happened to be white, and used this for the Lollipop sticks.  Taped the circle to the top and draped the cellophane front and back to created a covered Lollipop head.  Tied with a silver metallic ribbon at the base of the lollipop head.  Ran a folded strip of cellophane swirl down the handle and taped to the bottom. 

The journey started by creating a giant swirl with yellow sidewalk chalk in our driveway to replicate the beginning of the yellow brick road just like in the movie.  We placed a white pair of kids tights with black electrical tape around the legs for striped stockings and placed red glitter ruby slippers on the feet which of course were my daughters shoe size.  The closed garage door made it look like the house fell on the wicked witch.  Glinda escorted Dorothy to the ruby slippers and had her place them on her feet.  Glinda gave each party guests mini containers of No Spill" bubbles that had little cut out pictures of Glinda the Good Witch taped to them.  We played the Wizard of OZ soundtrack song "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" while the kids blew bubbles. 

Glinda then gave them little party favor magic wands to protect them from the Wicked Witch of the East and sent them on their journey while the soundtrack played "Follow The Yellow Brick Road" music. We were unable to find anything yellow to replicate the yellow brick road sturdy enough to be walked on in the grass.  Our last resort which actually worked out perfectly was the use of yellow 3" duct tape to create a yellow line for the kids to follow through the yard. For 4 year olds this was just enough. 

Their first stop was the Emerald City located on the side of our house at the side yard gate.  The chain link was decorated with five strips of crepe paper in each color of the rainbow weaved at an angle to replicate a rainbow.  We decorated a giant Refrigerator box with a roll of green teacher's paper purchased at Staples and used paper punch out letter stencils from the teacher section at the dollar store.  I used craft glue and green glitter to make the letters read "EMERALD CITY" all sparkely.  Placed them on the Covered box and created what looked like giant doors with a circle up high.  My Husband hid inside the box as the Great and Powerful OZ voice and directed Dorothy that the party cannot begin until items are collected from along the yellow brick road and returned to him.  They opened the gate to find the yellow brick road continue throughout the entire back yard up the swingset platforms and down the 10 ft yellow slide to continue to different stations representing each character of the movie. 

First all guests participated in a ruby slipper scavenger hunt.  Plastic Ruby slippers with candy necklaces inside them were purchased from Celebrate Express and hid around the yard.  Dollar store "red" metallic foil shreds used for gift bags and baskets were scattered all over the grass to create a sparkly red area for the scavenger hunt.  Red silk flower poppies were removed from the stems and scattered among the foil shreds to decorate the area to replicate the poppy fields. Each guest found one magic slipper for their goody bag. 

Second all guests came across a Scarecrow (this was me dressed in costume in a section decorated like a corn field with miniature hay bales).  We used my husband's hunting duck blinds for backdrop with black construction paper crows hanging from the tree and perched on the grass.  Guests played a game of Memory I created from 4x6 colored cardstock.  I printed pictures from the Wizard of OZ movie I found online to each card.  I placed a clipart picture of a diploma on the back side of each picture.  Played like the original version of Memory where each picture has a match for the player to find.  The Wizard of OZ soundtrack played the Scarecrow's song while each guest played the game.  Each match earned a "smarties" candy and all guests were given a certificate as "Masters of the game of Memory" that were rolled and tied with a red ribbon and had a picture of the scarecrow on the bow. 

Third they came to the Tin Man.  I took a 2T sized skeleton body halloween costume turned it inside out so it was entirely black stuffed it with batting and a couple coat hangers for the arms and legs to be bendable and created a little 4 foot body. I purchased one Outdoor Hikers emergency silver metallic blanket found in the outdoor section at Walmart and covered the entire body to create a silver metallic Tin Man.  Used a lot of double stick tape but is was very easy.  Covered an old funnel we had in the garage for his hat. Used Silver metallic ric-rack for details on the jacket elbows and knees. Purchased a little plastic Ax from the Dollar Store and taped it to his hand. I stuck him standing in the yard and scattered "silver" colored metallic foil shreds all over the grass for this area. 

All guests sat in a circle around the Tin Man.  I made red hearts out of construction paper put little black construction paper "X's" and "O's" on the heart with a little picture of the Tin Man.  Hearts were completely covered with clear shipping tape to seal up all edges and make a little thicker.  All the paper hearts along with chocolate Hershey's Kisses were placed in a recycled Valentine's Day red velvet chocolate box.  Guests passed the heart from one to another while listening to the Tin Man's song from the Wizard of OZ soundtrack.  When the music stopped the person holding the heart opened it and took out a heart and a kiss.  Once every guest had the opportunity to get a favor the journey down the yellow brick road continued.

To prove that the guests had courage we had an adult (my husband) dressed up in a lion costume and was hiding along the yellow brick road and jumped out from behind a tree to try and catch the guests.  We placed a red ribbon on the lion's tail.  Guests had to try and grab the ribbon off the Lion's tail when he wasn't looking to receive their Badge of Courage.  I purchased cheap gold dog tag necklaces from the dollar store.  I placed a picture of the Cowardly Lion on the front side of the tag and the word "Courage" on the back and completely covered in clear packaging tape to seal all edges. Once every guest had the opportunity to grab the lion's tail and receive their Badge of Courage the journey down the yellow brick road continued. 

The last item needed was the Wicked Witch's Broom.  For this I again scattered "green" metallic foil shreds around the grass area and placed a witch's cape and witch hat on the floor along with a larger sized witch's broom to look like she melted.  The guests had to throw a Hoola-Hoop around the witch hat in order for Dorothy to be able to take the witch's broom. I purchased straw pot scrubbers (.15 each) at a liquidation store and inserted wooden dowels to create what looked like a witches broom.  Wrapped the scrubbers with green metallic corded ribbon to replicate the binding on a witches broom and placed a small picture of the Wicked Witch of the West just ontop of the scrubber to the handle.  Each guest participated in a scavenger hunt for the Witch's brooms. 

The journey took the guests full circle around the house back to the beginning at the Emerald City.  Dorothy had to provide all the items she collected along her journey to the Great and Powerful OZ.  Since all the tasks were complete the Great and Powerful OZ granted permission to enter the Emerald City and continue with the Birthday Celebration.  Party area was on our deck and decorated in all the colors of the rainbow for the plates napkins and cups.  The Birthday cake was created by Grandma with a sheet cake frosted to look like the yellow brick road 4 ruby slipper candle holders purchased from Celebrate Express were placed along the road.  She made an 8" round cake and cut it in half and placed it upright at the end of the sheet cake to look like a rainbow arch decorated in the colors of the rainbow.  My daughters main birthday gifts were the Wizard of OZ Barbies purchased from EBAY so each doll was incorporated into the decorations.  Lots of rainbow colored helium balloons.  I made Wizard of OZ color books by printing about 14 images found online and placed in rainbow colored school folders I purchased from Walmart for .15 each. 

We created an outdoor theater using black plastic sheeting purchased from Walmart and draped over our freestanding canopy.  The plastic was placed underneath the awning cover so it kept it in place and made the entire inside black.  We used our Zoombox projector and played the Wizard of OZ movie while guests lounged in bean bags.  Since this party took place the end of September costumes were easy to find as merchants were gearing up for Halloween.  Our family Halloween theme of course is going to be the Wizard of OZ so all decorations and costumes purchased for this party will be used again for Halloween only in our front yard this time for Trick-or-Treaters to enjoy.  All party favors left over will be given to Trick-or-Treaters dressed in our Wizard of OZ theme.  Won't they be excited.  We had an amazing time and I've been told by my 4 year old that this was the "Best Birthday EVER!" (like she has so many to choose from that she can remember :>) She felt special and that was the whole idea.  She walked the yellow brick road for days after the party.  "