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As a parent of two
children I have heard many times the question "Can I have a sleepover?"
You of course answer "sure" but often with regret. Remember that
sleepovers can help to build friendships, and foster independence.
So follow our helpful hints below and get your sleepover off to a good
start.
NIGHT -- TIME -- NUMBER...
The best night for a sleepover is
Friday. Kids are normally tired from a busy week and it
practically guarantees a sleepy crowd. In addition, it gives
everyone Saturday and Sunday to catch up on their sleep.
Keep the number of guests to
even-number so there is no "odd kid out."
Set a specific time
for pick-up. Sleepover does not mean that the kids stay all day
too. An appropriate time to have parents come to get their child
is 10:00. It is
important to set a time for lights out, let the kids know in advance,
and stick to it. You really do not want them up all night.
Remember they will not put themselves to bed so try turning out the
lights and staying close by for a while to make sure they settle down.
HELP -- ACTIVITIES -- MOVIES...
Consider having teenage
siblings/neighbors/friends give you a helping hand. The girls will
love the attention of the older kids and it will be a big help for you.
Plan some activities that will keep
the kids busy early in the nigh. Remember activities need to be
appropriate for number of kids attending.
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Flashlight tag is
always fun and will keep them outside running for a while.
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Consider doing a
red-carpet walk for a girls party. Purchase red felt at the
fabric store or red tablecloth from the party store and make a red
carpet. Put out a tube of clothes, boas, hats, shoes, gloves--
anything with shine or glitter. Have the girls pick a
famous person and then dress accordingly. Have the girls
walk the carpet -- with microphone in hand interview them and find
out who they are, what they did to be at the awards and who designed
their dress. Be sure to have a video camera ready and rolling.
The movie will be a great thing for them to do later in the night.
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Plan deal or no
deal with a spin. Set up three boxes on a table (vary
the size and wrap in cool paper). You will need the
space to hide your goodies so be sure to cover the table to the
floor. Hide prizes under each box - some prizes should be nice
others should be gag gifts. Have the first person select a box
show them their prize and then you ask if they would like to "deal
or no deal". Give them the option of trading their prize
for another box of YOUR choice -- make it sound appealing.
They get one time to trade and then move on to the next person. Gag
gift ideas: dog's rawhide bone, old sock, work glove, an empty
box of candy etc...
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Karaoke is always
fun -- the kids love to sing.
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Twister is a fun
game for kids of all ages.
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Have them make
their own snack like chocolate covered pretzels or ice cream
sundaes.
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Have them
decorate pillowcases. Hand out felt-tipped fabric pens, and
white pillowcases. Slip cardboard inside each case to keep the
ink from seeping through. Have the kids decorate their cases
and then have everyone sign them.
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Have them make a
no-sew pillow. Compliments of FamilyFun.com
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Making this
cuddly pillow is so quick and easy, it's like performing a magic
trick. What's the secret? Knots. The pieces are tied together
(fleece fabric needs no hemming), which makes this gift simple
enough to complete in an afternoon, and cute enough to give to a
best friend or cousin.
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CRAFT
MATERIALS: Fleece, Scissors, Ruler, Chalk, Fiberfill. Time
Needed about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
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Cut 2 identical
heart shapes from the fleece use coordinating colors. To allow for a
4-inch fringe, be sure to cut the hearts 8 inches larger than you
want your finished pillow. We cut ours 26 inches across and 22
inches long for an 18- by 14-inch pillow.
 On
1 fleece heart, use a ruler and chalk or a disappearing-ink pen to
draw a heart 4 inches in from the edge of the fabric (see
illustration). Measure and draw fringe that's about 1 inch wide and
4 inches long (up to the center heart, as shown).
NOTE: CONSIDER DOING THE FIRST TWO STEPS IN ADVANCE AND HAVE THEM
READY FOR EACH CHILD TO SAVE TIME.
Stack the hearts with your chalk lines on top. Cut the fringe,
through both layers of fleece, stopping at the center heart.
Begin at the bottom point of the heart and tie the top piece of
fringe to the bottom piece by double-knotting them. Continue up the
side of the pillow. At the dip at the top, knot together the top 4
fringes (2 pairs) into 1 double knot to cinch the opening more
tightly. Then go back to knotting just 2 fringes until only 4 pairs
are untied.
Stuff the heart with fiberfill. Tie the remaining fringes. Brush off
any chalk that still shows. Ink lines should disappear according to
the package directions.
 For
a twist on this gift: Try a different shape, such as this lion
pillow. We knotted together squares of orange and yellow fleece and
brought our king of the jungle to life with cord whiskers, and felt
eyes and nose attached with tacky glue. For square pillows, cut off
and discard the corner fringes before you begin knotting
As the night
goes on have some movies available to help settle the kids down.
You can start with their red-carpet movie and then move on to something
that will interest everyone. Click here for our
movie section
and get some great suggestions.
FOOD -- DRINKS...
Pizza or
hamburgers/hot dogs are always safe ideas for dinner.
Have lots of drinks
at their disposal. Purchase the small size juice packs since
many times it will be wasted. Fill a cooler with drinks and
encourage kids to help themselves. Want to have some fun let them
make smoothies or root beer floats.
Make breakfast easy
and kid friendly. Muffins, individual cereal boxes, bagels,
yogurt, microwaveable pancakes, apple/orange juice, and milk.
If it is a birthday
try serving a pancake cake in the morning instead of the traditional
cake at night. Give each person a stack of pancakes and a choice
of maple syrup, chocolate sauce, fruit, or whipped cream.
Add candles and sing!!!
Lastly, enjoy the
time with the kids and realize that you are not going to have a good
nights sleep.
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