Whether your kid has been bugging you to host a sleepover for their friends or vice versa, sleepovers are a fun and engaging way for your kids to have fun with friends and unwind. In the age of constant tech, being able to put their phones down and spend actual time together is a great way to build your children’s friendships even further!
Send “Invites”
Obviously, gone are the days of hand-written invitations your kids would hand to their friends, and they would hand off to their parents for permission to attend. If you wanted to rehash this old relic, you are always welcome to! But for most busy families, it is much easier to send a text or social media message, either from you to the kid’s parents or from your child to their friends. Make sure you decide on how many kids can attend as space permitting, and if your kid is sending out the invitation, that they are sticking to the correct number.
Planning Stages
With the invitations sent and the RSVP’s starting to come in, it’s time to plan out what you will need. Of course, your kids are going to have a say in what snacks, food, and drinks would be the best. Be sure to have a good supply of snacks, and also some warmer fare food, such as bagel bites, pizza, nachos, or other easy meals. Try to include a few healthier snacks just in case, as kids may be willing to eat some cold veggies when it’s on a tray (or with some Ranch dressing for dipping!), or fruit that’s already pre-sliced or ready to pop into their mouths, such as apples, strawberries, grapes, and oranges.
Party Time
Talk with your kids about what fun activities they want to do, whether it’s watching movies, playing video games, or even more traditional games, like cards or board games. Yes, your kids may still be sitting in front of screens all night, but at least there are other people in the room with them! They will still talk and interact with each other in between commercial breaks or potty breaks when the movie is paused! Depending on your kid’s likes and dislikes, they may want to keep the party loose and less organized, letting their friends pick and choose what they want to do. Others may want to have more of a schedule per se, and have a good store of activities planned in case anyone gets bored easily. And don’t forget the popcorn!
Katie Kyzivat