Kids Parties: The Sleepover

As birthday party venues go, you may not feel that your living room qualifies. However, sleepovers are kids parties favourites so don't discount it out of hand. Like everything, it is easy with the right advance planning. Find out whether your child wants to invite the whole class or just best friends. This will give you an idea of where to start with the sleeping arrangements. Will you need to allocate separate rooms for girls and boys? Do you have enough beds for them all or would you and your child prefer it if everyone slept together on the living room floor?

If you would prefer all the children at the party to sleep in beds (as opposed to the floor), then how many beds do you have? Any sort of bed will do - in fact, the more variation the better. Roll out, camping, blow up or bean bag, the kids will have fun choosing the unusual sleeping arrangement they will use...other parent's camping and blow up beds...If you are happy to have them sleeping all together, then it is often simplest to clear a room as much as possible for the revelry; spreading blankets and duvets over the floor for a 'base' as soon as a few of the children start to look sleepy. Ask each child to bring blankets, their duvet and pillows from home. This is a good way to keep all the mess within a single space and allows each child to sleep in somewhat familiar surroundings.

Once you have decided on the numbers, you will know how much childrens birthday party space will require decorating. It is well worth making the children's beds enticing and party themed too, even if the festivities will be focussed in the living rom. For example, tie balloons to bed legs and leave party themed gifts on pillows. In case they succumb to sleep prior to the mandatory midnight feast, hang a 'Do/Do Not Disturb for midnight feast,' sign on the end of their bed. It will make them feel better about not missing out!

Living rooms as kids birthday party venues: It is easier than you think to transform your living room into a perfect space for your kids parties. You can start with the fun of decorating as soon as you've decided on a theme for the bash. For theme and decoration ideas, look online or ask your local librarian - some party makeover effects are much easier to achieve than you might think. The first thing to do is move the furniture out of the room completely or to the walls. It is always best to start decorating from the top down: hanging balloons, streamers, sheets, blowup toys or fairy lights from the ceiling can dramatically transform the feel of the room so that even your own child feels like his birthday party is an 'out of home' experience.

Think of a few themed games that can be played within the childrens party venue space. Pin the skull on the crossbones could be substituted for the traditional, 'Pin the tail on the donkey,' if there is a pirate theme or musical chairs could be done using piles of cushions with a pea at the bottom if you've a houseful of princesses. Whatever your child's chosen theme, the oldies are the goodies so just adapt them to your kids party. Don't forget to organise an abundance of food and games to keep them occupied until....

Movie time: Again, choose a movie that fits the party theme. It is best to get the children into pyjamas while you are setting it up and use this opportunity to lay blankets and duvets on the floor so they can fall asleep comfortably.

Using your home as the Birthday Party Venue and holding a sleepover for your childrens birthday party is all relatively easy. A little advance planning and it will provide a night that won't be forgotten in a hurry. Just don't fall asleep before you've woken them all up for the midnight feast!!


------

Sara Leadbetter is a Business Advisor specialising in Internet Marketing and working with the Children's Birthday Party Venues across New Zealand including Lollipops Playland Ellerslie.  This article is related to her work with Lollipops Playland in Ellerslie, New Zealand.