Sleepovers are more fun if you plan them out. Look around Fit For A Feast for party games, party foods, even crafts. Sleepovers are best if they start just before dinner and end just after breakfast the next day. Make sure you check for food allergies before you get all the stuff! Just invite friends you know will go along & not more than you have room for – 8 is usually max anyways. Don’t forget to tell the others to bring their pillows, sleeping bags, pyjamas, clothes for the next day and wash-up stuff. Let everyone know if there is a theme, so they come prepared.
To avoid sleep-next-to fights, why not have everyone sleep in a circle with their heads towards the middle. Just make sure your heads aren’t too close so you don’t bang them together! Make sure they know all your parents’ rules too – you don’t want this to be your last sleepover party! Usually parents don’t like it if there is any ganging up, crank or non-emerg calls, no leaving without telling them, no fights, etc.
Set a time for lights out so everyone knows it ahead of time. Usually, it takes a half hour or longer for the chatting to stop afterwards, but hey – that’s half the fun! Make sure everyone knows where the bathroom is (leave a night light on – if possible) and it’s not a bad idea for them to bring their water canteens or water bottles with them when they go to bed – just in case they get thirsty in the night. You might want to set out the rules for first up too – wakes everyone? Waits quietly? Goes into the living room?
A fun last game before lights out is guessing who is in the sleeping bag. Either send someone out of the room (like the birthday girl) or play this on the last person to go wash up. Everyone picks a sleeping bag and climbs in so they can’t be seen. The person coming back in has to guess which guest is in which bag by asking questions – you are NOT allowed to ask their names! Players are totally allowed to disguise their voices. Once she guesses correctly, that person can come out of their bag & the game continues till the last person is left.