Two things have always been sorely missing from our collection of Amazing Race party ideas. Both of these things may seem unnecessary when planning your Amazing Race, but as soon as you have them, you realize just how authentic they make the whole event — a Pit Stop mat and fanny packs. As Jo and I geared up to host another The Amazing Race this summer during our vacation in Sanibel, we decided we needed to add these two elements to the event.

Make your own Pit Stop Map

The Pit Stop mat is actually easy to create and one of the most necessary props, in my opinion. I mean, how are you supposed to end a leg of your own version of The Amazing Race if you don't have a mat to jump on when your personal Phil checks you in? You just HAVE to have a mat for your Pit Stops. We made it simple as we could for you to make your own Pit Stop. The first thing to do is purchase a yard of our custom designed Amazing Race map fabric from Spoonflower.

NOTE: There is one important thing to keep in mind when choosing which fabric and design to purchase. We have two different designs to suit two different widths of fabrics. Spoonflower offers many fabric options, and some are 42" wide and others 54" wide. Choosing a yard of 54" fabric obviously will give you a much larger map. To get the maximum coverage for your map and fully fill the fabric, be sure to get one full yard of fabric and choose either our 54" design or our 42" design to suit your fabric type.

Bonus: The layout of the 42" design left some extra space at the bottom, and we wouldn't want to waste that, so we filled it with red and yellow stripes. Just cut them off to make instant route marker flags!

For our mat, we chose the 54" design, printed on Eco Canvas. We were thrilled with how it came out, with crisp lines and bright colors.

The fabric is washable, but we wanted to make it super durable, so we coated the front and the back of the fabric with decoupage medium. We chose a waterproof formula to make sure it would remain easy to wipe clean after everyone has stepped on it.

Your teams are going to love racing to the map at the end of each race!

Make your own Amazing Race fanny packs

Now let's tackle those fanny packs. They are super easy to customize to match the Amazing Race look, and are perfect for your racers to store their clues, money, and gear.

I started with simple black fanny packs, one for each team. You don't want anything fancy. The key is to find packs with simple fronts so that you can embellish them. I actually got these nylon packs at Walmart for $5 each — what a bargain! Then I grabbed rolls of duct tape in those familiar race colors of red and yellow.

To add the classic race marker flag to the packs, I started with two strips of yellow duct tape, which I overlapped by about an inch or so.

Then I added one strip of red duct tape down the middle.

Doesn't get much easier than that, right? And for under $20 I was able to equip my three teams with a race element that they really loved. Perfect.

 

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Need more help planning your Amazing Race? Visit our whole collection of The Amazing Race party ideas to make your event as authentic as you can.

• Amazing Race digital printables - A complete set of digital files including clue cards, envelopes, signs, and more
• Amazing Race party - Lots of party ideas and tips.
• Amazing Race party for kids - Sample clues for a quick and easy outdoor race geared for kids
• Amazing Race tear-strip envelopes - Start each leg off right with that authentic rip!
• Make an Amazing Race clue box - A great way to present clues for your racers.