Updated 2026-05-24 | Data verified 2026-05-19 for Stardew Valley 1.6.15

Stardew Valley First 8 Days Checklist

This route turns the first week into a calm checklist: plant the starter field, unlock fishing, save the right forage, enter the Mines, craft a Scarecrow, start smelting Copper, and open the Community Center path without selling the items you will want back later.

Best for
New farms, Spring days 1-8
Route style
Low-stress early money
Main unlocks
Fishing, Mines, bundles

Editorial note

This is an English adaptation of a player-style first-week checklist, rewritten for clarity and checked against Stardew Valley 1.6.15 mechanics. I kept the useful day-by-day structure, but corrected timing and unlock details that can easily confuse new players.

View data sourcesFull Year 1 route

What you want by the end of Day 8

15 to 18 Parsnips planted, watered, and mostly harvested
One Chest crafted from 50 Wood
Bamboo Pole unlocked from Willy
Spring forage bundle items saved
Mines unlocked and Copper Ore started
Scarecrow crafted after Farming level 1
First Museum donations started
Community Center cutscene triggered or ready to trigger
Furnace recipe unlocked or queued for the next morning
Day 1
Starter crops, chest, TV habit
Day 2
Willy, fishing practice, artifact spots
Day 3
No watering, Spring Foraging Bundle
Day 4
Museum, journal rewards, Foraging 1
Day 5
First harvest, Mines, Scarecrow
Day 6
Cauliflower, Potato, Catfish if rainy
Days 7-8
Furnace, Geodes, Wizard, first bundle

Day 1

Set up the farm without wasting the morning

Starter crops, chest, TV habit

parsnip
wood
fiber
  1. Inside the farmhouse, turn on the fireplace if you want light, pick up the starter Parsnip Seeds, then watch TV before leaving.
  2. Clear only the area you need near the farmhouse. Hoe 15 tiles, plant the 15 Parsnip Seeds, and water every tile.
  3. Chop enough trees and branches to reach 50 Wood, then craft a Chest so tools, forage, and early materials do not clog your backpack.
  4. If you have spare Fiber and Sap, craft a Torch or two. Light is not required, but it makes the first nights less awkward.

Why this matters

The mistake on Day 1 is trying to clear the whole farm. The better route is a small planted area, a Chest, and enough energy left to forage or chop a little more.

Day 2

Get the fishing rod and start building cash

Willy, fishing practice, artifact spots

catfish
parsnip
geode
  1. Watch TV, water your Parsnips, then read Willy's letter and visit the Beach to receive the Bamboo Pole.
  2. On the walk through town, use the Hoe on artifact spots. They look like small moving worms or stems in the ground.
  3. If you want a slightly stronger early crop count, buy 3 more Parsnip Seeds from Pierre before planting for an 18-Parsnip start.
  4. Fish for the rest of the day. Sell duplicates for cash, but keep the first copy of unfamiliar fish until you know whether bundles need it.
  5. Say hello to villagers you naturally pass. Do not burn the day chasing every introduction unless you enjoy it.

Why this matters

Fishing is the first skill that can turn leftover time into money. Even weak catches help pay for seeds and backpack upgrades.

Day 3

Use the rainy day for fishing and Spring forage

No watering, Spring Foraging Bundle

daffodil
wild horseradish
leek
dandelion
  1. Year 1 Spring Day 3 is rainy, so you do not need to water crops. Watch TV, then use the free time aggressively.
  2. Plant any extra Parsnip Seeds you bought on Day 2, because rain waters them for free.
  3. Collect Spring forage: Wild Horseradish, Daffodil, Leek, and Dandelion. Keep one of each for the Spring Foraging Bundle.
  4. Use extra forage for energy, gifts, or early gold. Daffodils are useful cheap gifts; Leeks and Spring Onions are useful food.
  5. Fish heavily today. If you are comfortable with the minigame, rainy Spring river fishing can be very profitable.

Why this matters

Rainy days are the first real tempo boost. No watering means more time for Fishing XP, forage, and early cash.

Day 4

Turn finds into progress instead of clutter

Museum, journal rewards, Foraging 1

geode
wood
stone
  1. If you found an artifact or mineral, donate the first copy to the Museum instead of selling it.
  2. Claim journal rewards when they unlock. Early reward gold is small, but it matters before your first good fishing streak.
  3. Chop trees until you are close to Foraging level 1. The Field Snack recipe makes tree seeds more valuable than they look.
  4. Keep enough Wood for future early crafts. A Chest is done already, but Scarecrow, fences, and buildings will keep asking for Wood.

Why this matters

The Museum matters early because 5 total donations reward 9 Cauliflower Seeds. Artifacts and minerals both count toward that donation total.

Day 5

Harvest Parsnips, unlock the Mines, and protect crops

First harvest, Mines, Scarecrow

parsnip
copper ore
coal
  1. Harvest the first 15 Parsnips. Keep any Gold-quality Parsnips for the Quality Crops Bundle, keep one normal Parsnip, and sell the rest.
  2. The Mines unlock after the Joja landslide is cleared. Visit the mountain and start pushing in 5-floor chunks so elevator checkpoints open.
  3. Collect Copper Ore, Stone, Coal, and any Geodes you find. Do not worry about perfect combat yet; reaching floor 5 or 10 is already useful.
  4. After reaching Farming level 1, craft a Scarecrow with 50 Wood, 20 Fiber, and 1 Coal. Place it near the center of your planted area.
  5. If today is Friday, check the Traveling Cart in Cindersap Forest. It can sell annoying bundle items much earlier than you can normally get them.

Why this matters

Your first harvest changes the plan from survival to routing. The Scarecrow prevents random crop loss, and the Mines start the tool-upgrade economy.

Day 6

Expand crops and choose fishing or mining by weather

Cauliflower, Potato, Catfish if rainy

cauliflower
potato
catfish
copper ore
  1. Buy 5 Cauliflower Seeds for bundle and Museum-reward planning. Put most leftover seed money into Potatoes if you want simple early profit.
  2. Plant around your Scarecrow coverage instead of scattering crops across the farm.
  3. If it rains, fish the river for Catfish if your fishing skill and patience are ready. If it is sunny, mining or easier fish may be the better use of time.
  4. Enter the Mines and take the Rusty Sword. Keep collecting Copper Ore, Stone, and Coal for the Furnace and first tool upgrades.
  5. Return home before 10:30pm if you still need to craft or reposition the Scarecrow. Passing out is not worth it this early.

Why this matters

Day 6 is flexible. The correct decision depends on weather, fishing comfort, and whether your farm still needs basic materials.

Days 7-8

Open the Community Center path and start smelting

Furnace, Geodes, Wizard, first bundle

copper ore
geode
cauliflower
daffodil
  1. After you have picked up Copper Ore, Clint should visit the next morning and give you the Furnace recipe. Smelt Copper Bars when you have enough Ore and Coal.
  2. Open Geodes at Clint when you can spare the gold, then donate new minerals or artifacts to the Museum.
  3. Trigger the Community Center cutscene by entering town from the Bus Stop on a sunny day, on or after Spring 5, between 8am and 1pm.
  4. Inspect the glowing tile inside the Community Center. After the Wizard sends a letter, visit the Wizard Tower to unlock bundle reading.
  5. Complete the Spring Foraging Bundle with Wild Horseradish, Daffodil, Leek, and Dandelion, then plant the Spring Seeds reward if you have time and energy.
  6. If your Museum donations reach 5, collect the 9 Cauliflower Seeds reward and plant them quickly enough to mature before Spring ends.

Why this matters

By the end of Day 8, you want the game systems opened: Community Center progress, Furnace smelting, Museum rewards, and a crop field protected by a Scarecrow.

Mechanics checked before publishing

The first week has a lot of advice that sounds right but breaks on timing. These are the points this guide deliberately phrases carefully so new players do not lose a day or sell a needed item.

TopicCorrected guidance
Community Center timingThe cutscene is not just a Day 7 event. It triggers on a sunny day after Spring 5 when you enter town from the Bus Stop between 8am and 1pm.
Catfish adviceCatfish are rainy Spring river fish. If Day 6 is sunny, do not force this plan. Mine or catch easier fish instead.
Hat shop unlockThe abandoned house becomes the Hat Mouse shop after your first achievement. It is not unlocked by the Furnace recipe itself.
Museum rewardFive total Museum donations give 9 Cauliflower Seeds. Minerals and artifacts both count, so Geodes can help.
Fish storageYou do not need one of every fish forever. Keep uncertain first catches until bundles are readable, then sell duplicates.
Scarecrow recipeThe recipe comes from Farming level 1. If you do not level after the first harvest, plant and harvest a few more crops before expecting it.

Early item pages worth checking

Parsnip price

Parsnip price

Potato profit

Potato profit

Cauliflower value

Cauliflower value

Catfish location

Catfish location

Where to go after Day 8

Full Year 1 Beginner Walkthrough

Use this after Day 8 when you are ready to plan Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter together.

Year 1 Money Making Guide

A more profit-focused route once you understand the first week basics.

Community Center Guide

Bundle deadlines, room priorities, and the items you should stop selling.

Crop Profit Calculator

Compare seed cost, growth time, profession bonuses, Kegs, and Preserves Jars.