Unique Slumber Party Ideas That Your Kid Will Love You For

If you’re looking for an original way to celebrate your child’s upcoming birthday or summer holiday, a slumber party just might be the ideal solution. There is just something about a party that combines pajamas, flashlights, snacks and games that thrills children to no end, no matter how old they may be.

Here are some great ideas to make your upcoming sleepover party a truly memorable event.

Choose a theme

Having a themed slumber party can set the mood and make the whole deal that much more special. What theme you choose depends a lot on how old your kids are and what their gender is. For example, a younger group of girls will enjoy a theme like Barbie or Princesses, while a group of boys will want something a little more masculine like Soldiers and Sailors, Race Cars or Football.

If you have a mixed group of kids, themes like Little Chefs or Tropical Rainforest will be well suited to everyone attending. Let the kids know about the theme beforehand so they can come in costume. 

Go with simple and fun party snacks

A slumber party just wouldn’t be the same without snacks, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in the kitchen preparing things like deviled eggs, shrimp cocktails and smoked salmon on crackers. Aside from the fact that you will have your hands full with game planning and overseeing, kids tend to be picky eaters and probably won’t enjoy foods they aren’t accustomed to.

Keep it simple with a few easy favorites like mini pizzas, fresh pretzels, chicken wings and nachos or tortilla chips and cream cheese dip. A few sweet treats are okay, but don’t let them have too much sugar or you’ll have a riot on your hands.

Avoid soda as well, as a lot of it tends to be loaded with caffeine, and all of it is high in sugar. Fruit juices, milk shakes, chocolate milk and homemade lemonade are better choices.

Organize a few activities (but not too many)

It’s good to have a general plan of what you are going to do and when, but don’t over-plan or get too stuck on any one activity or idea, because trying to follow a strict schedule can be stressful for you and frustrating for the kids.

Beforehand, plan a few games and activities that you can do with them, but leave plenty of time in between for them to chat, laugh and just enjoy the novelty of having a sleepover.

One good way to allow the kids to choose (but still have some control over what they will be doing) is to write out different activities and games on bits of paper and put them in a hat or pillow case. Then, you can have the kids each pick one game that you will do throughout the course of the evening.

Take your slumber party outdoors                  

If the kids you are organizing the party for a group of slightly older kids, you can consider pitching a few tents in your backyard and allowing the kids to sleep there. Make sure you have plenty of warm blankets and flashlights on hand for this venture, and don’t forget to get permission from each child’s parents well in advance.

Outdoor slumber parties allow for activities like roasting marshmallows and hotdogs, star gazing and night time exploring with flashlights.

If you don’t have a yard that is big enough or the weather just won’t allow for outdoor activities, you can pitch a tent in your living room instead. While it may not be as exciting as actually sleeping under the stars, a living room camp out still gives the event a very special atmosphere.

Save the DVDs for last

Rookie slumber party organizers might put on a DVD at the beginning of the night, but this would be a mistake for a number of reasons. First of all, any activities you have planned should take place early on so that the kids can tire themselves out.

Another reason to save the DVD for last is that it’s a great way to get the kids to wind down for bed when it’s getting late, without actually enforcing a curfew and putting them to bed.

Have a few different options available so that the kids can vote on which movie they want to watch, but don’t give them too many options or you may never go to bed.

Aileen Pablo is a Filipina Event Management blogger from Open Colleges, one of the pioneers of Online education in Australia and one of the leading providers of event management courses. If you want to feature her on your blog, drop a line at aileen (at) oc.edu.au.

Image: anneheathen on Flickr