How to Host a Sleepover for Boys

Sleepovers aren’t just for teenage girls anymore. Let your son host an overnight party for his friends featuring activities and a full night of snacks and surprises. They’ll soon discover that they can have as much fun as the girls, and then some.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Invitations
• Decorations
• Themed accessories
• Food, snacks and drinks
• Props and prizes for games
• Battery-operated lanterns
• Breakfast foods
• Gift bags

1. Choose a cool theme like sports, safari, Harry Potter, camping or movie night. Send invitations that reflect the theme and include pertinent details like the date, time and location. List anything you’d like the boys to bring like sleeping bags, pillows and pajamas or specialty items like costumes for games or play clothes for outdoor activities. (See Resources)
2. Decorate the room with streamers, signs and Mylar balloons in your son’s favorite colors. Find accessories to suit the party like plastic trees, large stuffed animals, plastic binoculars and pith helmets for a safari theme, for example. (See Resources)
3. Allow the boys to complete an outdoor activity, if possible. A scavenger hunt around the neighborhood or relay races and obstacle courses in the park will help them burn energy before heading indoors for the night. Ask a few parents to help supervise the boys during this portion of the party.
4. Serve interactive foods like a build your own nachos bar or a hot dog station with an assortment of condiments. Offer snacks like popcorn, fruit chunks and vegetables with yogurt, chocolate or ranch dip. Make desserts like cookies that reflect the party theme or sundaes made to order to accompany the birthday cake. Provide milk, punch, fruit juice and water throughout the event.
5. Organize an indoor game like a pretend bug hunt. Give each boy a magnifying glass, small bug-catching net and bag. Hide several plastic bugs around the house and award a prize to the boy who “catches” the most. Boys can also complete a craft like using finger paints, foam shapes and markers to decorate foam picture frames.
6. Design activities to help the boys wind down before bed like playing video games, trading cards, watching a DVD or telling scary stories.
7. Arrange the room where the boys will “sleep” by placing sleeping bags in a starburst pattern so they can continue to talk and tell stories. Leave nightlights on in the hallway or give the boys battery-operated lanterns in case they need to find their way to the restroom.
8. Fix a simple breakfast in the morning of scrambled eggs, toast and frozen waffles or offer a selection of fruit and pastries. As they’re eating, give each boy a gift bag filled with goodies like a gift card to an ice cream parlor, a bug catching set, puzzles or chewy fruit snacks.

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