Hot Wheels Party -4yr- Magnetic Invite

For my son's fourth birthday we decided on a Hot Wheels theme. 

For the invitations, we drew a picture of a hot wheel, large enough that it was the size of a card and would fit in a business sized envelope.  We then wrote all of the information for the party on the body of the car, with the heading RACE ON OVER TO MY BIRTHDAY PARTY.  We glued his picture (just his head) in the driver's seat.  Then, we gently taped his friend's picture next to him so it looked like he was in the Hot Wheel with my son.  I then photo copied the Hot Wheel (that looked liked both children were in it) - but I used magnetic paper (which you buy at any office store like Staples).  You put the magnetic paper in the copy machine where you would put the regular paper.  After it came out, I just cut the car out and sent the magnet, which the parents could put right on the refridgerator and not lose it - as well as seeing their children driving!  I just took my son's friend's picture off and gently taped the next child's picture on and copied it on the magnetic paper.  The age range of children at the party spanned from one to twelve years old. 

So, we wanted activities that all of the children could enjoy.  We had cookie decorating.  I made sugar cookies in the shape of a race car.  The children then decorated them with icing, and they could either eat them right away or take them home.  I already had iced one cookie for each of the children and had it in a clear bag to take home if they wanted to eat their's right away. 

My husband put together a ramp for the children to race hot wheels.  Then we had the children paint Hot Wheel shirts.  When the parents' had rsvped to the party, I asked them their children's shirt sizes.  I got plain white tshirts and had prepared them by tracing the same car as I had drawn for the invitation onto the shirt with a fabric pen.  Then, I wrote the children's name under the car, so they were sure to receive the correct size.  I had them rolled up with a red ribbon around each with a name tag, so it was easy for me to hand them out, but it still looked nice.  The children then colored their Hot Wheel shirt in, using fabric markers - which are much neater than fabric paint.  The children loved it - all of the different ages could do it on their own level, and the parents all loved seeing their little artist's work! 

In the goody bag I included a car with care instructions that were on the fabric paint.  Also, in the goody bag, I had Hot Wheel stickers, Hot Wheel gummy candies and of course a Hot Wheel!  For food, we made race car peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (of course I checked and we had NO peanut allergies!) which I cut the bread into race car shapes with the race car cookie cutter (it was a good sized one).  We had just finger food other wise. 

The cake was a race track.  I made two eight inch round cakes and cut one of them to fit into the other to form a race track.  I iced the whole thing with chocolate icing.  Then, I used white icing to create the figure eight road.  I sprinkled crushed up oreos in the center to look like dirt and green jimmies on the side of the cakes to look like grass.  Of course, I put three Hot Wheels on the track to appear that they were racing. 

When my son was opening his presents I took a picture of him with each of his friends while he was opening his present, and then I put this into his thank you note.  It was such a great day - and I love seeing his friends wearing their Hot Wheel shirts!