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Sleepover
Party
The Sleepover/slumber party
is so popular these days that there are a vast number of variations on the
theme. It used to be something that only girls did, theses days it’s very
popular with the boys as well. Many people have asked: “At what age are
children ready for a sleepover”. I think it is very difficult to tell, but as a
parent/carer you know the child in question very well and can probably make a
good judgement call. I would not have a sleep over party with lots of children
as your child’s first ever sleepover, stick-to-one on one for the first time. I
would not normally think a sleepover party would be ideal for children under
the ages of 8-9yrs old.
SLEEPOVERS
Before you throw the event of the season,
here are some helpful tips from experienced parents/carers on how to manage a
houseful of children spending the night. Keep it short: "Overnight" doesn't have to mean all
day, too. For her son's party, Michelle Doney of When: Sleepovers don't have to be on Saturdays. A Friday night party
practically guarantees a sleepy crowd, and best of all, it frees up both
Saturday and Sunday nights for catching extra Z's. Advise
the kids to stay outside until it gets dark to get as much fresh air as they
can before they are crammed in a room with a bunch of other people for the
whole night. Sibling rivalry: If one sibling has a sleepover, I always let
the others have a friend over in their own room, just so no one feels left out.
Settle them in: Don't expect campers to put their sleepy
selves to bed. "I hate it when my daughters stay up all night at other
people's houses, so I set a time to call lights-out and stick to it," says
Lisa Spooner of Grottoes, Food: Set up a "concession stand" in
the room where the kids are watching the movie and give every guest a plate to
load up with popcorn and fun but healthy treats. Try to avoid fizzy drinks and
lots of sugar filled treats as this may keep the children awake for hours. Set the breakfast table: Set up morning goodies in the kitchen the
night before to keep early risers occupied until the household wakes up Alter time: "From my girls' first sleepover until
they turned 9 or 10 and began wearing watches, I used to reset all of the
clocks by two hours. That way, at 10 o'clock, I could say, "It's midnight.
Time to go to bed!'" says Gail Johnson of Let sleeping guests lie: Set out a few board games so the ones
who don't fall asleep right away can quietly keep themselves busy, whilst the
tired ones can sleep. Approve movies for all audiences: Always check with parents ahead of time to see
if there are any restrictions on movies that the girls can watch. Scavenger (treasure) hunts by Lisa Oppenheimer |
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