Most kids remember slumber parties as some of their most favourite nights from childhood. You get to camp together with you besties, all cozy in chunky blankets, nibbling on munchies with your favourite movie on! If you’re thinking of giving your kids an experience of a lifetime and hosting a slumber party for them and their friends, you’ve come to the right place for some essential steps that will help you take care of every aspect of the party!
Guest Lists & Invites
Let’s start with guests and invites! Its important to give the little party host a limit to the amount of guests they can invite. Think of the availability of space, and your availability as the adult member of the party.
Once you’ve zeroed down on who to invite, you can send out some cute looking e-invites to the friends and their parents. A sleepover can be worrisome thought for some parents, so do make sure to send the invites well in advance and you can also create a messaging-group with the parents to keep them in the loop.
Menu Planning & Munchies
Sleepovers can be a task when it comes to party planning and organisation so we recommend to keep the menu easy and simple.
You should ideally have a bunch of nibbles on hand such as popcorn, crisps, marshmallows, granola or salted/spiced trail mixes. You can display them on the kitchen island counter or let them pass it around the couch.
For the main meal of the party, adding the element of Pizza Night is the perhaps the most convenient option – you can order in, minimise the mess and also impress the kids! Other finger food ideas such burgers meals or tacos, fajitas and nachos are also a good idea.
For something sweet, think peanut buter cups, cupcakes, or if all their parents agree to it, maybe even icecream!
Slumber Party Sleeping Arrangements
This is arguably the most important step in the slumber party planning guide. You can think of bean bags or make-shift tents but there are also a few other key pointers that you should be mindful off. Here’s a step by step guide to planning the most convenient and comfy slumber party sleeping arrangements:
- Start with the space – the living room is a good option, it’d give the kids plenty of space and is likely to have good access to the master bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.
- Choose your sleepover bed style: sleeping bag, tents, mattresses etc
- Layer it up with comfy pillows and blankets to make it cozy
- You can also rent out tents from an equipment shop like Vacaystore
- Add some mood lighting with string lights or fairly lights to make the room look magical.
- Do remember to designate sleeping placements before the kids arrive so there are no hurt feelings!
Party Games, Entertainment & Activities
Kids can be an energetic bunch, and naturally this energy can be multiplied on a slumber party night. You’ll need to have a few fun activity planned ahead of time to keep them busy and bond with each other. Here’s a list of ideas that you can think about:
- Classic Movie Marathons – because no slumber party is ever complete without a movie!
- Dance Party – the best way to deal with high bursts of energy
- Cupcake Decoration – great idea, but prep the counters in the kitchen to avoid a mess!
- Bedtime Fashion Show – a fantastic way to get the kids to change into their jammies at the end of the night
Sleep Prep and Bedtime
Getting a bunch of kids to fall asleep on a sleepover night can be a challenge! Here are a few tips that can help you manage bedtime like a slumber party pro!
- Create a relaxing environment by dimming the light (you can keep the kids nightlight on just incase!)
- You can try playing some soothing bedtime music or lullabies
- You’ll probably hear some bedtime chatter and whispers, but do remember to check on them in a couple of hours after the noise dies down.
The Morning After
Whether it comes as an afterthought or not, the morning after is also an essential part of slumber parties. Perhaps the most important thing to organise for the morning after is breakfast. One can definitely keep the breakfast spread nice and simple with basic cereal, sunnyside up, fruits and toast, and then you can add a couple of fun thing like donuts or cupcakes to keep that party spirit alive!
Since the kids are likely to be tired from last night’s festivities, you can play some light music to cheer up the house, and do remind them to pack their sleepover bags before they leave.
