Rev up your child's birthday party with our Racecar Party Ideas! We've provided general party planning tips, as well as great racecar decorating ideas, and food, game, and activity suggestions, that are sure to please all the speed racers at your party!

• Fold a piece of red construction paper in half, and cut out a car shape. Write "Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines! [Child’s name] is turning [child’s age]!" Cut black construction-paper circles for the wheels, and attach them to the card with brass fasteners so they spin. Then, add all of the party details inside. Place each invitation in a card envelope or a small manila envelope, and seal the envelopes with car stickers.
• If party activities may get dirty, include in the invitation that guests should come dressed in their play clothes.
• Be creative with the party details by writing a theme-appropriate message inside each invitation, like the following:

  Join Our Pit Crew for a Racing Birthday Party!
  Be Ready to Rev Your Engine at [time party begins] on [party date].
  Racetrack Location:
  [Party Address]
  Call the Pit Captain at [phone number] if You're Coming!

• For a special touch, let us print personalized invitations for you! We’ll include your child’s name and all the party details, with a background design to match your theme. Or take a look at the blank invitations we offer

• Green Flag - Signals the start of the race, and all race restarts after a caution or red flag period.
• Royal Blue Flag with Diagonal Yellow Stripe - Alerts a driver that a lapping car is attempting to pass and instructs him to give the lapping driver consideration.
• Black Flag - Directs a driver to proceed to the pits on the next lap and follow the instructions of the officials.
• Black Flag with White Cross - Notifies a driver that officials have ceased scoring his car until further notice.
• Yellow Flag - Signifies caution. When this flag is waved during a race, all drivers must reduce their speed immediately, maintain their positions and yield to track safety vehicles until the green flag is displayed.
• White Flag - Displayed when the leader starts the final lap of the race.
• Red Flag - Signals the immediate stop of the race, regardless of the cars' positions on the track.
• Checkered Flag - Marks the end of the race.

• "Infield" - Post this sign in the game and activity area. Start with a "Paint Job" table to apply temporary tattoos to each guest. Then choose a variety of games from our list below to keep your excited drivers entertained.
• "The Pits" - Set this sign on the dining table so partygoers will know where to go for a Pitstop! They can "fuel up" with drinks and "recharge" with food.
• "Victory Lane" - This table can hold either the goody bags, or prizes for the party games. If you give out prizes, send the winners of each activity over to pick up what they've won.

• Attach two checkered racing flags to your mailbox or criss-crossed on your front door.
• Make a large sign out of white paper saying "Welcome Race Fans" to hang at the entrance to the party.
• Make a centerpiece out of Matchbox cars and a toy racetrack.
• Use chalk to draw a "Track" on the driveway and/or sidewalk leading up to your door.
• Make a few signs that say things like "Race Day!", "Curvy Road Ahead", and "Start Your Engines!" and hang them throughout the party area.
• As guests arrive, hand each child their "Driver's License" using our laminated Racecar Bag Tags. Guests can take them home as their party favor!
• Balloons are always a hit with children! Tie helium balloons in groups of five to toy cars or balloon weights, and place them around the party space. For impact, use a mixture of car-shaped balloons and colorful latex balloons. Remember to tie some to the chair where the birthday child will sit, too!
• Hang a combination of red, black or white streamers from the four corners of the room to the middle of the ceiling and cover the middle with three matching balloons.
• Create a large car from an empty appliance box. Use an X-Acto knife to cut out a few windows, and paint the box red to resemble a race car. Cut out four circles from a sheet of cardboard, spray paint them black, and glue them onto the sides of the box to create wheels. If desired, you can turn this into a party activity by handing out washable markers and letting your guests decorate the box during the party. This will also be a great place to take party pictures!
• Use white and yellow lawn paint to draw a racetrack on the grass in your yard, and hold games here. Include a Start and Finish line, complete with checkered flags.
• Hang a car pinata as a decoration before the activity starts.
• Purchase a racing magazine and cut out pictures of various drivers, then tape them to the walls around the party area.

• Set up a concession stand for children to "order" lunch as if they were at the track. Have hotdogs, soft pretzels, nachos, popcorn, and other similar snacks available.
• Make "Stop Lights" using a round object (like a cookie/biscuit cutter or the top of a glass) to cut out circles of green, yellow and red Jello.
• Cut a watermelon to look like a car and serve it filled with fruit. Lay the melon on one long side and cut out a lid from the top. Use a small round scoop to create balls of watermelon, keeping the shell intact. Using a small wooden skewer, attach four grapefruit halves with the cut side facing out to look like wheels. Add a cherry in the middle of each wheel with a toothpick and fill the car with the melon balls!
• Serve racecar-shaped sugar cookies.
• Create a Racetrack Birthday Cake. First bake a 9x13" cake, and cover it with white frosting. Use a tube of black gel frosting or chocolate sprinkles to draw a road around the cake. Then place small toy cars on the road as cake toppers, and you're done!
• Make quick and easy "wheels" from any round cookie, by adding an M&M or junior mint in the center as the hubcap.