If you’re looking for a fun game to play at your next dinner party, family gathering, or activity session in aged care, this DIY car racing game is the perfect project. Based on my original horse racing game made for aged care residents, this tabletop version features cars instead of horses and is just as exciting to play.

Over the years, I’ve had many requests for printable cards to make your own version. So for your convenience, I’ve included all the PDF racing cards and hurdle tokens you need to play this game below.

Whether you’re entertaining kids indoors or planning a party game for adults, this project is a hit every time.

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How to Make a Car Racing Game for the Table

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Materials Needed

• Large piece of cardboard, poster board or brown paper
• Paint and a foam roller
• White paint pen or permanent marker
• Small toy cars (I used cheap ones from Kmart)
• Printable racing cards (PDFs included below)
• Printable token sheets
• Printable hurdle cards
• Dice (you’ll need two)
• Scissors or a paper guillotine
• Optional: Stickers or stencils for lane numbers
• Optional: Laminator for durability

Make the Car Racing Track

Use cardboard, poster card, or thick brown paper for the racing track. I used a roll of brown paper I was gifted from a local mill, but you can use anything large enough—mine was 950mm x 580mm.

If you don’t have coloured paper, paint the track. I originally painted mine green, but later changed it to black using a foam roller (much better than a brush, which can cause wrinkling).

Add the Racing Lanes

Start by dividing your track space for the cars. I used six racing cars and measured to fit 10–15 horizontal steps (or lane spaces). These steps are how far the cars will move when you roll the dice.

Use a white paint pen to draw vertical lane lines. Leave space around the edges for numbering and a finish line.

I accidentally had a gap at the end, which I turned into a fun checkered flag using paint!

Add Lane Numbers and Finish Line

To make the lanes easier to follow, number the steps down one or both sides. I used stickers, but stencils or hand-drawn works too. Mark the finish line clearly at the end of the track.

Make the Racing Tokens

Each time a car wins a race, the player earns a Grand Prix token. I designed mine in Word using a free clipart image. You’ll need several pages printed out and cut. To make them last longer, laminate them. You can also swap out the design if you’re using toy insects or other themes.

Create the Car Cards

The racing cards are what determine which car moves on each turn. They’re simple cards labelled Car 1, Car 2, etc. Use the same design as the tokens—just change the text.

Add the Hurdles

To spice up the game, each lane will get two hurdle cards. These cards include fun surprises like “Go back 3 spaces” or “Miss a turn.” I’ve included a few sample hurdle cards in PDF format, or you can create your own. You’ll need to print a few sheets so there’s enough variety across games.

Cut Out the Cards

A paper guillotine makes cutting all the cards fast and neat. If you don’t have one, scissors will work too—it just takes longer.

How to Play the Car Racing Game

1. Each player picks two car numbers and takes those matching cards.
2. All hurdle cards go into a hat or container. Players take turns drawing and placing two hurdles per track.
   • You can place hurdles tactically to block other players.
   • If all lanes already have two hurdles, you must place the card in your lane.
3. Use two dice:
   • The first die determines which car moves.
   • The second die tells how many spaces the car moves.
4. If a car lands on a hurdle, follow the instructions (e.g. go back 2 spaces).
5. To win, a car must land exactly on the finish line. If it overshoots, it stays where it is.
6. Each player who has the winning car receives a Grand Prix token.

At the end of the game, the player with the most tokens wins!

Optional Prize Ideas

Add a prize to make the game more fun:

• Chocolates
• Bottle of wine
• Small toys
• Gold coin prizes
• Loser does the dishes!

Printable PDFs Included

Grand prix Hurdles Grand prix car 6 Grand prix car 5 Grand prix car 4 Grand prix car 3 Grand prix car 2 Grand prix car 1 Grand prix 1 token

Click below to download each sheet you need to play the game:

• Grand Prix Car 1
• Grand Prix Car 2
• Grand Prix Car 3
• Grand Prix Car 4
• Grand Prix Car 5
• Grand Prix Car 6
• Grand Prix Hurdles
• Grand Prix Token Sheet

More DIY games you may like.

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