Tag / Dora The Explorer

by jo

Join Dora and Friends for a Sing-a-Long Summer

H grew up with Dora the Explorer, and now enjoys watching Dora and Friends on Nick Jr. Read on to find out about some exciting things happening this summer!

Dora and Friends have a new range of toys available now at Smyths Toy Superstores. We were sent a selection of Dora and Friends toys, and H is getting a lot of play from them. The Dora Smartphone (rrp £9.99) looks just like Dora’s from the tv show. You can press the screen and receive calls and voicemails from Dora and Friends, as well as pretending to take photos of friends, and use the Map App!

Dora Smartphone from the Dora and Friends Range

We received two kinds of charm bracelets – the Dora Magic Adventure Charm (rrp £7.99) and Magic Charms Bracelet (rrp £9.99), both of which have easily removable Dora-related charms (backpack, Perrito, a camera).  You also get a small Dora figure in the Adventure Charms pack. The Magic Charms Bracelet has Dora and Friends (Alana, Kate, Emma and Naiya) on there, with extra sections where charms can be added. You also get two additional bracelets to add charms.

Dora and Friends Charm Bracelets

But how to collect the extra charms? We received a Dora and Kate doll (rrp £10.99 each), and both come with a mysterious charm which can be added to the bracelets. Both dolls are dressed in an outfit inspired by Dora and Friends, and has soft hair and poseable arms and legs.

Dora and Kate dolls

Sing-A-Long Dora Tour

Across several Smyths Toys stores in the UK there’s going to be a Dora Sing-a-Long tour – which will feature a booth, where you can sing to your favourite Dora song. Look out for some booths in shopping centres too – you can also have the chance to meet the character in some stores and have your photo taken – please see the dates below.

Smyths Toys

  • Waterfields Retail Park, Watford (Dora Costume Character)  – 27th July
  • Westwood Cross Shopping Park, Thanet  – 28th July
  • St. David’s Retail Park, Swansea – 29th July
  • Crown retail park, Leeds (Dora Costume Character) – 31st July
  • Clifton Moor Retail Park, York (Costume Character) – 3rd August
  • Ravenhead Retail park, St.Helens  – 5th August
  • Halls Mill Retail Park, Bury – 6th August
  • Middle Engine Lane, Wallsend – 10th August
  • Glasgow fort shopping park, Glasgow (Costume Character) – 12th August
  • Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen (Costume Character) – 14th August

Sky stands

  • Centre MK, Milton Keynes – 25th– 26th July
  • White Rose, Leeds  – 1st– 2ndAugust
  • Intu Eldon Square, Newcastle  – 8th– 9th August
  • Bon Accord, Aberdeen – 15th– 16th August

Tune in to Nick Jr’s Sing-A-Long Summer every day from 10am-1pm to sing the songs from the shows, which feature words along the bottom of the screen. I may have caught H singing along to Wallykazam on more than one occasion…!

Competition

If you can’t make it to any of these appearances, never fear. There’s a competition online where you can submit your own song which runs from July 27th to August 16th. All you have to do is upload your child singing a Dora song, over at Nick Jr or at their Facebook page.

We have been sent a box of Dora toys for the purpose of this campaign.

by jo

Nickelodeon’s Dora The Explorer Live! Goes on Tour in the UK

Dora Stage 2012

Late last summer we went to the West End production of Nickelodeon’s Dora The Explorer Live! in the Search for the City of Lost Toys – and it was wondeful. A fabulous interactive show and of all the shows we saw I enjoyed this one the most as I didn’t expect it to be quite so good (don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed everything we saw last year, this one was due to the amount of interaction with the audience which of course if you’re familiar with the show is no surprise really).

They’re out on tour NOW! For a full list of touring venues, please go to nickjr.co.uk/doralive

Dora the Explorer fans will delight in this two act, song and dance spectacular that invites them to think, sing and play along. Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! is designed to teach kids to explore, communicate, overcome obstacles, solve puzzles and discover a diverse and exciting world…all while having a lot of fun!

Dora and the City of Lost Toys Finale

In Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys, Dora has lost her teddy bear Osito, and the search is on to retrieve him.

With the help of the audience, Map, Backpack, Boots, Diego and their courageous friends, Dora uses her map-reading, counting, musical and language skills to successfully pass through the number pyramid and the mixed-up jungle to reach the City of Lost Toys. But watch out – you never know what that sneaky fox Swiper might be up to along the way!

One of Nick Jr’s most beloved shows, Dora the Explorer airs every day at 8:30am 11am and 4.30pm, with brand new episodes in March and June 2013. The series sees Dora partake in adventures in her imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. Dora explores her world just as children do every day, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience using a variety of learning techniques. Award-winning Dora the Explorer currently reaches more pre-schoolers than any other show on television (12.4 million).

LISTINGS

Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys
UK Tour

Dates: 28 March – 19 August 2013
Performances: Performance times vary at each venue. For full information please go to the website listed below.

Ticket prices:

Explorer Seats:
Get closer to the action with Explorer seats.
Subject to availability book early to avoid disappointment.
Adult: £18
Child: £16

General Seats:
Adult: £16
Child: £14

N.B There may be some local variations on price, please ask at time of booking.

Groups/Schools/Nursery Prices for groups of 10+
£12 per ticket, with the 10th free*
*Excludes Explorer Seats

Family Rates (four tickets with at least one adult)
Explorer Family: £65
Family: £55

Meet Dora!
Buy in advance from the Box Office, or on the day and meet Dora after the show!
Children: £10
Adults go free!
Please note there is limited availability so book early.

Website: nickjr.co.uk/doralive

by jo

Nickelodeon’s Dora The Explorer – LIVE REVIEW! Search for the City of Lost Toys

Wow. Okay, we got back just now from a fabulous afternoon at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue – where we got to see Dora The Explorer Live – in her search for the City of Lost Toys.

Dora Stage 2012

 

What we love the most about Dora is how interactive it is – you’re invited to shout out and join in, and particularly in the case of M, yell at the top of your voice “SWIPER NO SWIPING!!!” in an absolutely brilliant way – it was a joy to watch, it really was. H was quite reserved to start with, though was soon dancing like a butterfly and pointing or shouting to Dora where things were, and got into the swing of it fairly quickly.

So, the story? It’s your usual Dora – something is wrong, it needs fixing and there’s two major obstacles as revealed by The Map which everyone must remember – this time she’s lost her teddy bear, so they need to get to the City of Lost Toys. There’s the familiar songs, lots of audience interaction an interval of 20 minutes (which makes the total running time of the show an hour and a half – it started at 3.30 and was over by 5pm) and a fabulous ‘We Did It’ finale which I wont spoil (though the photos *may* give it away a little bit).Dora's Friends 2012

Dora’s friends are all present, so that’s Boots, Tico, Benny, Isa and of course Backpack and Map – as well as special appearances by Swiper the Fox and her cousin Diego (from the ‘Go Diego Go!’ series, of course).

Swiper the Fox

We were handed out a little star which is used a lot in the audience participation throughout the show – so keep yours safe if you’re going – you’ll need it more than once. The Official Programme folds out into a large poster too – so make sure you’ve got an A4 sized bag to take it home in if you don’t want to spoil it.

There’s plenty of merchandise on sale, though they didn’t take cards so we didn’t get anything (possibly a good thing so soon after H’s birthday, mind – she wanted a Boots doll) – everything is reasonably priced and not too expensive.Dora 2012 Merchandise

As far as the show goes, we were impressed with it – the characters mouths don’t move, so remain fixed the whole time, and it’s miming to an existing track rather than their own voices (which I’d never seen before), which took no time at all to get used to. Afterwards we were chatting about how as adults you find characters believable and it can be any kind of show – and how the Dora characters (especially Dora and Diego) were all excellent. My friend Heather who came with us has plenty of experience of this, having toured with Bob the Builder in the past – and was also impressed. We liked the numbers section and love how the show can have educational elements and keep the kids entertained – learning being fun is a very good thing.

More from Heather; “Tico and Benny were excellent too – I thought them and Diego were the best acting wise,  (if you can believe in someone in a huge stuffed costume at all!) but they were clearly all dancers (especially Boots) so lots of energy which is really important when in costume.  I’d have loved the finale to have gone on a bit longer as everyone seemed to be really getting into it then and it felt like it stopped a bit abruptly but that might just be me.”

Ultimately, the best reviews come from the fans – so that’ll be H and her friend M. Both loved it – we were able to ask them which parts were their favourite, and both were able to mention parts of the show we’d not thought of (H was particularly random with “Boots and his red bus”), as well as the other kids present. I loved the finale, it was a good end to a fun show and one that kept them amused too – with of course more obligatory shouting at Swiper.

Dora and the City of Lost Toys Finale

Dora The Explorer – LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys is showing NOW at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue – here’s the info:

Dates: 28 August – 16 September 2012
Performances : Monday – Sunday 10.30am/1.00pm/3.30pm*
*Please see full performance schedule on the website for dates with no 3.30pm performances
Ticket prices: £13.00, £18.00, £25.00 (premium)
Prices include a 50p restoration levy

Address: Apollo Theatre, 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES
Box Office: 0844 412 4658
Website:
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.nimaxtheatres.com
www.nickjr.co.uk/

I received complimentary tickets for the show (though would have bought some anyway) – all opinions are our own and honest.