Once your kids pass the stage of mega parties in a village hall or crazy soft play run arounds, they tend to want smaller celebrations with their closest friends. My eldest turned 9 last month and was absolutely set on having a sleepover party with 4 of his best mates. We were so lucky to have the wonder Little Cotton Tents create their super cool Base Camp theme in the lounge.
When I was a kid, a slumber party just involved sleeping bags on the floor but these days the sleepover craze has gone super special.
The trend started in America with specialist companies popping up to create magical slumber set ups. In the UK big name stars have had parties for their kids including Tess Daly who’s party was set up by Sleep Under Parties.
Magical Sleepover Party Set Up
You could sling to together some camping mats and a few sleep bags but the sleepover party tent hire companies really do create the most amazing set ups. You choose a theme and any extras and then they come to your house, set it all up and come back the next day to take it away. Simple!
Slumber Party Themes
- Unicorns
- Football
- Explorer
- Pamper Party
- Witches & Wizards for Harry Potter lovers
- Emoji
- Colour theme
I asked a few sleepover party providers what their favourite and most popular themes were for a slumber party.
- Boho – it’s so pretty! (Sleepover Party People)
- Rockstars, I think because it’s gender neutral and brings a pop of colour and fun into your living room (Canvas & Stars)
- Unicorns was the initial favourite but more recently the mermaid and Blue Metallic themes have been just as popular! There’s an exciting new theme coming soon. (Little Cotton Tents)
Don’t forget some fun accessories. The Sleepover Party People said their favourite accessory is their midnight feast kit. Canvas & Stars love their disco light! Little Cotton Tents said all the lovely cushions and a faux fur rug!! So cosy!
What to do at a Sleepover Party
I warn you now, you’re not going to get much sleep and the excitement among the kids is high! Here are a few activities and games for a slumber party.
- Movie Night – make some fresh popcorn, select a movie and snuggle up with the latest film.
- Video Games – dig out any old games consoles you have or borrow from friends and have a retro video games night.
- Board Games – interactive games like Pictionary are great fun. You could even get some flip chart paper and go for super sized drawings.
- Karaoke Dance & Disco – crank up the music and hit the lounge floor.
- Pamper Party – put together some little pamper packs for each guest with a face mask, nail varish (if you dare).
- Baking – why not bake and decorate your own mini cupcakes.
- Pizza Party – buy pizza bases and toppings and then let the kids make their own pizzas. That’s dinner sorted too. If you’re arranging a super duper massive sleepover in a hall then you could always have Velo Pizzeria come along. They do fab make your own pizza parties or they could just do it all for you.
Top Tips for a Sleepover Party
I asked the experts what their top tips are.
- Plan and prepare as much as possible in advance. (Sleepover Party People)
- Have plenty of supplies in – they seem to eat a lot (Little Cotton Tents)
- Keep your food choices simple to cook! Have a few back up activities up your sleeve for the younger guests. (Sleepover Party People)
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Don’t plan too many activities as the children are often happy entertaining themselves for most of the evening. Parents who do have lots of plans usually don’t get around to doing them all. (SleepUnder Parties)
- Have a couple of film options available (Little Cotton Tents)
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Don’t have unrealistic expectations for the amount of sleep the children will have and don’t stress about it. It’s just one (very special) night! It’s rarely as bad as you expect anyway. They’re all so exhausted from the excitement! (SleepUnder Parties)
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Make sure you measure the area you plan to use before booking your party so you know how many tents you have space for. (SleepUnder Parties)
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