Disney & Pixar Cars the Movie and Cars 2 Birthday Party

Cars is a great family movie about a racecar who learns that the winner isn't always the one who crosses the finish line first. And the Cars sequel is as much fun than the first!

A fun family movie with a great message also makes for a great birthday party. Check out the links below (they will take you to that section of this page) to see all the great ideas for a Cars the movie Birthday Party!

Jump to:
Invitations
Decorations
Tableware
Food & Snacks
Birthday Cakes
Games & Activities
Party Favors

Cars Birthday Party Invitation

Want to make your own cars themed birthday invitations? (Free is always good!) Try a checkered flag, a trophy, or even a Route 66 Highway sign! (see instructions below)

You can use the sign at the left for a template. Click the sign to view a larger image (will open in a new window - may not work if you are using a popup blocker).

Print the image on card stock, cut it out if you like, and add party details to the back. You can use basic details - who, what, when, etc - or be creative. Try "Join us for a journey on the Mother Road to scenic Radiator Springs..."

You may want to use a graphics program to resize the image, or use the +/- feature on a copy machine!

Cars Birthday Party Decorations

There are a couple of directions you can go when decorating for a Cars movie themed birthday party. You can go with a Route 66 / Radiator Springs theme decor, or try racecar party decorations - or maybe some of both!

Billboards

For Radiator Springs, the effect is in the details! The first Cars movie was loaded with great retro billboards, and you can recreate the effect using posters you can make yourself.

Remember the great "Welcome to Radiator Springs" billboard? (See image, click to enlarge in a new window). Make one with posterboard and markers and stick it at the end of your driveway. You can modify it to say 'Gateway to [child's name]'s Birthday Party'!

How about the simple 'Here It Is' billboard that was located next to the souvenir shop? (See example to the right - Click to enlarge in new window) Let all your party guests know where the fun is - Put one of these on your front door, or outside of the party room!

Route 66

Let everyone know they've found the Mother Road with Route 66 signs, too! (See image in the Invitations section)

Leaning Tower of Tires

Use Luigi's Tower of Tires (from the first movie) as a centerpiece - only make it out of chocolate mini doughnuts held together with skewers!

Cars Party Theme Tableware

You can get plates for the Disney/Pixar Cars movie (see left), or try this great Checkered Flag Pattern tableware.

Cars Party Food & Snacks

For your Cars Theme Birthday Party, you can serve 'Race Day' foods if you're serving a meal. Try hotdogs, popcorn - the sort of food you would get at the races.

Serve round crackers (the Ritz variety) and call them wheels.

Grape Kool-Aid or Chocolate Milk both make great 'oil' to drink!

Carrot sticks and celery sticks with vegetable dip make great 'dipsticks'.

Try pistachio ice cream for dessert. Not wasabe like in Cars 2, but actual pistachio ice cream!

Cars Party Birthday Cakes

Looking to make your own cake for a birthday party based on the Disney Pixar Cars movie? There are a lot of options for a Cars cake that are easy to do yourself!

Tire Cake

One super-easy cake option for your Cars Party is to make a tire - either racing or whitewall! Just make a round cake - 2 layers for added depth - and add chocolate frosting. For racing wheels, add the rim in the center, and use white icing to write the tire brand - 'Lightyear' - around the outside. (A little nod to another Disney Pixar character?)

If you prefer the classic whitewall look, add a frosting hubcap to the center, and use white frosting to add the white stripe around your wheel.

Racecar Cake Pan

There are a couple of ways to get a great race car cake. For a Lightning McQueen cake, the easiest way is with the Disney/Pixar Cars cake pan.

3D Racecar Cake

If you're feeling ambitious, you can make a 3D racecar cake. To do this, you need to bake (2) 9x13 cakes. When cooled, stack the two cakes on top of each other. Cut several inches off of one end of both cakes, so your main part is a good car length. Put the pieces you cut off onto the top of the cake to build up what is the windshield/roof area of the car. You can use a knife to angle any edges of the car you like and add an angle to the windshield.

When making a cake that is cut like this, you need to be sure to do a 'crumb layer' of frosting before doing the main frosting. Directions for the 'Crumb Layer' are on the Party Tips page.

Frost the cake to look like Lightning McQueen, or the car of your choice! You can use chocolate mini doughnuts for the wheels - add whitewalls if you like!

Cake toppers

Get this Disney Cars Party candle (see right) for your Cars birthday cake or the Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen cake toppers (see left).

Cars Party Games & Activities

Car Sticker Activity
Make License Plates
Balloon Racers
Obstacle Course
Pillowcase kit
Puzzle kit
Scavenger hunt game

Car Sticker Activity

Another fun and easy arrival activity. Give a race car sticker sheet to each guest, and they get to assemble and decorate the cars.

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Make License Plates

Fun & easy craft activity for all ages! Give each guest a piece of craft foam (construction paper works okay too) cut into the shape of a license plate. Set out a number of items to decorate them with. Sticker numbers and letters (mailbox number work too), pipe cleaners (these bend nicely into numbers), stickers, craft jewels, foam cutout shapes, whatever you can think of. Kids will turn their license plates into glorious works of art!

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Balloon Racers

These Balloon Powered Racecars are a lot of fun! Give one to each guest, and let them race each other! Then they can take them home as a party favor.

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Obstacle Course

Kids love obstacle courses! Use your imagination to set up a Cars theme obstacle course. Let them practice their moves, and see how they handle the course! Use construction cones, send them around trees, through tunnels, whatever you like. If your course doesn't involve any crawling, you can cut out steering wheels from cardboard and let them 'drive' their way through the course!

You can also buy this fun and easy inflatable tire obstacle course.

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Pillowcase kit

This Cars pillowcase kit (see right) is a fun and easy Cars party activity.

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Puzzle kit

The Disney's Cars Jumbo Coloring Puzzle is a fun party activity for the beginning of the party. As guests arrive, have each one (up to 12) color a puzzle piece. Then have fun putting it together!
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Cars scavenger hunt party game

This is a Cars scavenger hunt kit - all you have to do is hide the character cards and let the party guests go to work finding them!

Cars Party Favors

Trophies - Give party guests their own 'Piston Cup' - These 5" plastic trophies are only $8.95/dozen at our Party Store! You can put candy in them too! Set them out on the table, send them home in loot bags, or use them as prizes for a party game.

Die Cast Cars

8" Flashing Traffic Lights
You can afford to send one home with each of your party guests!

Personalized cars placemats

Race car cards

Disney Cars toy car launcher

Cars pencil topper

Cars Tow Mater hats