Ready, set, GO! Does your little one love race cars? Then he’s sure to love a race car birthday party. This high energy racing birthday party is fun for kids of all ages (yes, including Dad!). Be sure to visit our special Racing Party category for even more creative ideas!
Racing Birthday – Invitations
Your birthday party invitations could include fun wording such as:
- Start Your Engines!
- Ready, Set, GO!
- Zoom on over to {Child Name}’s Birthday Party!
You could choose a fun personalized invitation or you could create your own using supplies such as black & white checkered paper or cutting out a silhouette of a car. If you can find inexpensive toy cars at your local dollar store, you could also fold up invitations and place them inside of the car or under the hood.
Another simple idea is to create traffic light invitations with 3 separate flaps that lift up (red, yellow and green). Under each flap would be the party details. 
1. Birthday party invitation, Mod Cars
2. Birthday party invitation, Radical Racer
3. Birthday party invitation, Race to Party
Racing Birthday – Decorations
Setting up for a racing birthday party is so much fun because there are so many great ideas to choose from! What do you think of when race cars come to mind?
- Checkered Flags – like a checkered flag banner or checkered tablecloths.
- Fast Cars – set out all sizes of race cars around the party area for the kids to play with.
- Racing Gear – each place setting could include a NASCAR hat or a plastic racing helmet.
- Road Signs – your wall decor could include speed limit signs, traffic lights (which could be set up with red, yellow and green balloons), removable wall decals such as cars & skid marks.
- Safety Cones – these could be placed around your play areas.
- Car Parts – like hubcaps as wall decor, tires to use in an obstacle course or old (but clean) oil cans as table decor.
- Race Sponsors – set up a table with a “Race Sponsors” banner that includes items from typical race sponsors like Coca-Cola and M&M’s.
- Gas Pumps – does your child have a toy gas pump? This would be a fun decor item in an area you label as the “Pit Stop Area”.
1. Cars – The Movie Pinata
2. Disney Cars Party Hats
3. Disney Cars Balloon
4. Flame Banner
5. Race Streamer
6. Race Car Checkered Flag
7. Jeff Gordon Kids Hat
8. Street & Traffic Sign Wall Decals – Speed Limit Sign 65 mph – 12 inch Removable Graphic
9. Training Traffic Orange Cones Cone
Racing Birthday – Activities
A racing birthday is such a high energy theme. With so many fun game ideas to choose from, there are plenty of activities to keep the guests entertained.
- Create Your Own Race Car – a craft area could be set up where guests could create their own race cars out of LEGO’s or a painting car craft set. Guests could then use these cars in a race for another party game.
- Races – guests could take turns racing remote controlled race cars around a chalk lined track that you’ve created. You may also want to include a checkered finish line with checkered streamer paper.
- Build a Ramp – Guests could be given items like wood blocks and cardboard and a task to create their own ramps for car jumps.
- Go-Karts – If you have a go-kart business in your city, you could host your party there.
- Obstacle Course – Guests could go through an obstacle course containing challenges like hopping through car tires, filling a “gas tank” (with water of course!) and carrying it over the finish line without spilling it, racing around safety cones and changing tires on a LEGO car (Pit Crew duties!).
1. Balloon Racer
2. Disney Cars Party Game
3. Color Your Own Race Car
4. Racing Helmet
5. Inflatable Tire Obstacle Course
6. PIT CREW Parking Sign
Racing Birthday – Food
After all the fun activities, guests are sure to work up an appetite. Your food table could be labeled as the “Pit Stop” area – where guests come to re-fuel. Your food area could include concession stand snacks such as:
- French Fries
- Hot Dogs
- Bits & Bites (could call these nuts & bolts)
- Popcorn
- Hot Pretzels
For drinks, “fuel” punch is a fun idea for a racing birthday party (any type of punch will do, just label it “Fuel”). There are even gas dispensers made for party punch that you can use as a fun decoration piece.
1. Dual Butler Beverage Dispenser
2. Disney Cars Party Cake Plates
3. Disney Cars Party Cups
4. Disney Cars Party Napkins
5. Plastic Checkered Tablecover
6. Racing Flag Food Picks
Racing Birthday – Dessert
Your dessert table could include a buffet of different dessert types such as cupcakes, cake pops, chocolate donuts (spare tires) and a car themed cake. There are many different cupcake toppers to choose from. 
1. Race Car Candles
2. Cars Cake Pan
3. Disney Cars Party Candle
Racing Birthday – Loot Bags
A fun idea for a take home treat is to fill plastic trophies with popcorn & chocolate coated candy (see the sample picture at the start of this post). Simply place the filled trophy into a clear plastic bag and tie the top with checkered ribbon. Here are some other fun treat bag ideas for a racing party. 
1. Cars – The Movie Punch Balloon
2. Neon Pull-Back Car
3. Disney Cars Party Favor Boxes
4. Disney’s Cars Rolling Stamper
5. Race Car Favor Box
6. Disney Cars Party Tattoos
Do you have any race fans in your home?
For more fun birthday party ideas including themes, decorating ideas, food ideas, activities, free printables, favor ideas and more, check out our special Birthday Party page.
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Disclosure: I am part of the Amazon, Tiny Prints Inc, Birthday in a Box and Bea-coup affiliate programs. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
Where can I purchase the trophies and what size are they? I am having a Cars Themed Birthday party with outdoor screening of Cars and want the trophies for the popcorn as pictured.
Hi! I purchased these at our local dollar store. You’ll find them at most dollar stores or in the party favor section at your local party store. Have a great party!