Sleepover parties are a wonderful source of fun. Slumber parties,
pajama parties, sleepovers... whatever you call them, these parties
make for some lasting childhood memories. One of the first steps to
hosting a sleepover is to send out sleepover invitations.
However, by the time you sort out a guest list, you ought to have some
idea of the format of your party. Here is some helpful advice on
planning a sleepover party.
Be nice - To be nice and welcoming to everyone who visits your home is always important - but it is doubly so when small children visit your home. Some of the children sleeping over might be away from home for the first time. Make sure you 'mother' them all and be aware of who might be upset or unwell and do all you can to make them feel better.
Keep the party hours short - This will help preserve your sanity! Ideally
you want to serve an evening meal... snacks later and brekfast. Drop
off at say 6pm on a Saturday with pick up by 10am on Sunday morning
usually works very well. To shorten the hours further you could begin
your party with a Movie Night that begins after dinner - say at 7.30pm -
and ends the next morning.
The number of children you host is an important factor. The number depends upon the space you have available. Sit with your child and decide on a feasible number of guests - say 4 - and then ask your child which of her friends she would like to invite. Bear in mind the personalities of the children too - some are shy, some are outgoing - some relish the thought of a sleepover whilst others might have you calling their Mum at 2am. So try and guide and talk with your child about who to invite while bearing all this in mind too.
List what to bring You will notice that 90% of our sleepover invitations feature a section in which you can list what they should bring. List items such as what bedding you need them to bring such as pillow, sleeping bag or blow-up mattress - also list items that they might need such as towel and swimming costume if this is also going to include some time in the pool. If your sleepover party is a campout then maybe ask guests to bring a torch / flashlight, too.
House rules are important. When all the kids are present, announce your house rules. These might be your standard rules such as no food to be consumed outside of the kitchen / dining area - but might need to include issues such as not running around the pool or not approaching the family dog...whatever is peculiar to your home situation.
Have activities organised - Children usually make their own fun at parties - however a sleepover sees them being together for quite a long wahile - longer than they are accustomed to. During this time they will also become sleepy - maybe even cranky - so it is important to have options and activities for those who want or need them. A quiet activity such as coloring in is a great way to slow down the evening in preparation for bedtime - so have a few sleepover coloring pages handy for those who want them. Other activities you might want to consider are a treasure hunt, beauty treatments such as making your own beauty product such as a facemask and applying it, having a movie on stand-by to watch and puzzles such as mazes or wordsearches.
