My OperaUnique Slumber Party Games for Kids of All Ages
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 2:42:37 PM
Slumber parties, well great fun for the kids, can be a lot of work for you as the hosting adult. Not only do you have to make sure your house is presentable and child friendly, but you also have to prepare food and do some planning to keep everyone occupied.
Food is a big part of the night. You'll need to get plenty of snacks together for the evening. These can include pretzels, mozzarella sticks, cookies and chips. You'll also need drinks, but to keep the hyper-activity levels down you'll want to stick with those drinks that are low in sugar, such as water and milk. Juices often contain a fair amount of sugar, so you'll want to save those for the morning, along with things like toast, peanut butter and jelly, and pancake mix.
So, once you have your menu planned, it's time to move on to the entertainment. A few slumber party games can go a long way toward making your party a night to remember.
Friendship Bracelets
This is a great, low-key way to cement friendships and start off the night right. Get some embroidery thread in different colors, and show the kids how to make friendship bracelets. First, start off with six strings, about 10 inches long, for each bracelet. Second, tie a knot at one end and then group the strings two by two. Now you'll start braiding, making sure that one third of the way down you switch the pairings, so that you get a pattern. Switch again when you get another two-thirds of the way down. Finally, when you are almost all the way to the end of the threads, tie a know. And there you have it! Now all you have to do is have the kids pass the bracelet that they made to the child on their right, and everyone will get a token of friendship.
Stuffed Animals Game
This will require a little planning ahead. Ask each child (and their parents) to bring their favorite plush toy to the party. Make sure that you have a couple of extra teddy bears on hand, because you never know if someone will forget theirs. Take each child's stuffed animal, and put it in a large bin. Then each kid will be blindfolded and have 20 seconds to go through the bin and find their toy by touch. At the end of the game, celebrate their success with some milk and cookies. This is a great game because there are no losers!
Decorate Your Pillowcase
What could be a better activity for a slumber party then decorating a pillowcase? You'll need to gather some items for this one: plain white pillowcases, paint, stickers, glitter, and markers. Have each child decorate one of the cases in any theme they desire. This is a great arts and crafts project that really lets the imagination roam free, and it allows the kids to bring home a fun souvenir from the party!
Lullaby Game
Now it's time to calm the kids down so that they'll go to bed. The plushies they brought earlier for the bin game will make a great tool. Have all the kids put their stuffed animals to bed, and tell them that they need to sing a lullaby to their toys so that they go to sleep! You can have them sing alone, or together. When they get done singing, tell them that they have to be quiet now so that their plush toys can fall asleep. And there you go! Everyone's asleep and ready for another great day tomorrow, and your party's a success!
Food is a big part of the night. You'll need to get plenty of snacks together for the evening. These can include pretzels, mozzarella sticks, cookies and chips. You'll also need drinks, but to keep the hyper-activity levels down you'll want to stick with those drinks that are low in sugar, such as water and milk. Juices often contain a fair amount of sugar, so you'll want to save those for the morning, along with things like toast, peanut butter and jelly, and pancake mix.
So, once you have your menu planned, it's time to move on to the entertainment. A few slumber party games can go a long way toward making your party a night to remember.
Friendship Bracelets
This is a great, low-key way to cement friendships and start off the night right. Get some embroidery thread in different colors, and show the kids how to make friendship bracelets. First, start off with six strings, about 10 inches long, for each bracelet. Second, tie a knot at one end and then group the strings two by two. Now you'll start braiding, making sure that one third of the way down you switch the pairings, so that you get a pattern. Switch again when you get another two-thirds of the way down. Finally, when you are almost all the way to the end of the threads, tie a know. And there you have it! Now all you have to do is have the kids pass the bracelet that they made to the child on their right, and everyone will get a token of friendship.
Stuffed Animals Game
This will require a little planning ahead. Ask each child (and their parents) to bring their favorite plush toy to the party. Make sure that you have a couple of extra teddy bears on hand, because you never know if someone will forget theirs. Take each child's stuffed animal, and put it in a large bin. Then each kid will be blindfolded and have 20 seconds to go through the bin and find their toy by touch. At the end of the game, celebrate their success with some milk and cookies. This is a great game because there are no losers!
Decorate Your Pillowcase
What could be a better activity for a slumber party then decorating a pillowcase? You'll need to gather some items for this one: plain white pillowcases, paint, stickers, glitter, and markers. Have each child decorate one of the cases in any theme they desire. This is a great arts and crafts project that really lets the imagination roam free, and it allows the kids to bring home a fun souvenir from the party!
Lullaby Game
Now it's time to calm the kids down so that they'll go to bed. The plushies they brought earlier for the bin game will make a great tool. Have all the kids put their stuffed animals to bed, and tell them that they need to sing a lullaby to their toys so that they go to sleep! You can have them sing alone, or together. When they get done singing, tell them that they have to be quiet now so that their plush toys can fall asleep. And there you go! Everyone's asleep and ready for another great day tomorrow, and your party's a success!
