In today’s age of social media, sleepovers aren’t as popular as they used to be. But no matter how many new activities come about, they’ll never take away from the experience of an old-fashioned slumber party.
Pick Out a Space
Plan where you’re going to have your sleepover. Will it be at a friend’s house? Will you be having it at your place? Is a hotel in the cards? If you choose to host your sleepover in a home, figure out where in the house you’ll be keeping your guests.
It might be a good idea to host your sleepover in a large area of the house, such as the family room, which will allow plenty of space for you and your guests to stretch out when it’s time to hit the hay.
Also, you might consider choosing a space that’s further away from the people in the house who aren’t a part of the sleepover. This way, you and your gang won’t disturb them while they’re trying to rest.
After all, it is a sleepover. With pillow fights, fun games and exciting stories, your guests probably won’t be able to contain their laughter, screams and shrieks throughout the night. If you have a basement, den or attic, you should consider hosting your slumber party in one of these areas to contain all the noise.
Make a Guest List
As you think about how to plan a sleepover, you might think you should come up with a guest list first. But if you don’t know where you’re hosting your sleepover, it won’t make sense to write a guest list. That’s because the size of your chosen space should determine the size of the group.
If the area isn’t big, then you shouldn’t invite a bunch of people. Even if you do have a ton of space, your guest list shouldn’t exceed ten people.
Too many guests can be overwhelming. The smaller the guest list, the easier food preparation and clean up will be. Also, no one wants to be the third, fourth or fifth wheel. Besides, how can anyone bond if there’s too many people in the group?
Speaking of bonding, choose a group of friends that gets along well with each other. For example, if you’re planning a sleepover for your teen, ask if they know about any ongoing disputes between their friends. Is there a history of bickering?
You might also want to ask your teen about the personalities of certain friends. For example, if they have a shy friend who doesn’t know anyone else you’re inviting to the party, they might not have a good time. Your child may spend the entire sleepover trying to include that person in all the activities, which can take away from the fun and ruin their overall experience.
Do your best to invite people who know each other. This will ensure everyone feels comfortable interacting and enjoys themselves. Also, consider hosting an even number of attendees. This way, there won’t be an “odd one out”, and everyone will have a partner, which is especially great for games.
All in all, making a guest list isn’t just about writing a bunch of names down. It’s also about knowing how individual guests will impact the sleepover and make it more enjoyable.
It’s important to know certain things about your guests beforehand so that you avoid a negative experience as much as possible. All the time and energy you put into planning your sleepover will go to waste if things don’t turn out well.
Send Out Invitations
Once you know who you want to attend the sleepover, it’s time to send invitations. Count the number of people on your guest list. However many people you’ve chosen for your guest list is the number of invites you need to send out.
Whether you mail, e-mail, or use social media to tell your guests, sending out invitations is one of the best parts of planning for a slumber party because you can use your creativity to make them look fun and exciting. Creating invitations can also save you money and make things feel a bit more authentic. Another plus is you can customize your invitations any way you want.
For the best, eye-catching invites, follow these tips:
- Use fun wording. The whole point of sending out an invitation is to make guests want to come to your sleepover, not drive them away. Don’t use language that’s too formal like you’re planning a wedding. Make your invitation sound conversational, as if you were talking to a friend. Be creative and don’t be afraid to do a play on words. For example, you can say, “Come join us for Suzie’s All Night Pajama-rama”, “This Party Won’t Be a Snoozefest”, or “Let’s Have a Pajamariffic Night!”
- Pick a bright color scheme. Use vibrant hues to represent the joy and fun of having a slumber party. For more effect, use contrasting colors by pairing colors together that are opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, blue vs. orange or purple vs. yellow.
- Give it a striking header. Use an eye-catching header that gives people no choice but to look at your invitation. Include a bold image or funky pattern to get your guests excited about the upcoming party.
- Choose an image as the focal point of your invitation design. Whether it’s a picture of some cool pajamas or a drawing of a crescent moon catching some z’s, your focus image needs to command attention and draw eyes to the center of the card where the party details should be.
On your invitations, you should include certain details like the date, time, location, the host’s name, and other relevant information.
Be sure to send out invitations two to four weeks in advance so that you give your guests ample time to check their schedules and prepare for the sleepover. This allows parents to make arrangements to drop off and pick up. Planning your sleepover for a Friday or Saturday would be ideal so that your guests don’t miss work or school.
In your invitation, you might also want to include the directions to the place you’re hosting it if guests aren’t familiar with the location. Maybe include the approximate length of your party (i.e., whether guests will go home first thing in the morning or stay over for breakfast) as well.
Choose a Theme
Of course, not all slumber parties need a theme, but you can add more enjoyment to the evening with a cool theme. For example, if you’re planning a slumber party for your daughter, you can choose a theme for girls.
Get Into Character
Does your daughter love the movie Frozen? Plan a Frozen-themed party. You can tell guests to wear princess-themed pajamas and provide them with tiaras when they arrive. Rent the Frozen movie or find it on a video streaming platform like Netflix. If you have a karaoke machine, the girls can have a blast singing along with the Frozen soundtrack.
Have a Girls’ Night
Themes don’t have to be character-specific. If you’re planning an adult party for you and your best friends, you can do a spa night. Have a selection of girly, chick-flick type movies and grab some bath bombs, mani and pedi kits, and a bunch of beauty products like face scrubs, body lotions and pore strips. If you want to go the extra mile, you can hire someone to come out and do facials for everyone.
You can also plan a spa night for a mother-daughter sleepover as well. Have some fun spa activities lined up and add an educational element to your sleepover by teaching girls the importance of hygiene.
Don’t Forget About the Boys
Boys can have some slumber fun too. If you’re planning a sleepover for your son, you can do a superhero theme where everyone wears pajamas with their favorite superhero. Grab some Captain America, Hulk and Superman decorations and play the Avengers movie.
A camping theme would also be fun. You can bring adventure indoors by pitching a tent in the house. If you don’t have a tent, you could go old school and make a cozy fort with sheets, blankets and pillows. Then, toast marshmallows over the stove, melt pieces of chocolate and grab some graham crackers for some delicious s’mores.
Turn off the lights and give each kid a flashlight to make it seem like they’re outdoors. To make it more realistic, you can create a campfire with some wood, brown construction paper and red, orange and yellow tissue paper for the flames. Then, the boys can tell each other spooky ghost stories like they’re at a real campfire.
Who said men can’t have sleepovers too? You can invite some of your buddies over to watch a football game and have a couple of beers. Chances are, your guests won’t be okay to drive back home afterward, so why not stay the night? Guys’ night doesn’t have to be a spectacular event. Tell your pals to bring some pajamas and sleeping bags and enjoy a fun night of video games and movies.
Keep the Holidays in Mind
If the holidays are coming up, you can plan your sleepover around Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. For example, you can have a Halloween-themed sleepover with a spooky playlist, pumpkin carving and some festive orange and purple decorations.
If Christmas is around the corner, tell everyone to wear an ugly sweater or Christmas-themed footed pajamas. Have some Christmas cookies and watch some Christmas-themed movies like Home Alone and Frosty the Snowman.
You can also incorporate the Elf on the Shelf tradition into your Christmas-themed slumber party. It involves placing one of Santa’s elves in a particular spot in your house. The kids aren’t allowed to touch him, or else, he’ll lose his magic.
The other rule is he won’t speak or move while the kids are awake. He only moves when he goes back to the North Pole to tell Santa if the kids were naughty or nice.
When he returns, he assumes a new position in the house. The idea behind this game is that Santa’s little helper is always watching. This is a fun addition to a kids’ slumber party as it encourages imaginative play. At night, you place the elf in a certain place. In the morning, when the kids wake up, they’ll discover him in a new spot.
Grab the Essentials
Like with any event where you’ll be having guests, you need a few things to make your sleepover a successful affair. Here are some items you’ll need to make your party run smoothly:
- Sleeping essentials: While you’ll likely encourage your guests to bring their own things, it doesn’t hurt to provide some extra sleeping bags, clean sheets, pillows and blankets. Sometimes guests forget essential items at home, so it’s a good idea to keep these things handy, just in case.
- Food and drinks: Anytime you’re keeping a bunch of guests over for a while, you’re going to need food and beverages. Depending on your guests and their preferences, you’ll need a menu that will keep them satisfied during their stay.
- Entertainment: Whether you’re having a sleepover for kids or adults, you’ll want to plan some fun activities to keep everyone entertained and happy. Games, movies and activities will go a long way in making your sleepover a lively experience.
- Decorations: Decorations can bring everything to life. Think colorful blankets, fairy lights and lanterns. This will create a magical atmosphere. Also, if you’re planning a birthday sleepover for your child, you’ll want to get balloons, banners and confetti.
- Goodie bags: Goodie bags aren’t a necessity, but they’re an excellent addition to have. When it’s all over, guests can take a piece of the experience with them. For example, if you’re having a spa night, you can put together some spa kits and fill them with lotions, body sprays, nail polish and other beauty items.
- Household items: You should also think about the essentials you need around the house for your guests. For example, have extra rolls of toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste and extra hair accessories. Also, put out some extra towels and washcloths so that guests don’t run out of these essentials if they decide to take a shower or bath.
Gather Some Activities
Did you know that you can plan activities with a balloon schedule? It’s a creative way to reveal the activities you’ve planned for the evening. The way the system works is you pop the balloons on the hour and they reveal what’s on the agenda. While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, there’s no need to over-plan your sleepover.
Things would go more naturally if your guests directed the flow of the evening. However, it’s okay to brainstorm some ideas just in case things wind down. With that said, write out a list of activities and let your guests choose their favorite ones.
Organize a Nerf Gun War
A nerf gun war can be the perfect addition to a boys’ sleepover. Invite guests to bring their own nerf guns to the party. You can provide extras for those that don’t have one. For more fun, you can take the boys outdoors and create a nerf war course. Grab some cardboard boxes and spray paint them fun colors. The cardboard boxes will act as forts as the boys shoot at each other. Don’t forget to give each kid some protective eyewear to protect their eyes from nerf bullets.
Create an Obstacle Course
Another great way to add fun to an ordinary boys’ slumber party is to create a cool obstacle course and challenge the boys to make it through. This will not only entertain them throughout the night, but it’ll also tire them out so when it’s time for bed, they’ll fall right asleep.
Craft Personalized Pillowcases
There’s nothing like creating your own handmade item, especially one that you can sleep on. After all, it is a sleepover, right? Personalized pillowcases are a great craft for children to create and take home as a party favor. Buy some plain pillowcases, one for each guest to decorate with markers, fabric paint or tie dye.
Make Washi Tape Sunglasses
Another cool DIY project is Washi tape sunglasses. All you need is some regular black sunglasses and colorful tape. Girls and boys will enjoy this activity because it lets them be creative and customize their glasses however they want. It’s also easy to remove, so if they don’t like one design, they can switch it up with a new one.
Play Spin the Nail Polish
Spin the Nail Polish is a fun activity for girls. It’s a twist on Spin the Bottle. Instead of spinning a regular bottle, your guests will spin a bottle of nail polish. The person who spins it has to paint a nail of the person it lands on. The game keeps going until everyone has colorfully painted nails.
Follow Homemade Spa Recipes
Every girl likes to pamper herself. What if you could pamper yourself using ingredients straight from your kitchen? This keeps you from buying beauty products for your spa-themed sleepover. Look up some homemade spa recipes for your guests to try. For example, you and your guests can make nourishing face masks with yogurt, honey and oatmeal.
Play Never Have I Ever
If you’re trying to figure out how to plan a sleepover for adults, including Never Have I Ever into your sleepover itinerary is paramount. It’s not only a fun activity, but it also invites you to get to know your friends better.
Everyone sits in a circle. Then, one person starts by sharing with everyone something they’ve never done. For example, one of your guests might say, “Never have I ever cheated on a test in college”. If you or another player have cheated on a test in college, you lose a point. Then, another player goes on to say something they haven’t done and so on.
The object of the game is to have as many points as possible. You start with 10. If you lose all of these points, you’re out of the game. The last person with points left wins the game.
Provide Movies and Video Games
Most people enjoy watching a wonderful movie along with some buttery popcorn, bubbly soda and yummy candy. When everyone is burnt out and wants to relax, bring out a selection of movies.
When it comes to movies and crowds, it’s best to find a consensus. For example, if one guest doesn’t like scary movies, play something more lighthearted like a comedy or animated film.
Video games are a fun option as well. Whether you have an Xbox or Playstation, you can provide your guests with some exceptional entertainment. Just like with movie selection, make sure you have video games that everyone can enjoy. Also, ensure that you have enough controllers for each guest or encourage them to take turns so that everyone has a chance to play.
Have a Pillow Fight
No sleepover is complete without a pillow fight. While pillow fights usually happen spontaneously, there’s nothing wrong with planning one to set off the evening. For random effect, gently hit one of your friends when they least expect it and let the fun begin. Be careful not to hurt anyone and make it clear that you’re just playing around.
Create a Menu
After your guests have had their share of games and activities for the moment, they’re going to get hungry, so have some food ready. There are tons of options for a phenomenal menu. You can keep it simple by making some foods that most people like such as pizza, tacos or hot dogs.
If you decide to go all out, you can prepare an assortment of foods such as cold cuts and cheeses, chips and salsa, pasta, meatballs and sliders. When it comes to food, the options are pretty much endless, so take some time to think about what you want to serve your guests.
Your guests may get hungry through the night, so don’t forget about snacks. Popcorn, nachos, dip, ice cream and candy are the perfect snacks to pair with a good movie. Cookies, brownies and cupcakes will hit the spot as well. Guests should also be able to choose from a variety of beverages such as milk, soda, water, juice and tea.
But if you’re planning a slumber party for kids, it may not be the best idea to serve sweet snacks or drinks so close to bedtime. You should also avoid serving caffeinated beverages right before bed so that your guests don’t get hyper or have trouble falling asleep.
If you have an adult slumber party, you might consider serving alcoholic beverages. Have a bar cart stocked and ready to go. There should be an assortment of alcoholic drinks such as wine, beer and liquor as everyone has their own taste. If you want to avoid a trip to the liquor store and don’t have a well-stocked liquor cabinet, you can make some delicious cocktails for your guests to enjoy.
If your guests are staying for breakfast, make sure you have some breakfast foods on hand like fruit, yogurt, bagels, donuts pancakes or waffles. For beverages, serve coffee or orange juice.
Make Accommodations
Another thing you want to consider is food allergies or specific preferences. Some of your guests may not be able to tolerate certain foods such as nuts, dairy, gluten or wheat. You may also have a guest that’s vegetarian or vegan, so make sure you have plant-based options available to choose from.
An easy way to prepare yourself for these details beforehand is to add a space on invitation cards that encourage guests to include any accommodations you need to make.
Capture the Memories
Don’t let time pass you by. Whether it’s your first sleepover or it’s one of many, you want to remember that night of fun with some lovely photos. Take out your digital camera or your phone to capture the memories.
If you want to get fancy, you can set up a photo booth with props for the kids to play around in. There are so many creative ideas for photo booths.
For example, you can set up a construction scene with a faux wooden backdrop, caution tape, road crew cutouts and realistic road signs. Let the boys dress up in their hard hats and orange vests. Then, have them pose for the camera. This will not only get your guests’ creative juices flowing, but it’ll also be a great addition to your photo album when you want to relive the night forever.
Final Thoughts
As you learn how to plan a sleepover, you’ll see that you shouldn’t stress about the details. While it’s good to plan out the evening, don’t be dismayed if everything doesn’t pan out the way you wanted it to. What’s more important is the feel-good memories you’ll be creating with your guests and socializing with the ones that matter to you the most.