What child doesn’t love all the things that go in their world – bikes, planes, trains, cars, trucks, you name it. There is so much potential for a great party when you choose this fun and exciting theme. With the versatility of the theme, it is perfect for both boys and girls, too!

When the guests arrive, greet them all with a special hat for drivers of all the vehicles you can think of. Hard hats for construction trucks, fire hats for those big red fire trucks, and cool striped hats for the train conductors…the possibilities are endless. Trade hats throughout the night so every child gets to be the driver of all the vehicles!

The perfect “things that go” song for a party is “Wheels on the Bus”! You could focus on that song for several games at your party. Play the song again and again so the guest can play an exciting game of musical chairs. Make a large cut-out of a bus with poster board and have separate black wheels to play “Pin the Wheels on the Bus”. You can have a great time with a sing-a-long, too! (Most of the guests should know the motions, but go through them before you start so no child feels left out.)

Another great game you could play is “Red light, red light, green light”, based on “Duck, duck, goose”. What better reason to start running than when you hear “green light”! If you have a large, open area, you can also play the game “Red light, green light”. The birthday boy or girl will call out “green light” and all the guests will start running…when “red light” is called they have to freeze.

For some free play during your party, you can get a bunch of Hot Wheels and other vehicle toys. Invest in a mat (or several mats) to place on your floor that depicts roadway scenes/town scenes. With the cars and the mats, the guests can get from one part of town to the other with their favorite “things that go”.

If it's nice weather outside, why not have a small load of sand dropped off and let the kids play with the cars in that, creating roadways and brideges and rivers in the mud ... be sure to add this to the invite though, so everyone wears play clothes or brings a change of clothing. Afterward you can add it to your garden to help break up clay soil, or you could even make a new sandbox for the family - an extra birthday present!

When it comes to food at a “things that go” party, there are a lot of possibilities. The first that comes to mind is a snack called “Wagon Wheels”. Easily made with a piece of round cheese between two round crackers, “Wagon Wheels” are sure to be a hit. Jelly on bread can also be served as a “Traffic Jam Sandwich”. If this is a mealtime party, spaghetti made with the wheel shaped pasta is sure to be a hit.

After the active portion of the party is through and it is time to calm the guests, why not let them continue snacking on birthday cake and ice cream while watching “Thomas the Train”, “Firehouse Tales” or any number of cartoons that have vehicles as characters? At pick-up time, instead of goodie bags, you can let the guests choose which Hot Wheels/toy vehicle they like best to take home.

Party supplies for a “things that go” party are easy to come by. You can choose a character, like “Thomas the Train”, for all your paper goods or find generalized party supplies dealing with various vehicles. Look at your local party shop or online retailer for cups, napkins, plates, bowls, decorations, invitations and thank you cards. (Tip: when ordering online, leave plenty of time for shipping!)