The ideal sleepover should include a mixture of activities to tire the kids out, along with some more gentle entertainment, such as a movie. This pattern should continue all evening until little eyelids finally begin to close.
In the morning a super sleepover should end with a big breakfast full of pancakes or other food goodies and plenty of giggles. Here are some ideas for your little ones’ sleepover:
Indoor camping.
If you have a room big enough then set up some tents with plenty of cushions inside as well as sleeping bags and get the children to tell each other scary tales by torch light. Or, sit and read them a ghost story. String fairy lights from the ceiling to mimic the feel of stars up above.
Spin the nail polish bottle.
A game for girls, although boys can join in too, of course, whichever colour of bottle the spinner lands on, the one who did it has to paint a toenail that colour. This continues until all toenails have been painted. Then the photography begins…
Watch a scary movie.
A favourite for teen sleepover nights everywhere, watching a scary movie is a bit of a cliché – but really, it’s got to be done (provided there’s no particularly nervous children in the room). Freddie Kruger is always a good shoe-in here. Add in plenty of popcorn and drinks so it feels like a real movie experience.
Learn about the stars.
An educational – as well as fun – activity, get the kids to peer at the stars through a telescope and teach them about the famous constellations. Then, sit and see who can identify The Plough, Great Bear, etc. If you don’t already have a telescope, borrow or even hire one for the evening.
Personalised pillowcases.
Getting the kids to make their own personalised pillowcases to lie on that same evening is a great way to fill time and encourage young ones to use their creative juices. And, in the morning, it proves to be a fab reminder of their night together. Use fabric paint, iron-on transfers (you do the ironing for them) and tie-dye markers for the decorative part.
Set up karaoke.
Most kids love to sing. The only thing that stops them is if they don’t know the words. When programming the machine, make sure you copy out the words to some of the more popular songs and photocopy them so everyone has a song sheet. Just make sure the bedroom ‘studio’ is far enough away from the living room for your sake.
Cupcake decorating.
A favourite with both adults and kids alike, decorating cupcakes will keep the little ones occupied for as long as there’s sprinkles, chocolate sauce, smarties or frosting sitting on the table. You could even go back to basics and get the kids to make the cakes from scratch with your supervision (obviously). If you don’t have time to make the cakes yourself then just buy some shop-made buns.
