Sleepovers can be relaxed or upbeat affairs, but one thing we can all count on is a whole lot of energy.
Many parents will host a larger party the afternoon before the sleepover part of the party, inviting over friends and family.
Then, a few friends stick around and stay overnight.
So the key question is “how to keep the boys and girls entertained for though the hours?”
Well, we have a few ideas (that don’t include video games or TV).
#1: Indoor (or Outdoor) Camping
Kids love adventure.
Inspire their sense of exploration by setting up small ‘teepees’ inside.
Or even erect a real camping tent outside in the backyard.
To really add to the theme, hire some camo nets to throw over the tents and voila! You have transformed a standard teepee or tent into a ‘fort’ the boys can sleep within.
How cool is that?
#2: Laser Tag in the Garden
This is a game that works day or night!
Imagine it: Laser Tag in the Garden, at night!
Laser Tag will be the highlight of this adventures boys’ sleepover — guaranteed.
With Laser Tag 4 Hire, the taggers are delivered to your door. And you have them for the entire weekend. That means the fun doesn’t have to stop as the sun goes down.
The taggers themselves have cool light and sound effects, but you can also add to the adventure theme with go-pro-mounted torches or glow-in-the-dark supplies.
The volume on the taggers can be turned down as well, so you don’t have to worry about disturbing the neighbours. (Or you can set the game up in your garage.)
What’s even better is — unlike nerf — there’s no mess!
Make it even more of an adventure by setting up a treasure hunt or playing ‘capture the flag’ with their buddies.
#3: Dance Contest
A great way to wind down after a long afternoon of playing laser tag is to turn on the music and let the kids dance!
Let them choose if they want to do a competition, create a routine, or just have some fun grooving the music.
What are your top 3 party playlist songs?
#4: Food
Who doesn’t love pizza?
One thing about sleepovers is that every kid has a different expectation of a night-time routine. It can be difficult to plan a dinner and to get everyone to sit down at once. A lot of parents order pizza or another takeout option, but dietary requirements can make them difficult.
Instead, consider setting up an ‘on-the-go’ table with finger food.
Snacks are important but try to buy or bake filling items that can be eaten in individual servings. Mini pies and spring rolls are great options.
If you are going for an ‘adventure’ theme, you might even want to make a little lunch box for each of the party guests – with the theme of a ‘ration pack’!
#5: Indoor Ninja Course
Using streamers or toilet paper, you can create ‘laser beams’ along with one of your hallways.
All you need is some sticky tape.
Then the kids need to navigate through the course without ripping any of the streamers (you can also say without ‘touching’ the streamers, but ripping is a lot easier to referee).
Summing Up
Oh, sleepovers, this is where the nostalgia kicks in for us big kids.
Flashback to when we were tweens or teens and sleepover styling consisted of pulling apart Mum and Dad’s couch, grabbing a few sheets from the linen closest, and balancing cushions against whatever you could find.
Let’s just say, nowadays, sleepovers are a lot more sophisticated!
We’d love to hear about your successful sleepover party!
