INVITATIONS
Two -three weeks before the party...
Send personalized matching invitations or make you own.
Your local scrapbook or teaching supply store will have car shaped
paper die-cuts. Write your message using a bright colored gel pen
and the address on the other. If hand delivery is possible, tie the
card to a toy car before delivering.
"Zoom over to our house to celebrate ________'s Birthday"

DECORATIONS
Decorating for your party can be as complicated or as simple as you choose. Consider your time, space requirements and age of the children
and safety.Hang plenty of primary colored balloons and streamers around the room. Cut large cars, police cars and trucks from poster board. Mount them on the wall and hang them from the ceiling. Your local teacher supply store will have posters and cut outs at a reasonable price. Stuff clean tires with pillows for chairs.  Cover a table with white butcher paper. Make a road down the center of the table with black construction paper and yellow lines with paint or paper. Add a few toy vehicles on the road.
Don't forget the matching plates and cups ...
Advanced Decorating - Paint empty boxes to look like vehicles and place them around the party area.

A SPECIAL WELCOME
Upon arrival give each guest a cap decorated with their name
and a car or trucks on the front. Painters caps can be purchased at a hardware store for less than $1.00. 
Use fabric paint pens to write the names. Decorating is a breeze if you use pre cut stencils or painting sponges from a craft store.

PARTY GAMES & ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Set these party activities in "stations", much like a preschool. Enlist an adult helper at each station. Allow the children
to play freely at the individual activities. 

Cars and Mat
Set out a Giant Road Playmat with a basket of cars,
dump trucks and trains. This can serve as an activity
throughout the party and double as a birthday present!

Sand Box and Dump trucks
If you don't already have a sandbox, fill a kiddie-pool with sand
and provide some fun dump trucks, police cars etc.

Cars and Trucks Painting
You'll need old matchbox cars
Black paper
White and yellow paint (or any light color)

Pour paint in meat trays, or cookie sheets. Place a few cars or trucks
into each paint tray. Children "drive" the vehicles through the paint,
and then drive them onto the paper. Use a white crayon to label each picture with the artist's name. Very little paint is actually used so that these dry quickly.

Road Rally
Have your own race with wind-up cars.
Before the party, write each child's name on a car and place masking
tape to signify the starting point and a few other pieces for finish markings.
Give each player the car with their name. Use a flag or cloth to start your race...Winners get a piece of candy or blue ribbons.

Obstacle Course
If you have the space...
Use old tires, cones, chairs and boxes as obstacles.
Prepare the obstacle course buy creating challenges.
The children are the cars. They must "drive" through the challenge course; around tires, under tunnels (cut boxes), jump over rivers (streamers on the ground) etc. Don't forget to make car sounds!
They'll run the course as many times as they want,
receiving a candy or small treat every time.
Variation: Before the party fashion some cars, using cardboard
boxes, poster board and paint. Cut the tops and bottoms from
the boxes, so the children can step inside and hold the sides of
the car while they run the course. Adding handles with pieces of clothesline, will make it easier for the players to hold their cars.

Red Light, Green Light
Remember this game from your playground days?
Designate a leader -- for little ones have an adult be the leader.
The children stand in a row and the leader stands far away.
When the leader says "green light" the players run. When the leader
says "red light", they stop and when the leader says "yellow light",
the players move slowly. The object of the game is to be the first
player to reach the leader. That player then becomes the new leader.

Bucket Drop
You'll need:
clothes pins
pictures of cars ( magazine, cut outs etc.)
bucket or box
Directions: Place bucket or box lower than the child.
You can use stairs, a chair, a stool or the back of a sofa. 
Attach car cut outs in 5 clothes pins. Take turns trying to drop
the clothes pins/cars  in the container. Adapt this game for age by increasing or decreasing the size of the opening in the container. 
No need for winners or losers everybody has fun and gets a candy or sticker to add to their goodie bag.
VARIATION: Use a wide mouth plastic container and 
plastic cars for dropping.

DECORATE GOODY BAGS
Use colored paper bags found in the gift wrap department 
of most stores. Provide stickers of cars, markers crayons etc.
for decorating their own favor bag.

PARTY TREATS
Make cookie tires with Oreo cookies. Use a dollop of frosting to
attach a life saver in the center.

Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into cars, trains and trucks.
You can also just cut bologna and cheese vehicles and serve with
crackers. Add carrot sticks, orange slices and grapes. 

Birthday Cake
Frost a sheet cake with blue or yellow frosting.
Use black licorice ropes or Fruit by the Foot for a road way.
Place miniature cars on the road. You can also find street signs and other accessories at local craft or party store.

Quiet Ending
Calm the children down before pick up time with this quiet activity.
Place a large piece of poster board, glue, scissors and crayons on the floor or table. When children arrive direct them to help make the birthday child a card to save. Cut and glue magazine car photos, add stickers or color pictures.