Cars Grand Prix Hallmark Dream Party

The folks at Hallmark and Disney offered to give us the ultimate summer dream party experience. It was such an amazing opportunity that I definitely couldn’t pass up, but since I have spring and fall babies, I decided to share the experience with my friend, Jenn, whose son recently turned seven. Despite Ryan only turning seven once, they hadn’t originally planned on having a birthday party for him.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. Parties can be challenging to coordinate. They can be expensive, overwhelming to plan and execute, and with so many themes available, it can be hard to settle on just one. Since Ryan is autistic, he doesn’t do well with large, overwhelming parties, thus the need to keep things low-key this year. This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks to Hallmark and Disney, I was able to alleviate some stress by mailing off a box of “happy” just in time for Ryan’s impromptu Cars Grand Prix Dream Party.

Hallmark Dream Parties (available in Walmart stores) make setting up and decorating for parties a breeze. With two themes available, Disney Princess and Cars, and all of the party supply essentials + fun extras available, you’ll easily be able to throw the party of your child’s dreams for their birthday or other special occasion. Lean in and read on as Jenn shares how Hallmark and Disney made Ryan’s day special :-).

Cars Table Decor, Blimp Ceiling Decor, and the Backdrop and Props Kit were used to get our house party-ready and in the mood for birthday cake, games, presents, and fun! If we had more space to work with, we would have also set up the Backdrop and Props Kit, which includes a large wall mural (great for decorating blank walls and/or using for photo ops) and ten individual props to set up on tables and on and in other small spaces. But as it was, the three kits we did use provided plenty of banners, strings of flags, and individual Cars-themed pieces to hang. And while I set up the decorations and made food, Ryan’s sister, Alyssa, busied herself preparing the party favors. With everything laid out in kits that also include instructions, set-up couldn’t have been simpler.

Speaking of games, Hallmark Dream Parties have those covered, too. Because we had a small space to work with and just a few guests, we only played Pin the Headlight on Tow-Mater, but that game was most definitely a hit, as we played several rounds, and even us adults joined in! But for bigger parties, you’ll also want to set up Red Light, Green Light and Balloon Drop, which are sure to be Cars-loving crowd pleasers, and fun entertainment for the adult attendees, too. Winners — all of our guests, of course — received Cars medals.

When it came to food, Hallmark Dream Party had plenty of items available: Square Plates in 8″ and 10″ sizes, large, highly-absorbent napkins; and for a cute, perfectly-coordinated food table, Cupcake Holders (the 3-piece pack can easily hold a dozen cupcakes), and a snazzy cardboard Tow-Mater which, when set up, can hold food inside — he’s perfect for quick-grab snacks like pretzels, chips, and carrots.

And what Cars-themed birthday party would be complete without a Cars candle? In addition to a very sparkly number seven candle, Ryan’s birthday cake (handmade by Alyssa and I, at his request) was adorned with a Cars candle, starring Lightning McQueen himself.

 

After the food, games, cake, and presents, it was time to send our guests home – but not empty-handed! Hallmark’s fabulous selection of Cars party favors ensured that our guests had plenty of goodies to enjoy, including noise-makers, flags (these are also great for games!), bubbles, frisbees, yo-yos, temporary tattoos, stickers, bookmarks, and activity books.

Hallmark truly thought of everything when it comes to their Dream Parties. All it took to go from no party to AWESOME PARTY was a few Cars-themed birthday kits, food that’s quick to prepare and easy to eat and clean up after (I recommend hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni & cheese, chips and pretzels, carrots and celery, and of course cake), the birthday boy or girl, and their friends! For those who plan better than me, invitations are also available, as are thank you cards! And as an added bonus, most of the decorative items, in particular the banners and streamers, are durable enough to be re-used as new decorations for your child’s room! Ryan’s Cars-themed party is living on in his room, courtesy of the banners and streamers adorning his walls.

Sophistishe is a participant in the Walmart Moms Program and has received samples and compensation for time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.