Race Theme Party

Party Plans

Planning a party should be fun for all, including the birthday child! If your child enjoys these types of activities, make sure to include him/her in all of the pre-party planning, such as developing the guest lists, planning the games, selecting the decorations, even preparing the party treats.

If your child is younger, consider creating a countdown calendar to keep track of the number of days until the party. Think how excited he/she will be by the time the big day arrives!

Make sure you deliver or mail your invitations at least 2-3 weeks in advance so that your guests can respond and plan accordingly.

Set a budget. Before you make any purchases or deposits, put together a list of all your expenses by item. If the total expenses are more than your budget, think of how you can creatively reduce your expenses by trimming some of the less important items. If necessary you may also need to trim your guest list.

Schedule

Consider limiting your party activities to no more than two hours. At this point the energy level of most children starts to fade, and all of those amazing party activities you have planned will cease to be fun. A two hour party will provide enough time for your child to greet all of his/her guests, play a few games, open gifts, celebrate with refreshments and cake, and say goodbyes.

Guests

It's tempting to not want to leave anyone out when planning a party for your child. Will this be a family event, or school friends only? What about brothers and sisters? Remember, it's important to keep the party size managable. If the weather permits, an outdoor event might provide more flexibility if you're working with a larger group. Together with your child develop his/her "wish" list of attendees, and then determine what will work best for your party setting. If the party is a large event with lots of guests, remember to include friends or family who are willing to lend a helping hand.

Decorations

Think about how you can "transform" areas of your home, yard, or other party space so that your guests truly experience the party theme. Reinforce the party theme with coordinating wall and table decorations. Start Your Engines includes banners, danglers, garlands, centerpieces, balloons, flags & more. With this theme the possibilities are endless, so don't stop there!

Are you creative? Try crafting various stations to be used throughout the party. These could include a Registration Desk, Pit Stop, Garage area, VIP Box, Finish Line or Victory Circle. Create activities or challenges for each area to give your guests a true racing experience. Check the internet, the library, or your local craft store for ideas on how best (and easiest!) to design these areas for your event.

If your party is at home, don't forget to decorate the outside of your house! This will help set the mood for the party and direct guests to the correct address. Consider: Black & White Checkered Flags lining the driveway & sidewalk, a balloon arch, and "Welcome Race Fans" banners & signs.

Activities/Games

To encourage participation from everyone at the party, it's always a good idea to stick to simple games that children may already know or can learn easily. Consider starting with something less active to allow the party goers to warm up to each other. It's also good to have these kinds of activities or games at the end of the party also, so that your guests can start to wind down prior to refreshments and saying goodbye.

As guests arrive, direct them to check-in at the "Registration Area". Provide a Pit Pass for each guest (which can be personalized with a photo) and a paper license plate for them to decorate while you wait for the rest of the guests to arrive.

Think of simple ways to adapt standard party games to complement the theme of the party. These could include Red Light/Green Light, Pin the Helmet on the Driver and Pass the Car (like Hot Potato).

Make sure you have enough activities to last the length of the party, and then some. Running out of activities can quickly take your event from loads of fun to a party downer. Remember board games and craft materials can always be used in a pinch.

Other Ideas

There are a lot of creative & fun ways to make the most of your race-themed party with just a little planning. Create a "Racing School" with a variety of different stations for your guests to complete. These can include a race track obstacle course, tire-changing station (attach colored plates to a cardboard "race car" box with velcro and have the guests change out with different colored plates), and Race Car painting with paper or wooden cars. At the end of the party, award your guests with Racing School Certificates.

Design a celebration area for your awards ceremony and gift opening with the Victory Circle Decorating Kit from Creative Expressions. The checkered floor mat & victory banner make a fun backdrop for those many photo opportunities!

Create a memory book or box of the event. Take lots of photos, everything from the guests, to the food, to the games, and the gifts. Make special note of the current events of the day. Include a few small decorations or momentos.

Use the Photo Op Banner to create fun memories from your party. Include the photo as a momento with your thank you notes - your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness, and treasure the memory for years to come!

Party Wearables

In addition to the Pit Passes, consider providing t-shirts if you plan on playing team games. These could be pre-made or you could have your guests decorate with their race team names & sponsors as a fun party activity.

Favors/Prizes

Look for Trophies, Black & White Flags, Gold Medal Favors and Stickers.

Game prizes are fun for both winners and losers. Keep the prizes simple so others do not feel left out. Make sure to have some silly prizes on hand for the losers as well so they have something to take home.

Food

Treat your guests to a variety of creative Race Day snacks at the "Party Pit Stop". Brainstorm creative new names for your favorite party snacks such as "pit crew popcorn" or "speedy pizza" . Or create box lunches for that at-the-track feel.

Don't Forget

What's a birthday cake without the candles? Make sure to have plenty on hand.

Unexpected

No matter how much you plan, be sure to expect the unexpected, both good and bad. Be prepared with a good attitude and a camera!