How to Host a Slumber Party for Your Little Girl and Her Friends

Little girls love slumber parties. With some forward planning, your daughter can have the sleepover of her dreams, and you can avoid the frustration, spats and hurt feelings that late night parties sometimes involve. Since a sleepover lasts so long, this is a great time for your daughter to step up to the plate and help in planning. Suggest that she write or dictate a schedule for the evening, and also for the morning. You will get clues during this process about what is really important to her. Here are some tips for planning a successful party:



1. Limit the guest list. Inviting the entire class sounds like a great idea, but a sleepover works best with between five and ten girls. Especially if the guests don’t all know one another, a smaller group feels more comfortable. A smaller group is also more likely to settle down later in the evening.



2. Start off with a high energy activity. As guest arrive, everyone’s excitement spikes, with squealing, hugging, and jumping up and down. Once suitcases and sleeping bags are stowed, the girls need an outlet. Now is the time for that trip to the park, scavenger hunt, or game of freeze tag.



3. Put on some music. Enlist your daughter’s help to make a playlist for the party. She will know which songs are popular with her friends. Some dance time makes a great early evening activity. “I Whip My Hair Back And Forth” by Willow Smith is a great one. A CD of the playlist makes a nice memory for her afterwards.



4. Have a girls’ sleepwear contest. This must go on invitations, and you can choose categories like cutest, best animal print, most girly, and so forth. You can organize it like a fashion show, and present the girls nighties as if they are walking down a runway.



5. Have a quiet activity. Hopefully they were active earlier, and are now winding down. A quiet craft like making friendship bracelets or even braiding each other’s hair helps set a new tone. A mellow movie works well at the very end of the evening, especially if the girls all spread out their sleeping bags in front of the TV. A few may even drift off before it is over.



A successful slumber party requires planning and flexibility. Have activities planned, but recognise that if girls sleepwear contest isn’t as exciting as you hoped, you can switch gears to that craft you prepared. Also, realise that no matter how fun, slumber parties can be demanding. The girls will be spending a long time together and some of it when they are overtired. A watchful parent can help everyone remain friends.


For all your party planning needs, shop online. Most of your favourite Australian and international brands now have online boutiques for you to browse and buy heaps of boys’ and girls’ sleepwear with just a few easy clicks!