Slumber parties are INTENSE. But in-tents, they don’t have to be hard! See what I did there? It’s an irresistible pun…
#slumberpartiesareintents.
Oh the excitement of a slumber party! Doesn’t it just bring back all the feels?! Staying up late and giggling with your besties. Creating that feeling inside is just as much fun. So here’s the thing, I want to create a place for you to come and get some tips that can ensure a great slumber party, the CRATE PARTY way. There is something really magical about sleeping in tents with your friends. Camp fire stories and goofy songs and of course S’mores. I was a Girl Scout and loved camping…and still love camping! Like the for real camping in tents, outside, in the wild and yes, I do bring twinkle lights and an outdoor rug, LOL! All husbands cue the eye roll.
If you’re like me, you may have this temptation to over plan, like waaay over plan the whole night. That’s cool, I get it. Honestly, I’ve learned to just have a couple of key things planned. Then let the kids do their thing and keep a couple ideas in my “back pocket” in case things go sideways.
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What are the key things? A game or two to start things off and get kids bonding and giggling, like an icebreaker, it can help set the group dynamic. Especially if you have a wide range of personalities on the guest list! Scavenger hunts or treasure hunts for the adventure seekers, charades, would you rather or pictionary for the light hearted. The great thing about these… is you can MAKE them for FREE. There are tons on Pinterest!
Another festive way to greet your guest as they arrive, is to serve a refreshment for them! These cute disposable flutes can be made and chilled in advance. I had strawberry, chocolate and plain milk as options. I bet you can guess what everyone mostly chose:) I copied this idea from a very good friend of mine who shared her recipe with me and I will share with you. You can find a great disposable option here.
Got to bottom of post for details on making these cute milk cups.
The second key thing is the wind down activity. This, my friend, is THE key. Wind down before movie. I create custom colorable pillows and pillowcases that double as an activity and favor. These can be special ordered with your party, but you can come up with a number of wind down activities. The key is before the movie. I would go as far as to say that for certain types of personalities, craft time would not always work as the wind down activity. For some creative types, like me, it can get the mind actually sparked, engaged and inspired which is the opposite of wind down.
Another tip I have learned is either before the movie or after the movie, but when the mood is calm… Take the girls who are new to sleepovers or the ones who have never slept over at your house on a little night time tour. Everything looks different at night to kids, so show them the bathroom closest to where they are sleeping and leave the light on. We have stairs, so I take the girls down them turning on lamps explaining that I would leave these lights on all night. Walk through the kitchen and turn on the refrigerator light. Lastly show them exactly where you would be sleeping in case they need you. Playing at your house during the day and sleeping at your house at night are two very different experiences.
Want another fun fact? This may shock you, but do you know that a lot of girls still like a bedtime story or two. Yes, even with their friends around;) Last summer, for my daughter’s 9th birthday, we did a big roller skate themed slumber party. I had made each girl a colorable roller skate pillow with each guest’s name on their skate pictured here:
After they had colored their pillows they watched the cute movie Ugly Dolls that had just come out. A couple of girls had already fallen asleep but the rest asked for a bed time story and a bed time prayer. I’m not gonna lie, I got kinda teary. I wasn’t expecting that and I was incredibly happy to to read to them and pray with them.
Enjoy!
These fancy drinks would also be adorable with breakfast and a Donut Wall or breakfast bar!
Want more party favors, candy buffets, awesome balloons, balloon garland kits and piñatas shop my link here!
I would also LOVE to hear from you about tricks and slumber party hacks you’ve discovered. Nikki Socha, Owner and Creator of Crate Party LLC