7. Send Invites out Well in Advance

The sooner you are able to notify the parents of your child's friends, the better. If you wait too close to the time of the sleepover, there's a good chance that other plans have already been made by the kids' parents.

6. Choose a Theme for the Sleepover

There's nothing more fun for kids than dressing up for a themed party. Who says only birthday parties can have a theme? Give kids the option to dress up like a favorite super hero or cartoon character. Girls might like to have a slumber party with a princess theme, while boys would enjoy more of a medieval knights or cowboy theme. Find out what is popular with the kids and go from there.

5. Make Fun Finger Foods

Most kids like any food they can eat with their hands. If you have an assortment of finger foods to choose from, then even the pickiest eater should be happy. Pizza, mozzarella sticks, miniature sandwiches, tortillas with melted cheese in the middle and cut into wedges, carrot sticks with ranch dressing, or anything else you think that kids can eat without the use of utensils should do.

4. Think of a List of Games and Activities for the Kids

A group of bored kids is an unhappy bunch. It’s always best to have a list of games and activities that you couldn’t possibly complete in the amount of time you have allotted for the sleepover. Multiple board games could be another option for a slumber party with lots of kids. You could even have kids bring a favorite game from home to share with everyone at the sleepover, which would save you time from having to find or purchase a whole slew of games.

3. Have a Backup Plan for Homesick Kids

Sleepovers aren’t for everyone. You might have a little kid who really enjoys hanging out and participating with the rest of the kids, but he would rather be back at home to sleep in his own bed. If you’ve been informed about a child who might potentially get homesick once it becomes nighttime, then making arrangements ahead of time will make the situation much easier for everyone. You might have one of the parents arrive closer towards evening time and after all the activities have been completed. Kids tend to be less stressed if they know mom or dad is coming once it gets dark outside.

2. Decorate the Slumber Area

Streamers, colored lights, a disco ball, balloons, or any other party-like decorations you can think of. Make the room colorful and vibrant. Kids always love decorations! Especially ones they can take home after the sleepover is through, such as a festive Mylar balloon.

1. Get Other Parents to Help

You don’t have to plan the entire slumber party all on your own. Get your child’s friends’ parents to help out with decorating or coming up with games and activities. This is the type of favor that can always be returned when another parent decides to have a sleepover at his/her home in the future.

I hope these 7 tips on planning a fun sleepover for your kid are ones you can use for your child’s event. If you’ve already had a slumber party or two, how did they turn out?

Top Photo Credit: chefpercaso