Kids Birthday Party Checklist: A Dated Timeline From 6 Weeks Out

A birthday party goes better when the jobs are spread across the weeks instead of piled up in the last three days. This guide gives a dated checklist from about six weeks out to the week after the party, a day-of list and a supplies list. The timing is our suggestion, so shorten or stretch it for your own party. If you would like the dates worked out for you, use the free kids birthday party planner timeline. Enter the party date, start and end time and the child’s age, and it builds a dated checklist and a day-of timeline backward from the start time, ready to print. The wider plan sits on the kids birthday party hub.

Use the Planner Timeline Tool

The planner timeline tool is the quickest route to a printable list. It covers invitations, RSVPs, the food order and favors, and it runs in the browser, so what you type stays in your browser. The checklist below follows the same order, so you can use it as a read-through before you print or as a back-up if you prefer to write your own.

6 Weeks Out: Set the Foundation

These are the decisions everything else depends on.

• Pick the date and time. Check a few school and family calendars, and choose a start and end time. As a suggestion, about two hours is a reasonable starting point, and you can shorten it for younger children.
• Set a rough budget. Decide the total first, then split it across food, cake, decorations, favors and any venue or entertainer.
• Choose the place. Home, a park, a community room or a rented space. Book it now if it needs booking.
• Make the guest list. Count children and the adults who may stay. This number drives the food, the cake and the favors.
• Choose a theme if you want one. It is optional. A color or a simple idea is enough.

4 to 5 Weeks Out: Get the Invitations Ready

• Order or print invitations. See kids birthday invitation wording for examples.
• Book any helpers, an entertainer or a bounce house if you want one, and confirm what they need on the day.

4 Weeks Out (28 Days): Send the Invitations

• Send invitations with the date, start and end time, address, an RSVP date 14 days before the party and a way to reply.
• Ask about food allergies on the invitation. A line such as “Please tell us about any food allergies” is enough.
• Mention pickup details and whether parents may stay.
• Set up an RSVP list. A note on your phone or a printed guest list will do.

3 Weeks Out (21 Days): Menu, Cake and Games

• Order the cake or plan to bake it.
• Make a rough menu. Decide on pizza or another main and cake or cupcakes. See the food ideas guide.
• Plan the games and activities. Pick two or three, with a backup. Kids birthday party games has ideas by age.
• Choose favors or decide to skip them. See kids party favors that are not junk.

2 Weeks Out (14 Days): RSVP Date

• Chase missing RSVPs with a short text.
• Plan decorations and check what you already have.

10 Days Out: Confirm the Headcount

• Confirm the final headcount and note any allergies from the replies.

1 Week Out (7 Days): Order the Food

• Order or reserve the party food. Put your final headcount into the kids food calculator for pizza, cake size, drinks and plates. Its numbers are planning estimates.
• Buy favor supplies and goody bag items, and plan to pack the bags a day or two before.
• Buy non-perishable supplies, such as plates, cups, napkins, candles, tape and trash bags.
• Prepare games and printables. Print anything you need and test any equipment.
• Check the weather if any part of the party is outside, and decide on a backup plan.
• Buy or wrap any gift from you to the birthday child.

2 to 3 Days Out: Shop and Prep

• Shop for perishables such as fruit, drinks and ice.
• Make anything that can be prepared ahead, such as a dip, a fruit salad or a cake that freezes.
• Write the day-of timeline and put it on the fridge.
• Charge a phone or camera.
• Ask a helper to arrive early, if you can.

The Day Before

• Clean and clear the party space. Put away fragile items and move pets to a quiet place.
• Set up tables, chairs and decorations. Uninflated or broken latex balloons are a choking and suffocation risk for children under 8, so keep them away from young children and pick up broken pieces right away.
• Label the food so it is ready to place. Include nuts, dairy, egg and gluten where they apply.
• Prepare the gift and card table, and a place for coats and bags.
• Put the cake somewhere cool and check that you have candles and a lighter.

Day-Of Checklist

Work from the start time backward. The planner timeline tool can write these times for you.

• Morning: finish setup, keep cold food in the fridge until it is time, and make sure you have eaten something yourself.
• One hour before: place the food, put out drinks, turn on music and check the bathroom is stocked.
• 30 minutes before: get the birthday child dressed, look over the timeline and take a breath.
• As guests arrive: greet each child and parent, take coats, point out where gifts go and where the bathroom is. Ask a parent about any allergy that has not yet been mentioned.
• During the party: begin with an easy activity as children arrive, run one or two games, serve food no later than 90 minutes after guests arrive, then cake. Keep perishable food out for no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it is above 90 degrees F, which is USDA food-safety guidance.
• At the end: hand out favors at the door, thank each parent and note who gave which gift.

Supplies List

• Plates, cups, napkins and utensils
• Water and a second drink
• Cake or cupcakes, candles, lighter, knife and cake server
• Serving dishes and tongs, with a separate utensil for each dish
• Food labels and a marker
• Trash bags and wipes
• Tape and scissors
• Decorations and balloons, if used
• Games, prizes and a timer
• Favor bags and tags
• A first-aid kit
• Phone or camera, and a charger
• A pen and a notebook for gifts

The Week After

• Write thank-you notes and name the gift in each one.
• Return borrowed items and confirm any final payments.
• Save the photos and jot down notes for next time, such as what to buy less of.
• Check the list of gifts so no thank-you is missed.

Where the Printables Fit

If you prefer to print, our kids birthday printable suites include a party timeline worked back from the start time, Party Math for pizzas, cake size and goody bags, and thank-you cards that name each gift. The Everything Kit adds a planner with a checklist, a guest list with a live RSVP count, a budget and a gift log. They are digital downloads you edit yourself, with no app or account. You can see them on the kids birthday hub.

Keep It Simple

Use the dates above as a guide, not a deadline. If you start late, begin at the invitations and work forward, and drop anything that does not matter to your child. For the bigger picture, see how to plan a kids birthday party.