Sleepovers, pyjama parties, slumber parties: whatever you call them, kids of all ages love hanging out overnight with their friends and it’s a great way for your child to develop their social skills, but without some organisation, sleepovers can turn out to be a dream for the kids and a nightmare for the parents.
Whether your little one wants to have a sleepover for her birthday or you’re a regular host to a group of excited kiddos, you’ll want to provide plenty of fun activities to keep everyone entertained, happy and distracted from homesickness.
Here are some great sleepover activities for kids that will get them moving and make the party so much fun that they’ll want to come back every week.
Karaoke Dance Party
There’s no need for expensive equipment to transform your home into a stage for your group of superstars to belt out their best performances. Before the party, sit down with your little one to make a playlist of karaoke songs on YouTube. As one of your guests recites the cover of their favourite tunes the other partygoers can join in by dancing along or singing backup vocals.
To up the fun even more, you can give them some props like a toy microphone and dress-up accessories to make them feel like a real diva on stage.
Movie Marathon
We all know no sleepover is complete without a movie marathon, and it’s super easy to organise with an endless list of kid-friendly movies on streaming sites like Netflix, so heat up the popcorn and get the fluffy blankets ready!
If you’re hosting our Harry Potter themed sleepover, why not dig out your wizardry cloak and prepare your guests for a Harry Potter binge. Okay, maybe you won’t have time to watch all of the movies (23 hours!) but you can at least keep the kids entertained for a while.
Keeping things outdoors?
If you’re planning on throwing an outdoor party for your children this summer or you’ve booked our new outdoor glamping experience there are a heap of outdoor party games and activities you can try such as three-legged races, limbo dancing, penalty kick-offs and treasure hunts.
If the weather is warm enough, why not team a water fight with bubble-making? Bubbles are always a party favourite, especially if they’re gigantic bubbles!
To make the bubble recipe just mix these 5 kitchen ingredients;
6 cups of tap water
1/2 cup dish detergent
1/2 cup cornflour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp Glycerine
Muddy Boots Tip: Let the solution sit for at least an hour before using it and give it a little stir every now and then.
Face Painting
Face painting is always a hit at children’s parties. Princesses, superheroes, animals and flowers are always the favourites.
With some creativity, you can transform the faces of your little guests without requiring professional-level painting skills. Although, if you do want to hire a professional face painter we can help you organise one.
Craft Station
If you want to send the kids home with more than just a sugar rush consider setting up a craft station at your party. Getting arty is a great way to keep the kids entertained and provides a fun alternative to giving them party favours.
If you’re hosting a glitzy sleepover party, why not make friendship bracelets? You can keep supplies to a minimal by using multi-coloured ribbons and beads; or, you can really glam it up with a bracelet making kit from Bead Kids. For an extra special touch, buy special charms for each sleepover guest to attach to her bracelet.
Hire an entertainer
With all of the work that goes into planning your kid’s sleepover, you may want to just kick back and enjoy the activities on the day too. It can be an absolute lifesaver to have a professional that takes on the task of entertaining the kids and even when their gone, your work keeping the kids busy can be kept to a minimum.
Some of the best entertainers for kid’s parties include;
Magicians
Princesses (Muddy Boots Sleepovers’ princess parties are super popular!)
Crazy scientists
Balloon artists
Face painters
Some extra tips for organising great sleepover activities:
+ The number of friends your child will have sleeping over should be taken into consideration when organising activities.
+ Make sure your guests come in suitable clothing for the activities.
+ Involve your child in planning the sleepover activities – they know their friends best after all.
Don’t stress too much…
Organising sleepover activities for kids can actually be quite fun! If you choose activities with lots of laughter, silliness and opportunities for social bonding, you’ll reach sleepover perfection every time.
