How to Host a Cars-Themed Kids Halloween Party
How to Host a Halloween Party Your Cars 3-Obsessed Kid Will Love
If there's one thing that gets kids even more excited than Halloween, it's the return of their favorite animated characters, Lightning McQueen and Mater, in Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3. The must-have family movie of the year is available on Digital, Blu-ray Nov 7, and new on 4K UHD, meaning that kids everywhere are about to play it on repeat. To celebrate, we're bringing Lightning, Mater, and new character Jackson Storm and Cruz Ramirez to life with a Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3-themed Halloween party! From the pumpkin (of course) to the food, costumes, and decor, here's how to make your kid's get-together go off with a beep-beep.
Every Halloween party needs a pumpkin, but carving is risky — for moms as well as kids! — so go the easy, colorful route by printing a stencil that kids can color in with friends.
1. Choose a pumpkin with a flat bottom, so your Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3 character doesn't face-plant. Look for a smooth, even surface and as few bumps and wormholes as possible. Baby Pam, Sugar Pie, Neon, Lumina, and Cotton Candy varieties are all good bets.
2. Avoiding the stem (top) and blossom (bottom) areas, gently wipe the pumpkin down with a damp cloth and pat dry.
3. Draw the outline of your favorite Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3 character, then trace using stenciling paper. Cut out your stencil carefully, then trace your Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3 design onto the pumpkin using a permanent marker. Color with acrylic paints, using a damp cloth to quickly wipe off any mistakes.
4. Step back, admire, and make vroom-vroom noises!
Decorating their own cupcakes is even more fun for kids than grabbing a slice of a perfect Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3-themed cake, so prepare a tray and let them go to town. Any flavor will do, but we're currently obsessed with these vegan chocolate cupcakes.
How To:
1. Stock up on frosting, sprinkles, and chocolate-covered malt balls (for wheels) at the grocery store, and edible cupcake stickers, in character motifs, from the party supply store for your cupcake decorating station.
2. Use checkered ribbon to decorate a basic cupcake stand, and you are off to the races!
Reinvent a plain old cardboard box as Lightning McQueen with this easy DIY. If you're planning a race, swap out the base color for yellow for Cruz, or go with gray, then turn that smile into a sneer, and you've got Jackson Storm!
How To:
1. You'll need a rectangular box, tape, a box cutter, glue, spray paint, construction or scrapbook paper, foam board, paper plates, and spray paint.
2. Cut off the two short flaps on the top of the box and save them for later.
3. Taking the long top sections, tape down two squares at the front to form the hood, then lift up the sides and cut two long triangles to support the windshield (one of the short sections you can just cut off).
4. Using the second short flap, make a small spoiler for the back of the car.
5. Tape all in place and spray paint.
6. Make the eyes, headlights, smile, and lightning bolt using foam board, scrapbook paper, and black marker.
7. Paint the paper plates and attach as wheels with hot glue.
Let the kids literally take over the house with a nonpermanent creative space.
How To: Use craft paper, poster board, or even the reverse side of old rolls of wallpaper to make a surface for kids to draw their favorite characters, with a raceway for stickers. When it's done? Use it as a photo backdrop!
More From Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3
Cars 3 is on Digital, Blu-ray™ Nov 7 & new on 4K UHD
Producer: Sasha Bar-Tur
Art Director: Shanna Greenberg
Stylist: Jasmine Snow
Food Stylist: Julia Choi
Prop Stylist: Astrid Chastka
Models: Devon and Amaya
Wrangler: Tommy Whalen
Hair and Makeup: Brett Jackson