The time has come. You have agreed to let your child invite their friends to your home for a sleepover. Now, you need to figure out how to keep a group of kids entertained for the night. There’s no need to start having a panic attack. It can be easy if you break down the activities a bit. If you need help with how to keep the kids occupied, we have a list of things to do at a sleepover, no matter what age group, so everyone is tuckered out by bedtime.
Food-related activities
Make your own pizza
Who would say no to pizza? Making your own pizza at home is easier than it seems. This way, each child can create their own. You know they will eat the whole thing because kids who help cook are more likely to eat the food. You could use English muffins, flatbread, mini bagels, or whatever else as the base and let the children pick their toppings.
Put together themed charcuterie boards
From holiday to movie themes, let the kids pick out what kind of charcuterie board they want to create and gather the ingredients. Children are so creative, and everyone will love to see what the finished projects look like. You could turn it into a contest and have everyone vote on their favorites, but any activity where you get to eat at the end is a winner for everyone.
Make baked goods
Have you been meaning to make those cookies for weeks? Well, make it a fun activity for the kids to do at the sleepover. Children love to bake and be in the kitchen, and it boosts their self-esteem, but the best part is everyone gets to enjoy the baked goods. If you have any of those themed cookbooks, let the kids pick out a couple of things to bake from there.
More relaxed activities
Dust off the board games
Board games never go out of style. You could make it a retro night and play games like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, or Mouse Trap. It doesn’t matter how old the kids are, when someone brings out Hungry Hungry Hippos, everyone is out to win.
You could keep it funny and play games like What Do You Meme, Would You Rather, or Cards Against Humanity. They make family editions and have kid-friendly packs, so you don’t have to worry about those inappropriate cards.
Have a bookish sleepover
Depending on the age of the kids, you could do this a few ways. You could have a story time with the children’s favorite books, have the children bring their favorite books to read, or have the group all read the same book.
Make it special by playing the show or movie version of the book, have the kids dress up as their favorite character, or serve themed foods (or just call them by themed names). If you have time to go above and beyond, print out or look up questions for the kids to discuss at the end of the night.
Decorate a wearable item
An easy way to keep the kids entertained is to have them create a masterpiece. You could get solid socks or shirts and have them use paint, fabric markers, or puffy paint to decorate. You could always ask the kids if they have a shirt, shoes, or other clothing item from home that their parents wouldn’t mind them decorating. If the weather is nice, take this one outside with a drop cloth for easier cleanup.
Drain-the-energy activities
Do a dance party
Kids love to dance, and parents love activities that tire the kids out. Let the kids make a (parent-approved) playlist, and let the children dance their hearts out. You could grab glow-in-the-dark bracelets, necklaces, sticks, and other items and turn it into a glow-in-the-dark dance party.
Have a scavenger hunt
Oh, the joy parents get from watching their kids do an Easter egg hunt shouldn’t be a once-a-year thing. Create a scavenger hunt for the kids, no matter what age you’re hosting. You could hide little trinkets, toys, or candy around the house and outside for the kids to find by solving clues or do an Easter egg hunt-style thing. Let the kids use their minds and run around looking for the prizes so they are nice and tired for bed.
Sing it out
Whether you do true karaoke or put a playlist on and let the kids perform to their favorite songs, getting the group to perform to their favorite songs gets everyone in a good mood. You could let them do performances with costume changes or come up with dances, or put the music video on in the background and let each person sing along.
You don’t have to go broke creating any of these activities. Chances are, you may have a good portion of the items already around your house or could create them easily with a trip to the dollar store. And don’t be shy about asking the other parents for supplies. Many times, if they don’t have to be the one to host, they will send their child with whatever you need. No matter which things to do at a sleepover you choose to try, the kids will have a blast, and they’ll make lots of fun memories.
