How to Host a Pre-Teen Birthday Slumber Party

Do you have an adolescent or pre-teen who would like to host a sleepover birthday party, but have no idea where to start? Read below to find tips for hosting a great birthday slumber party for your adolescent or pre-teen.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Plan the invitations. Ask your child who she would like to invite to a birthday slumber party. This list might include school friends and relatives. Set a reasonable limit for the number of kids to invite to the birthday party. Make sure that it is a number that you can manage. Send invitations for the party at least 2 weeks in advance.

2. Plan slumber party activities. Be sure to involve your child in planning the activities for a birthday slumber party. What types of movies would she like to watch? What games should the guests play? Does she want to include a craft activity? What will be the order of activities? Ideas for popular party activities include board games, jewelry making, making sundaes, and scrapbooking. Don’t forget to order the cake!

3. Get parental permission. When hosting a slumber party, find out about food allergies and dietary restrictions, religious considerations, and parent preferences for things like movie ratings. Make sure that you have contact information for the parents of all children who will attend the birthday party.

4. Plan the food. Have your child help to brainstorm ideas to plan the slumber party menu. Consider having pizza for dinner along with cookies, or other fun treats. Next, choose items to have for breakfast the next morning. Waffles, strawberries, and chocolate syrup are popular choices. Always supervise food preparation activities. Again, make sure to ask parents about any food allergies that their children may have.

5. The Birthday Cake. Order a birthday cake that is large enough to accommodate all of your slumber party guests. Decide if you want to give your child birthday gifts from family members during or after the slumber party. Consider making simple "goodie bags" for your birthday party guests to take home.

6. Slumber party games. Ask your child to suggest and explain the rules of games that the girls or boys may be interested in playing during the birthday party. Keep it simple, creative, and fun for all.

7. Movies. Have a lot of movies on hand for a birthday slumber party. Look for movies that are popular with children your son’s or daughter’s age – he or she can help you decide on these. Popular movie choices include High School Musical and The Princess Diaries for girls and the Star Wars movies and Holes for boys. Make sure that the movies are age-appropriate. Watching a movie can be a good “quiet activity” and a way to prepare for bedtime. Be sure to have good snacks to along with the movie.

8. Breakfast. A great breakfast makes a perfect end to a birthday slumber party. Consider having waffles with chocolate syrup, strawberries, whipped cream, and orange juice and hot chocolate. The possibilities are endless. Have fun celebrating! Article text © by urbandill. All rights reserved

Tips & Warnings

• Always supervise the sleepover party. Be a diligent monitor. Know who the children are and do headcounts often. Make sure to check on the kids if the party suddenly gets too quiet or too loud. Check on the kids periodically while they are sleeping to make sure that all are accounted for and safe.
• Make sure to discuss any house rules with your child before hosting the party. Set and manage expectations around behavior.
• Be aware that you may have mediate relationships between the kids. Make sure that all your guests feel included.