Wizard of Oz -3yr- Tinman Tidbets

Wizard of Oz Party- Our little girl's birthday is just after Christmas.  This year she turned three years old and is an Oz fan, since before she was even one.  In early November, I started brainstorming ideas, used your site and planning began. Our daughter's birthday is December 30, we have always celebrated with small family parties.  This year is different, 30 kids R.S.V.P, plus moms and dads..  I wrote down all ideas and time was the biggest factor. We did as much as we could and we had FUN.  

Invitations:  Color photo copied pictures from our Wizard of Oz calendar, photo copied the brick pattern onto yellow paper.  Side one had a picture of the four lead characters on the yellow brick road.  The invitation read:  Attention all munchkins:   The Grand Wizard of Oz has asked for your presence on Sunday, December 30th at 2:00 p.m.  Just follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to celebrate Rose's Third Birthday. 93 West Coast Grove  R.S.V.P 472 - 6012 Please remember It's not a place you can get to by boat or train.  It's far, far away -behind the moon,  beyond the rain, maybe over the rainbow  Side two of the invitation had the four characters looking at the Emerald City and the words to the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow.   I cut and pasted the pictures and words onto the yellow brick road pattern, a half sheet of 8X11 paper.  I took the yellow brick paper and cut circle shapes, four per page, then cut into the circles in a spiral shape.  At the center I used a hole punch and then thread a bit of ribbon.  This could be hung and looks like the yellow brick road spiral.  At the party, our daughter dressed as Dorothy, ruby slippers and all.   

Our guest arrived and were given directions: Follow The Yellow Brick Road  and complete the following tasks  to help find your hearts desire  ____Scarecrow Oz Trivia (one correct answer for each year that you are old) ____Pin the heart on the Tinman ____Lion Courage Toss   Once the above have been completed you may  follow the yellow brick to The Emerald City  First:  Scarecrow Trivia, I used several web sites that offer trivia questions and answers.  I also made up some easy ones like What color is the yellow brick road.  Everyone answered questions and the adults helped the younger ones we had about 130 questions all on stripes of rainbow colored paper. Questions on one side answers on the other. 

Second:  I used large pieces of cardboard and lots of tinfoil and make a 6 foot tall tin man. The kids used an eye blinder, wore a large foil, covered in foil, and pinned a heart.  We had a small heart shaped rug for them to stand on and who ever was the closest won a heart shaped box full of red and silver Hershey kisses.  Three:  We used three green buckets and the children tossed small beanie baby lions into the buckets of courage, one read some courage, more courage and most courage.  Once these three taskes were over the children went outside and followed the yellow brick road.  I use four yellow shower curtains and sliced them and taped, clear duck tape, them together to create a long carpet of yellow.  I then used a permanent black marker and drew on the bricks.  It was perfect.  The party started at 2 and the rain started at 2:01, but because is was a shower curtain the rain didn't hurt.  Plus is was a little thicker then a plastic table clothe so is just stuck with the cement grown.  The yellow brick road then to the Emerald City.   

For the Emerald City, we used three large cardboard sheets, taped them together and then wrapped them in green shower curtains.  We used green cellophane and make a window, with a black marker added details, and of course a sign which read, Bell Out of Order Please Knock.  Behind the green wall we set up every tunnel and tent that we have. We draped green shower curtains and table clothes over the tents. we also had games set up around the room

1. Bowling for Green:  We used a green ball, and we used empty liter green soda bottles for the pins.  We cut the tops off, and taped a colored photo copied picture of the four main characters.

2.  Green legs:  We had a bin filled with every green Lego in the house with an invitations to build the Emerald City.

3.   Green Telescopes:  We took four paper towel tubes covered them with green cellophane and green paper and ribbon and invited the children to look through them and see the real emerald city all around them.

4.    Search and Find:  Again using recycled empty green soda bottles, we removed the labels and filled them with different amounts of water, vinegar, oil, food coloring, glitter, marbles, etc. Then in each added on different object, a ruby slipper, a gold coin, a tiny witches had, a crystal ball, a red heart, the bottles had a label that read Shake, spin make a twister inside Then try and find a gold coin 

5.   Broom Races:  We used two small brooms and a rainbow feather duster.  The kids raced each other. 

6.   Melt the Witch: Side walk chalk and spray bottles the kids could draw a witch or whatever and then spray away and start again. 

7.  Ring the Witch:  A witches hat, a puddle of green towel and hoolahoops.  The kids tried to put the ring around the hat. 

8.  Bubbles: Glendas magic bubbles, We had all kinds of bubble toys out.  The above were just activities for the kids to do at their own pace. 

We had other activities that we did together: 

1.  Pass the parcel:  Instead, pass the lollipop.  We used small white plates, lollipops, different colored cellophane, ribbon, tape, and chop sticks.  I just layered the lollipops in-between a plate and wrapped.  It looked like a lollipop that some people put in their yards at Christmas.  We played Wizard of Oz music and the children sat around a large rainbow parachute.  Whenever the music stopped the child who was holding it opened the layer and got a lollipop.  We used three lollipops, because we had about 32 kids, and after about eight lollipops, it began to get to heavy, once the last pop was opened we started with a new large one. 

2.  We used about 75 large green balloons, while the balloon was not blown, we places small plastic animals, lions and tigers and bears oh my into each balloon, then added water and put into the freezer.  The water turns to ice.  The kids hopped into the pool and melted their ice to find an animal.  This was a big hit with the 7 and up kids. 

3.  We ate.. Tinman Tidbits, veggies, with dip, and a small funnel wrapped in foil held the dip  Melted Wicked Witch punch, lime sherbet and sprite  Toto on a stick, hotdogs on a chop stick  Yellow Brick Road Hoagies, sandwiches  Munchkin Morsels, cut up fruit, with rainbow colored coolwhip for dipping  Sky Jell-O, Blue Jell-O in plastic champagne cups, with spray whip cream  Lions, tigers and bears oh my, different bear mix cookies with skittles thrown into the mix  Broomsticks, Bread sticks  Witches Mix, different styles of pretzels  Muchinkin surprise, sugar cookies the shape of flowers with the center cut out and candy melted inside, giving it the stain glass effect.  Birthday Cake, order complete with the wizard of oz characters on the yellow brick road  Drinks: beer, sodas, punch 

Goodie Bags: 
1.  Photo copied coloring pictures off of the internet, made a coloring book with the following label. "There's no place like home." Always remember Mary Rose Hogan's third birthday December 30, 2001 

2.   Candy, skittles with the following label. Rainbow Candies Guaranteed to produce feelings of intelligence, courage and love 

3.  Small containers of bubbles with the following label Glenda  The Good Witch of the North Magic Bubbles 

4.  Small magnifying glasses with the following label A Magnifying Glass To search for Munchkins 

5.  A paper ball 

6.  Three gold coin chocolates 

7.  Three crayons tied with ribbon 

8.  A small either tattoo, sticker, activity, or coloring book about the Wizard of Oz with the following label "There's no place like home." Always remember Mary Rose Hogan's third birthday December 30, 2001  All items where put into a clear bag with the child's name and a color photocopy of the main characters. 

Decorations:
1. balloons and streamers
2. Balloons covered the floor in the Emerald City
3. yard size pin wheels all around the pool and near our house
4.  Stuffed animals , the lion, Dorothy, the Tinman, and the scarecrow.
5.  Beanie babies all the Oz characters.
6.  A basket of Oz books

7.  A basket of Oz barbies  

Wow our party was yesterday and our little ones had a terrific time all the children went home happy and parents had as much fun as the kids..