When my son was turning four he was really into Cars, the movie but has always loved all vehicles. So the theme was easy to pick and I knew he would love it. These ideas can be for all car themes such as hot wheels, speed racer or just cars!
I started right away with buying the gifts and preparing the race track because these things take time! So, for the goodie bags we decided to give two of the Cars characters to each friend along with Cars stickers and other little things. We just ordered these direct from the Disney Store. It turns out these cars were a bit smaller than the ones we bought at KB Toy Store. Oh well. Then I contacted my dad to ask about how I could make a down hill race track, I was thinking wood. He had some really heavy cardboard and took over the task of race track maker and he did awesome. He painted the heavy cardboard black, applied wood to keep it sturdy and painted a strip to have two lanes. This was supposed to be out in our lawn area but the weather was cold and it snowed that day, we live in the desert so the likelihood of snow was not even a chance. What a birthday present! Anyway, we put the track on the patio and moved the rest of the party and arts and crafts inside.
Decorating Ideas:
-Checkered flags put outside or throughout party area.
-Make road signs and put throughout party area, or use smaller ones to write the food items on if hosting a lunch.
-Use chalk to make a road to your front door from the street to welcome guests.
-Using large (appliance) cardboard boxes make the Radiator Springs town or make cars for children to race around in. These can also be used for a game.
-Use plastic trophies to serve snacks.
Click on “Race Cars” or “Cars-the Movie” to view some of the decorating items and party favors available.
Games and Activities:
Paint a Car
When the children enter have them decorate a wooden car of their choice with paint. It is important to do this first and to not use too much paint so they will dry for the race track. You can have a few pre-made just in case someone arrives late or uses too much paint. I found wood cars at Joann’s and Wal-Mart and used acrylic paint. You could use paint pens to make things easier and less of a mess.
After the crafts, activities and eating have the children race their new cars down the down hill track. See above on how to make.
Make a License Plate
Materials Needed:
Metallic poster board
Paper punch
Glitter glue and letter stickers
1. Cut metallic poster board into 6- by 11-inch rectangles and use a paper punch to make a hole near each top corner.
2. Put on sticker letters and add glitter glue borders. (To make the glitter glue stick more readily to the glossy surface, first rub the area you plan to cover with a pencil eraser.) Then you can tie string or wire to attach to their bicycles.
Car Relay
Materials:
Cardboard boxes
, Paint
, Tape
, Aluminum foil
Beforehand, you’ll need to make a car for each team. Trim off the top and bottom flaps of a cardboard box and cut a handle hole in each door panel. Paint the cars, add racing numbers. Then tape on yellow paper headlights and front grills fashioned from 3/4-inch-wide strips of aluminum foil.
At race time, the first child from each team wears a helmet and goggles and steps into his team’s car. On cue, the drivers race around a designated landmark, such as a picnic table or tree and back to the start, where they quickly give their gear over to the next person. The race continues in this manner until all the members of one team finish the course and win the game.
Make Your Own Car-Centers
Each guest gets a xerox box (which should be spray painted and a head and arm holes cut out on the bottom and sides of the box.)
The “drivers” go to the detailing center to decorate their box with name, race car number, tape mini flags or just color their box with markers. Next, they go to the tune up area, which play tools were set out.
A tire changing area, paper plates with a small circle in the middle of the plate to look like the hub cap and then put velcro on the box and the back of the plates to change their tires.
A gas station to pump their gas, You can use a rope connected to a box or cone to pretend to pump gas.
Last, a car wash. Cut strips of paper (2″x 36″) and staple them to the tops of the xerox boxes used to make the cars. When turned upside down they look like real car wash strips moving back and forth. Hang these somewhere where the children can go through them. Then let them race around!
This fun activity would be good for a smaller number of children.
Red light, Green Light
All children know this game but perfect to get children running and it goes with the theme! If you have the cardboard cars at your party this would be great to use with their cars.
Bean Bag Toss
Use a real tire for children to throw the bean bag through.
