Cookouts, showers and get-togethers
Checklists for the parties that fill spring and summer weekends, and one plain shopping list that counts tableware for any event.
Backyard BBQ and cookout checklist
Grill, fuel, food for the grill, shade and seats for an afternoon in the garden.
Graduation party checklist
Eight weeks of tasks for an open house or a set-time party, from invitations to the memory table.
Baby shower planning checklist
For the friend or relative hosting: guest list from the parents, invitations, games, prizes and favours.
Potluck hosting checklist
How many mains, sides and desserts to ask for, and what the host still has to provide.
Party supplies list by number of guests
A shopping list for any party: plates, cups, napkins, cutlery and serving kit counted from one number.
How to choose
These parties differ most in who does the cooking. At a backyard cookout the host stands at the grill, so that checklist counts burgers, buns and sausages for the guest number and changes its tasks for gas or charcoal. At a potluck the guests cook, and the checklist instead works out how many mains, sides and desserts to ask for so the table is balanced.
The graduation checklist is the longest, eight weeks, because dates clash and halls book up in graduation season. Its seat and table counts change with the format: an open house needs seats for about half the people invited, a set-time party needs one each.
The baby shower checklist is written for the friend or relative who hosts on behalf of the parents-to-be. It begins by asking them what they want, counts favours, game sheets and prizes, and has a surprise option that changes who you plan with.
The party supplies list is the odd one out. It has no timeline: you enter the guest number, what you are serving and how long the party lasts, and it counts plates, cups, napkins, cutlery and bin bags with the rule shown next to every line. Use it alone for an event that has no checklist here, or beside one of the others.