Go Diego Go!

Since Austin loves Wild Kratts, and watching Dora with Logan is also a favorite, we decided to have a Diego party for his birthday party with his friends. (Diego rescues animals and he's Dora's cousin, in case you don't know the connection between the three). Our very good friends, carpool buddies, and babysitter family has a 13-yr-old son who wanted to throw parties to earn money for scout camp. This being my first "boy" party, I though he would be perfect.

He planned the party, we reviewed it together, we both provided materials for the "adventures", I made the cake and put together the goodie bags, and he made the pinata. At the party, Zarin was in charge of most of the activities and Jason and I got to oversee and manage fussy Erik.

As the kids arrived, I led the animal charades game. Zarin then whipped out a song on the piano about a skunk, which wasn't part of the plan, but it was cute, though the kids never caught onto the words. He then led them outside for the animal rescue. From the swing set platform, they had to slide down the slide, go under the trampoline (cave), leap over the stream (jump rope), step on the stones (plates), and find an animal (stuffed) in the bushes. Then they put the animal in a sled and raced it to the table under the platform and performed the doctor duties needed on the animal.

Austin is ready to go. We never did get a good picture of Zarin with his hat on.

Owen and Austin saving their animals.

Jasmine and Logan to the rescue!

Logan and Dallin with their aniamls. Dallin is Zarin's brother.

Next, we went inside and split the kids for a matching animal memory game led by Jason and me. We tried to teach them the animal names in Spanish, but I didn't know all of mine and I think Erik was in the way of Jason's group, trying to take the cards, so I don't know how much Spanish they learned.

Zarin then led the group down to the dark basement where they crawled through a tunnel and went into a tent, set up by Zarin, with their flashlights. Victoria read them a Diego book and Zarin made interesting noises and effects. Our picture of this event didn't turn out b/c it was too dark.

Afterwards it was cake and presents.

Austin had helped me make his monkey cake.

Zarin thought it was Diego, close enough.

The birthday-candle-blow-out picture didn't turn out b/c the setting was messed up from trying to take pictures in the dark.

Erik helped me take this picture during the present opening.

Then the much-awaited pinata! He made it look like a flashlight. It wasn't very thick, but some of those kids didn't hit very hard. They were very patient in the process to knock that candy out!

Victoria gave it some good whacks.

The kids are waiting for the second round of candy to come out.

Our new trampoline was a great waiting place for the kids while their parents arrived. I'm so glad I hired Zarin to do the party! He had great ideas and integrated the right amount of low activity and high activity into the party. Also, those boys, and the two girls, needed an extra person to keep them under control.  I highly recommend people use a young teen for a young party!