Updated on: Sep 01, 2024
Have everyone racing to your child's race car theme party with these decoration ideas, party invites, activities, food, candy, and more!
Race Car Theme Party Decorations
Transforming your party into a real live racetrack is easier than ever with these simple decorations ideas. Adorn your venue with all sorts of race car theme decorations like traffic light colors, race car photos, checkered tablecloths, race car signs, and race car lingo.
1. Racetrack Floor
Get your guests excited for the fun party ahead of them as they are walking up to the door with a 10-foot long racetrack runner. There are already products like these at online retailers. You could also use sidewalk chalk to create your own racetrack!
2. Race Car Posters
An easy way to decorate for this is by putting different race car posters all over your venue. You can print out a map of Route 66, a picture of the Piston Cup, and all types of car photos to hang throughout the party. You can even check out cool posters from the Disney movie Cars to add some character to your theme party!
3. Theme Colors
For race car theme parties, decorate your venue with different traffic light colors. Hang red, yellow, and green balloons and streamers all over the party. You can also never go wrong with checkered flags at a race car party.
4. Checkered Tablecloths
Order checkered tablecloths to keep up with the theme of your race car party. You may also consider spreading some car confetti on each of the table cloths to add an extra pop of color.
5. Racing Signs
Decorate your walls with racing party sign cutouts. Route 66, towing station, pit stop signs are all super cool signs to place around your venue.
6. Racing Terms
Label each room a different race car term to give your party a realistic feel. Some examples of names you can use for rooms are “superspeedway,” “pit stop,” and “racetrack.”
Race Car Theme Party Favors
Give your guest a memorable experience by sending them home with exciting and valuable gifts and party favors. We have included some ideas for theme party favors.
7. Build and Paint Wooden Race Cars
Provide your guest with race car arts and craft kits and let their imagination run wild. These provide hours of fun and excitement for both young and old guests.
8. Thank You Cards
A thoughtful and kind gesture to your guest is by giving thank you cards. Show your guest some appreciation for attending by sending unique and customized cards. Label each card with a special message and sign with a car stamp.
9. Toy Cars
Purchase mini assorted race cars. They can be used as collectibles and add additional features to your decorations. You can also buy mini model cars and have your guest select these favors based on their present or future car.
10. Treat Bags
Every party needs a gift bag. Create yours by filling a race car treat bag with car-shaped candies, race car lanyards, notepads, tattoos, and coloring pads for kids.
11. Race Car Water Bottle
Hand out customized water bottles. These are the best for memories, guests can travel every day with their personalized bottled, and through every sip, they will think of your party.
Race Car Theme Party Games and Activities
Every race car party needs some fun race car games. Check out these games and activities that your child and their friends will enjoy. Time will go by as fast as a race car with these activities!
12. What’s My Car?
If your party is full of kids that know their cars, this game is perfect. Prior to the party print out a bunch of different pictures with different car models. At the party gather a group of kids that have a good idea about cars and tape one picture to each of their backs without them seeing it.
When the game starts, each child should go around asking “yes” or “no” questions about the car on their back to figure out the model. When the child gets it right have them sit down and give them a sweet treat.
13. Don't Wake the Tractor
This game has an easy setup, is budget-friendly, and is also thrilling for kids. Begin by having the birthday girl or boy lay down in the middle of the floor as the “center tractor.” Then, set up toy cars all around the “center tractor.”
Once all the toy cars are in place, have the “center tractor” close their eyes and pretend to be sleeping. The object is for everyone else to steal as many toy cars (one at a time) as they can without waking the “center tractor.” If the “center tractor” is woken by one of their friends trying to steal a toy car then that guest becomes the new “center tractor.”
14. Road Relay Race
Before the party starts create two “race cars” by decorating cardboard boxes. To do this cut off the bottom of the boxes and attach ribbons to the insides. This will allow for the ribbons to sit on the children’s shoulders to hold the cardboard box up.
On the day of the party, set up two equal obstacle courses and then separate all the kids into two equal teams. Each participant must go through the obstacle course. The first team to finish gets to eat cake first!
15. Remote Control Race Cars
Create a race track in your backyard and have remote control of race cars! Party guests can have some fun and race each other. You can even have a race car-themed prize for the 1st place winner!
16. Red Light, Green Light
Choose one person to be the Sheriff and have him stand on one side of the room (the finish line). Have all of the other guests stand on the other side of the room (the starting line). To start the game the Sheriff says, “Green Light!”
On that command, all of the other kids must walk as quickly as possible to the finish line. At any time while they are walking, the Sheriff can yell “Red Light!” At this time, all the guests participating must stop moving. Anyone still moving will have to return to the starting line. The first person to cross the finish line is the winner.
17. Toy Car Relays
Create toy car races by building a ramp in your backyard. You can use wooden beams for the tracks and prop them up on a bench or table to form a slope. Have the kids line up, and two at a time let them race their toy cars down the ramp.
18. Mario Kart Racing
Don’t have the space to make your own race track? Play race car video games! Mario Kart is a great game to play that fits your party theme. Similar to the remote control race cars, you can have a prize for the 1st place winner!
Pitstop Food Ideas
Create unique NASCAR party invitations as your guests, “ticket in the door.” Refuel your guests with unique food and have everyone racing to the pit stop snack bar. Ideas include car cakes, sundaes, and NASCAR tickets.
19. Speedy Ice
Create your very own car ice cubes to jazz up your drinks. Place small gummy car candies into ice trays and fill them with water. Freeze the ice cubes and then place them into the children’s drinks when they are fueling up.
20. Stop Light Treats
Make delicious edible stoplights with rice crispy treats, icing, green M&Ms, yellow M&Ms, and red M&Ms. Kids can also make their own stoplight treats as a crafty and yummy activity.
21. Car Sundaes
Give each child their own scoop of ice cream and let them dress it up with toppings from the pit stop candy bar. Chocolate syrup can be used as “oil” and leftover gummy cars from the ice cubes can be used as well.
22. Car Cake
Baking a race car cake is much easier than it looks. You can order a car cake pan for very cheap. After baking the car cake in any flavor of your choosing, let it cool and frost it with the colors of the party. You might even want to opt for an existing topper for it!
23. Pit Stop Snacks
Make a cute candy bar with “tools” that are used at a pit stop during a race. The candies could be things like spare tires as Oreos or mini chocolate donuts, towing cables as Twizzlers, coolant as water, fuel as sodas,
Antifreeze as yellow Gatorade, marshmallows as airbags, tools as utensils, dipstick as chocolate dipped pretzel rods, nuts and bolts as peanut M&Ms and chocolate kisses, red light as red M&Ms, green light as green M&Ms, yellow light as yellow M&Ms.
Race Car Theme Party supplies
24. Plates
Using car-shaped plates or car-themed plates is a great idea for bringing your party to life. Place these on your tables next to your pit stop snacks and car cakes to grab the attention of your guest.
25. Paper Napkins
These act as accents for your plates and silverware. You can use plain napkins or go one step further by making a themed napkin to enhance your party theme. Using a plain napkin simply draw and color a checkered board.
26. Checkered Flag Centerpiece
These serve as an attention grabber for your guest and add flair to your table decor so it's important to have centerpieces that are eye-catching. Fill small buckets with mini checkered flags and place them in the center of your table.
27. Hanging Traffic Lights Decor
Give your guests a more realistic feel by using traffic lights decor. Place these around your venue and wow your guests.
28. Race Car Backdrop
There's no other way to create and capture memories without pictures. Provide your guest with a backdrop and props for pictures. They come as a regular theme backdrop or customizable. You can personalize your backdrop to include messages like "Thanks for cruising by" or "Thanks for racing over to party with me".
Race Car Theme Party Invitations
29. Pit Pass Invitations
You can get creative with party invitations and purchase some that look like pit passes. If this is for a birthday, pit pass invitations are a great way to highlight the age as you can make the racecar on the pit pass have that number. Including lanyards and plastic badge holders would work well with these.
30. Racing Tickets
Create race car tickets inspired invitations. It is a great way to give your guest a preview of your party theme and get them excited to celebrate with you. Be sure to include some party favors and games you have in store.
31. Checkered Theme
When creating your invite, make sure to have the black and white checkered pattern going. You add mini checker flags on your invitation or use the patterns as border designs.
32. Paper Car Invitation
Using a paper cut-out car write out the party details and personalized messages or notes to your guests. This is a fun and unique way to invite your guest while providing hints of the party theme.
33. Colors
When it comes to the invitation it is important to stick to the theme. Make sure to use colors like Red, White, and Black as they are associated with race cars and racing. You can use the solid colors separately or as a combination to make your invitations stand out to your guest.
Race Car Theme Party: Conclusion
Hope these little tricks and gadgets help you create the next big adventure for your adrenaline junkie child. Go fast and enjoy the thrill of your next race car theme party!
Written by Allie Martin, Mackenzie Tolrud, Sam Magyar and Jameune Ndorleh; Contributors: Jack Leduc, Jameune Ndorleh and Michelle Aminov