Kids playing video games at sleepover

16 Fun Things To Do At A Sleepover

Slumber Party Ideas

Slumber party ideas

Wearable Art That Kids Love

If you’re a parent of a pre-teenager or adolescent, you probably know from experience that slumber parties are a big deal for kids, be it on Halloween, Christmas, during holidays or weekends. They look forward to them for days and often remember them for years. While a slumber party may be a bit of a sacrifice for the adults, regarding lost sleep, diminished privacy, and a disruption of the usual routine, the advantages to your child often outweigh the short-term inconvenience of being woken up by midnight giggling. Slumber parties not only help kids solidify friendships, but they also get to have bedtime rules relaxed for one night.

Most kids enjoy the creativity of crafts, especially if it involves something cool that they can wear, use, or otherwise show off.

A short visit to your local craft store will provide many of the slumber party ideas and supplies you need to keep the kids entertained for an hour or two. But, shopping for your slumber party needs on the Internet can be faster and easier – especially if you start out your search with one or two unique ideas in mind.

T-shirt painting can be a fun idea for a sleepover, but unless your kid’s friends are a bunch of ‘neatniks”, there will probably be a big mess for you to clean up at the end of the evening or tomorrow morning. One solution to that problem is to buy an adequate supply of colorful, non-toxic fabric markers that leave a minimal mess and dry in minutes, rather than hours. If you pick that activity, you might want to consider including some bright neon fabric markers, too, which can make the creative process, even more, enjoyable for the kids.

Virtually No Limit on Possible Slumber Party Themes

Not only can you buy pre-designed, ready-to-color t-shirts, tote bags, and pillowcases with favorite themes, such as sports, music, and camping, but you can also get holiday-themed craft items for a pre-Halloween, Easter, Chanukah, or Christmas sleepover party.

As you can imagine, this concept of creating wearable art does not have to be limited to slumber parties. It’s also a fun thing to do at a birthday party, a camping trip, or as a Girl Scout craft activity. Whether the theme of your planned party is based on pirates, aliens, peace and love, recycling, the Wild West, or ‘girl power’, this unique coloring activity will help make your kids’ birthday or slumber party a significant success.

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Slumber Party Games for Kids

Party games are the perfect way to keep kids entertained and active during any get-together. But don’t wait until the guests have arrived to begin thinking about your party games. In addition to supplies, you may need to purchase, having a firm handle on just how the games are played will help avoid any squabbles that might arise; this misunderstood rules. Because no matter what party games you play, the objective is always the same: To have fun!

When choosing party games for your gathering, keep in mind that not all games are appropriate for all ages. If you have a mixture of younger and older kids, party games that depend on luck rather than skill might be the way to go. And remember that while most kids love a good competition, most also hate to lose. Make sure there are enough games to play and prizes on hand to ensure that nobody goes home empty-handed and feeling like a loser.

Here are our top five picks for out-of-the-ordinary party games for kids, with links to detailed rules for each contest.

Tic-, Tac… Oh No!:

An outdoor version of tic-tac-toe, this party game is played on a grid drawn in chalk on a driveway or sidewalk. Rather than just placing markers on the grid, players must stand behind a line and toss them instead. This ups the ante just a little and introduces an active element to a classic party game.

Hula Hoop Game:

A silly party game that requires players to work together as a team, the Hula Hoop Game is one in which everyone wins or loses together. The object of the game is notably simple: Pass a Hula Hoop around a group of players who are holding hands in a circle. It’s not as easy as it sounds!

Ice Cube Melt:

The perfect party game for a hot, summer day, Ice Cube Melt is a team activity in which the object is to see which team can melt an ice cube the fastest. It’s appropriate for kids of all ages and has only one rule: Someone must be holding the ice cube at all times. Best of all? Everything you need to play can be found right in your freezer!

Capture the Moon:

A variation of tag; this party game is perfect for gatherings that run into the evening hours. With one guest playing the astronaut, the other players try to capture a soccer ball moon while avoiding being ‘tagged’ with a flashlight beam. It’s great after-dark fun for kids of all ages.

Chopstick Pass-Along:

When we speak of slumber party revelries, it’s impossible to skip Chopstick Pass-Along since it’s a great party game that won’t wreck the house. Kids are divided into teams, players try to pass small objects down the line using only chopsticks. Younger players can use spoons instead of chopsticks.

Fun Slumber Party Outdoor Activities For Kids During The Summer

Don’t just encourage your kids to get off their gadgets and play outside on a regular basis… join them! Having some fun in the sun is good for everyone and an excellent way to bond with the kiddos. Check out the creative outdoor activities below and spend the day with your kids outside:

Bubble burst paintings games

Bubble Burst Paintings

It’s no secret that kids love bubbles. Add some color to their bubble blowing and they will be even more excited about them. Stir two tablespoons of tempera paint or 15 drops of food coloring into the ½ cup of bubble solution. Tape a large piece of paper to a fence or between two trees and have your child blow the bubbles against it. Though this activity is more about the process then the finished artwork, kids will love watching the bubbles hit the paper and burst into vibrant circles and splatters.

Day Camp Hula Hoop Hideout

Day Camp Hula Hoop Hideout

You and your kids can play games, read books or have a picnic in these Hula Hoop Hideouts that hang from trees. To make them, pin the top edge of a sheet to the hula hoop by folding a sheet over and pinning it to itself. Create a hanger to tie up the hideout by tying two long pieces of twine to opposite sides of the hula hoop. Decorate the hideout with tulle and ribbons, hang it from a tree branch, add blankets and pillows under your fort and your backyard oasis is complete. See here for more detailed instructions.

Painted rocks fun for kids

Nature Crafts

Combine creativity with nature by using plants, pinecones, leaves and rocks to make artwork. You can decorate pinecones or rocks with glitter and paint or create leaf print paintings by inking a leaf with a sponge and pressing it onto paper in various colorful designs. Get as creative as you like with the help of Mother Nature’s art supplies.

Ice sculpting

Ice Excavating

In this game, kids excavate small toys or objects from the ice with small tools. To play, put small toys or objects in a container such as a metal cake pan, fill it with water and freeze it. Once it’s solid, turn the container upside down and run warm water on the back to let the block of ice become loose. Give your kids their excavating tools and let them get cracking on the ice to free the toys.

Kids playing video games at sleepover

 

Turn Your Slumber Party Into A Video Game Party

PC Games

World of ZooWorld of Zoo:

This game lets players create their own virtual zoos with more creativity than other zoo-simulator games on the market. In addition to the dozens of different species available to choose from, kids can change the colors and fur patterns as well as the shapes and sizes of animal’s body parts with the “animal editor.”

 

 

 

Nancy DrewNancy Drew:

Let your kids put their deductive skills to the test with the Nancy Drew mystery games, where players scout out clues to solve the mystery. We like the Warnings at Waverly Academy edition, where players investigate a fancy-pants prep school and Nancy Drew must go under cover. Recommended for older kids.

 

Cake Mania 3Cake Mania 3:

In this baking-themed adventure game, pastry chef Jill Evans is accidentally zapped through time and space. Players must help her return home by establishing bakeries around the world, helping Jill take orders, bake and ice cakes and keep customers happy.

 

Kids video game slumber party

Wii / Xbox / PlayStation Games

Skylanders SWAP Force Dark Edition Starter PackSkylanders Swap Force:

To play this Skylander-themed game, kids put real toy figurines onto a portal to morph the toy character into the adventure game. This version is special because the toys have swappable parts, so kids can recombine them into new and different superheroes. Recommended for kids ages 10-14.

Lego Marvel Super HeroesLego Marvel Super Heroes:

Combining Legos with Marvel superheroes, this game lets kids play as the Lego version of their favorite Marvel hero or villain. The premise of the game is that when Doctor Doom and the evil Loki take down the Silver Surfer in space by shattering his board and Nick Fury and the Marvel heroes must gather up all the pieces.

 

Disney InfinityDisney Infinity:

With this Disney game, kids can mash together all their favorite Disney characters into one game. To play, kids introduce Disney characters into the virtual world by placing toy figurines onto a portal and choosing between 2 modes of play; a linear adventure with Disney characters inside their movie world or the option to create their own world and populate it with their favorite characters.

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