Party Planning Checklist

Before planning your party consider the following:

___ Holiday or theme?

  • What is the party celebrating?
  • How will this affect your invitations, activities, decorations, food and favors?

___ Age of guests?

  • How will this affect the activities, time of party and schedule?

___ Number of guests?

  • How many children and how many adults will be coming? Activities for all ages? Are the guests family or friends, classmates or neighbors? Do the guests know each other or need warm-up activities? Group art projects make great "ice-breakers".

___ Where and When?

  • Is this an outdoor or indoor party? How will this affect the food served?
  • Birthday
  • Holiday (New Year's, Presidents' Day, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Independence Day, etc.)
  • Graduation
  • Religious or life cycle events (christening, confirmation, bar/bat mitzvah, etc.)
  • Special Small Successes that make life's milestones more memorable, such as: good school progress, sports accomplishments, music/drama/dance performances, losing "baby" teeth, riding 2-wheel bike, passing swim instruction test, moving to next grade level (back to school), receiving school award, getting braces off, etc
  • Seasonal events, such as: first spring flower party, summer barbecue, rainy day party, vegetable garden feast, pool party, autumn harvest party, snow day festivities, etc