Nothing beats a slumber party. Between the fun games and yummy foods, kids will have a blast and may not want to go home in the morning.
You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to let your kids have fun, either. With these 25 fun sleepover ideas for the perfect slumber party, guests will have a great time even in the middle of the week.
#1: Nighttime Scavenger Hunt
To host a nighttime scavenger hunt, you just need a list of items and enough flashlights that each guest has one. The list should include things that are easy to find in your backyard, such as a twig or a flower.
You may want to include some items that you hide, too, including a water gun or a small bottle of nail polish. The first team or guest who finds everything on the list is the winner.
#2: Backyard Camp Out
If you worry about kids wreaking havoc on your home during a sleepover, consider taking the fun outside. Depending on how many guests you have, you might need just one tent or multiple tents. Ask the guests to bring their sleeping bags and a story to share.
Instead of having a campfire, they can toast marshmallows around a grill. You can let other parents know that you’ll keep an eye on them and keep them safe.
#3: Who Wore It Best?
Encourage party guests to come dressed in their favorite pajamas and have a competition to see who wore it best. To make sure that no one feels left out, have small prizes on hand that you can award to them in different categories. You might choose the best matching pajama set, best nightgown, and most unique pajamas. The kids can vote on who wins each one too.
#4: Popcorn Bar
A popcorn bar allows guests to make custom blends based on the ingredients that they love. You’ll set out a few bowls of popcorn and smaller bowls that contain all the toppings.
While you can use flavored popcorn recipes, it’s also fun to let kids come up with their own recipes. You never know what combos they might come up with when you give them access to seasonings and candy.
#5: Game Night
When you send out invitations, ask guests to bring their favorite games to share with the group. Once they arrive, put the names of each game on a slip of paper in a hat and draw one at random to decide what to play. This keeps guests from arguing about which game is the best and ensures that everyone has a fair chance at having their games picked. Depending on when they fall asleep, they may have a chance to play them all.
#6: Balloon Pop
If you have an idea about what you want to do during the party, create a list of activities. You’ll then write down the name of each one on a small piece of paper and slip it into a balloon. Once you inflate the balloons, spread them around the room.
After all the guests arrive, pop one to reveal what you’ll do first. While this can help you follow a set schedule, it also lets you step in with a new idea if the guests become bored.
#7: Candy Bar
As long as you have bowls and a few bags of candy, you can easily set up a candy bar. It’s helpful to have small plastic containers or bags that kids can use to store their treats. They can mix and match from all the options and take home any leftovers with them.
#8: Astronomy Party
With a simple telescope, guests can get a good look at the night’s sky. It’s handy to have constellation maps and charts that you hand out at the beginning of the party. As they take turns looking through the telescope, they can identify the stars that they see.
#9: Talking Ball
Kids who don’t know each very well might worry about saying the wrong thing and talking to others. You can help them relax with a talking ball, which is essentially an inflatable ball with different icebreakers written across it. When they toss the ball, the person who catches it must answer the first question that they see.
#10: Indoor Camping
You don’t need to worry about rain or snow when you plan an indoor camping sleepover. Kids’ tents are the perfect size to arrange around your living room, but you may want to set out blankets and let kids build forts from them. As long as you have a microwave and the right ingredients, smores are on the menu. Hot dogs and other simple dishes are suitable for an indoor camp out too.
#11: Make Your Own Cake Pops
Making cake pops is just as easy as making a cake. You just need baked and cooled cakes along with different frostings. Kids can mix the frosting with the cake and form a ball that they place on a stick. You might add chocolate and other toppings that they can use too. Some recipes even used boxed cake mixes.
#12: Decorate a Pillowcase
With this sleepover idea, you just need some clean and plain pillowcases along with craft supplies that you may already have. The guests can use fabric paint and markers to decorate their pillows. Not only does this keep them occupied for a few hours, but it gives them something that they can take home as a reminder of the night. Iron-on transfers are another easy way to decorate the pillowcases.
#13: Friendship Bracelets
Recreate the fun that you had at summer camp with a craft station that lets kids make friendship bracelets. The bracelets can be as easy as braiding several colors of embroidery floss together or something more complicated that includes beads and other decorations. Make sure that you have enough colors and supplies on hand for all guests.
#14: Color War
To host a color war at home, you just need shirts in different colors and a list of activities. Randomly assign players to teams as they arrive and hand out shirts. They’ll compete together and against each other in activities such as tug of war and backyard races. You can add some fun and unusual activities too, including singing and dancing.
#15: Scariest Stories
While scary stories can lead to nightmares, older kids will love having the chance to tell their favorite stories. They can take turns trying to tell the scariest story ever. Once everyone has a chance to share a story, they can vote on which ones were the best or their favorite. You might encourage kids to tell funny stories too, which can cut down on nightmares and calls home.
#16: Musical Sleeping Bags
Instead of playing musical chairs, consider playing musical sleeping bags, which has the same concept. Kids lay down on their sleeping bags on the floor. Take away one bag and turn on music. When the music stops, they have to find the nearest sleeping bag and lay down. With each round, you’ll take away one bag until there is only one winner.
#17: Jelly Bean Tasting
For this fun sleepover idea, you just need a lot of jelly beans in as many flavors as you can find and some type of container. It’s helpful to write down the names of those flavors too. Kids will randomly select a handful of beans from the container and try to name the flavor of each one. The winner is the one who can name the most flavors correctly.
#18: Chef Party
Get sleepover guests excited about cooking with recipes for kids. You don’t need a lot of special ingredients or worry about them using your appliances because you can opt for simple and easy recipes. Kids can make dishes for dinner and snacks for later at night, as well as leftovers.
#19: Pizza Night
While kids are often picky eaters, one of the foods that they can all agree on is pizza. That doesn’t mean they’ll all want the same toppings, though, which is why this is a fun idea.
You can buy ready-made pizza dough and a selection of toppings, including pepperoni and fresh veggies. With individual cast iron pans, kids can pick what they want on their pizza. The leftovers are perfect for late-night snacks or breakfast the next morning.
#20: Sleeping Bag Race
Create a starting line and a finish line in your home or backyard with simple pieces of tape. When guests arrive, ask them to grab their sleeping bags and head to the starting line. They’ll see to put on their bags and wear them around their legs as they scurry to get to the finish line first.
#21: Pillow Fight
What could be better than a good old fashioned pillow fight? Now is the time to buy new pillows or gather all the pillows around your house. Place them in large totes that you store near the center of the party. Guests will have a ball knocking each other with the pillows.
#22: Truth or Dare
Truth or Dare is a classic slumber party game that kids love. To keep things under control, write down a list of possible dares before the guests arrive. This list might include dancing in front of the group or singing a silly song. Write the dares down on strips of paper that you place in a bowl or hat. When kids choose the dare option, they can reach inside and pull one out.
#23: Pancakes for All
Don’t worry about what happens the next morning because you can give everyone delicious pancakes. Packaged mixes and even frozen pancakes can save you some time, but you may want to make a family favorite recipe too.
Make sure that you have a selection of syrups and toppings for them to try too. Whipped cream, fresh berries, chocolate sauce, and peanut butter are some that you might try.
#24: Movie Night
What could be better than hanging out with friends and watching movies? This slumber party idea is perfect for rainy or cold nights because kids can stay indoors and watch movies on a DVD player. If it’s a nice night and you have access to a projector and screen, you can recreate the feel of a drive-in movie in your backyard. Just don’t forget the popcorn and candy.
#25: Makeup Fun
Girls of all ages love playing with makeup, which is why this is a fun idea for most parties. You’ll find tons of recipes and ideas on the web, including a DIY tutorial on lip gloss made from flavored drink packets. Not only will they love coming up with new colors and flavors, but they’ll like that they can take home the extra makeup the next day.
