Birthday Party Planner

Who this is for

A birthday party on one page. The details at the top, the guests and their replies in one table, and everything to buy or book with its cost in another, totalled so the party costs what you meant it to.

Parents organising a child's party, and anyone throwing a birthday for a partner, friend or relative who wants the guests and the shopping on the same sheet.

What this helps you track

• Whose birthday it is, what age, when and where
• Who is invited and who has said yes, two guests to a row
• Allergies and notes against each guest, where you will see them
• What has to be bought or booked, what it costs and what is still to get

How to use it

1. Write the name, the age they are turning, the date, the time and the venue at the top, and the theme if there is one.
2. List the guests two to a row, with a contact for each — for a child's party, the parent's name and number — and any allergy in the same box.
3. Set each reply to yes or no as it comes in. The yes column and the summary count the replies that are a yes, in the browser and the workbook.
4. Add everything to buy or book to the second table with its cost, and tick bought as each thing is done. The still-to-buy column clears itself when ticked.
5. Check the summary the week before: guests said yes, cost of the list, what is still to get. Add rows in the browser or workbook if the list outgrows the page.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How many guests should a child's party have?

That is yours to decide, and it depends on the child, the venue and the budget. The sheet counts whoever you invite and whoever says yes.

What is the difference between this and the party planning checklist?

The checklist is a list of jobs by stage, for any party. This planner is the people and the shopping for one particular birthday. Many people use both.

Where do allergies go?

In the contact box beside the guest, so that when you are writing the food list the names and needs are on the same page. The catering numbers and dietary list is for larger events where a caterer needs the totals.

Can I keep a planner for each child?

Yes. Print one per party, or open the browser version in a new tab for each — it saves in your own browser, so each tab keeps its own party.