Race Car Party 
 


Invitations:

Take plain white invitations and paint black squares on them to look like checkered flags.


Decorations:

Cover the table with white butcher paper and draw roads on it.  Place matchbox cars and let the kids "drive" them around.  Make Road signs from construction paper to put on the backs of the chairs.  Use black and white checked wrapping paper to decorate tables.  Make road signs from poster board and attach them to stakes for the yard.


Solid black or solid white tables cloths (plastic) add cut out pictures of Nascar drivers and cars and some racing sayings.  Use wide clear tape to place them all over the tablecloths.  Put checkered black and white flags all over the party area in flower pots.  Set out a big checkered flag on the mail box by the road, like people do balloons for a birthday party.  Use white wicker baskets and spray painted some black for munchies.  Use race car theme cups, and black and white paper plates and napkins.  
Go to all of your towns quick change oil places and they will be more than happy to give you empty boxes that the oil comes in.  We used these as decorations, as giant building blocks, and for an obstacle coarse  They will also give  you old stand up displays to use as decoration, posters, and empty plastic oil jugs that we filled with water and used as helium balloon weights.  Just tie the balloons on the jug handles.



Cake:  

Two round cakes with holes cut in the middle.  Place the cakes and frost them to look like a figure 8 race track.  Cut the holes in half.   Place these on top of the track to create hills in the track.  Crushed Oreo's can be used for dirt.   Make small checkered flags and glue them to toothpicks that are painted white.   Use small cars on the track to make it look like they are racing.



Car Cake:  Make a 2 layer 9x13 cake, shaped it into a car, frosted it, use ring dings for the wheels.   Put child's birthday # on the roof and hood - this idea and picture by Jen Verolla


Other Food Ideas:

Red Stoplights - red Jell-o jigglers
Or Stop and Go Lights - red and green jigglers
Graham Crackers with red, green and yellow M&M's to make stoplights.

Race Track Snack: Oreo cookie cereal   (tires)    Cinnamon
Toast Crunch cereal   (available with a checkered flag design at the time)   M&M's...red ones, green ones, yellow ones...(traffic light colors) and pretzels called KIDZELS which are shaped like various vehicles.


Goodie Bags:
Decorate with with pictures from car magazines.  Give each child a computer made "drivers course certificate,"   matchbox cars, mini checkered flags, whistles, paper cars, car erasers and key chains.  Make drivers license on the computer, take a picture of all the kids and cover with laminate or use clear contact paper.



Games and Activities:

Take the kids pictures with a Polaroid, digital or other 'fast' printing camera.  Have a sign up that says "Department of Motor Vehicles"  Use the pictures for license, etc.



Bean bag toss:  
Make bean bags to look like tires.  Either toss them through an old wheel that is suspended or make a card board cut out of one.


Car Races:
Make cars for each child from computer paper boxes (or other).  Cover them with colored butcher paper, add 2" strip of black and white checked wrapping paper around the top of the box.  Use colored, inverted paper bowls as head lights (brads to adhere) and colored paper plates as wheels.
Now for the fun part.  Let the grass in your yard grow out a bit, then mow, before the big day, a race course design.  The kids are guaranteed to have a blast!

Red Light / Green Light:
Use their cars.  One adult is the light.



Pit Stop Relay Race:
Need:  Butcher paper with car drawn on it, a marker, rag or dry sponge, pitcher or plastic container for each team.  Strips of paper stating what needs to be done.Tape the paper to a wall at kid level.
On the paper strips list:
Change tire (draw tire) make two of these
Wash window (with sponge or rag)
Pump Gas (pour empty contain)
Change headlight
others that you can think of
The first in line of each team draws a slip, runs to the "car" performs the task and runs back.  The next in line does the same.



License Plates:
Need-craft foam cut to the size of license plates
Let the kids decorate them with markers, sequins, beads, etc.  Could also use these and set in a picture of the children.



Pass the Dump Truck:
Fill the back of a dump truck with wrapped presents.  Play music and when the music stops the child holding the truck gets to pick one gift and puts it in their goodie bag.   Continue.



Car Jar - get a large clear plastic jar and put as many Hot Wheel cars and lego tire wheels in it.  The idea is to guess how many WHEELS are in the jar, not cars.  It makes it a little harder, and you can have an old number of wheels by putting in those extra lego tires.