Six weeks before
- Choose a date and a start and finish time
- Set a budget (try our budget sheet)
- Decide roughly how many children to invite
- Book a venue or entertainer, if you’re having one
- Pick a theme
Four weeks before
- Print and send the invitations
- Ask about allergies and food needs on the RSVP
- Plan the food, and order or plan the cake
- Decide who’s helping on the day
Three weeks before
- Choose the games (see games by age)
- Buy party bag fillers and prizes
- Plan what happens when, hour by hour
Two weeks before
- Chase any missing RSVPs
- Buy plates, cups, napkins and decorations
- Print the bunting, food labels and bag tags
One week before
- Confirm numbers with the venue or entertainer
- Print the games, medals and thank-you cards
- Fill and label the party bags
- Make a music playlist
- Write a list of allergies for the kitchen helpers
Two or three days before
- Do the food shopping
- Wrap the pass-the-parcel, with a forfeit in each layer
- Plan where the treasure hunt clues will go
The day before
- Make any food that keeps
- Put up the bunting and decorations if you can
- Charge your phone or camera
- Put together a small first aid kit and spare batteries
On the day
- Set out the food labels and place cards
- Hide the treasure hunt clues
- Greet guests, then start with an easy game
- Food, then cake and singing
- Hand out party bags and medals at home time
The week after
- Send the thank-you cards
- Write down what worked, for next year