How to Plan Fun and Games for a Pre-Teen Sleep Over

The thought of having a group of pre-teens over for a sleep over can be daunting, even to a seasoned veteran of sleepovers. The steps below give you some pointers on how to make that crucial distinction at the start of the evening, while also giving you some great games to play. Follow the steps for a fantastic night of fun, games and possibly no sleep.

Things You'll Need

• Scrapbook supplies (stickers or embellishments)
• Card stock paper
• Scrapping glue or other adhesive
• Baking supplies
• Poster of a teen-idol singer
• Cut-out of microphone
• Sticky tack to put on back of microphone
• Brown paper bags
• Random household items
• Sleeping bags or blankets

Instructions

1. Set the tone for the night within the first few minutes. It is essential to keeping your home in one piece and making the night enjoyable for everyone. Greet each guest as they arrive, making sure to direct them where to place their overnight belongings and establish the fact that you are the parent in charge. Point them to the area you have set up for entertainment.

2. Arrange for an activity to begin as soon as the kids arrive for the night. Your kitchen table can be set up as a craft center, stocked with stickers, embellishments and card stock paper for a fun card making project. Alternatively, the kitchen counter can double as a baker's roost with cookie mix or cake mix waiting to be made. Maintain order, especially in the kitchen, but keep it fun. Move your young guests on to the next activity once you are ready for them

3. Play "Pin the microphone on the singer" by finding a poster of the latest teen-idol singers. These are available in the centerfold of most teen and pre-teen magazines. Tape the poster to the wall and trace a microphone on plane white paper. You can embellish your microphone and make it as detailed or as simple as you like. The game works the exact same way as pinning the tail on the donkey. (See Resources below).

4. Fill brown paper grocery bags with a random assortment of odd household items such as a spatula, a shower cap, pillow, tennis shoe, plastic cup, broken sunglasses. Divide the kids into even groups. Give a bag to each group and let them brainstorm amongst themselves for 15 minutes to create a skit. Using at least five of the items in the bag, have each group perform for the rest of the group.

5. Wind them down and slow the pace of the evening when it is time to relax by playing "Who Is It?" Have one child leave the room while the rest of the children zip themselves into their sleeping bags or cover themselves with blankets. The selected person returns to the room and attempts to guess who is in each sleeping bag or under each blanket. The children in the sleeping bags/under blankets disguise their voices to answer questions like: "what color is your hair?," "what is your favorite food?" and the like.

Resources

• How to play pin the tail on the donkey