Organising, never mind actually overseeing a sleepover, can be a hectic and stressful experience. When the dreaded time actually arrives, you need to be equipped with every bit of advice and equipment you can get hold of. To ensure you are as prepared as humanly possible, we have put together a guide on how to host the perfect sleepover for your child.
Preparation
As with basically anything in life, it is essential to prepare properly. Especially when it comes to having a group of raving kids running round your house at breakneck speed. Ensuring you have the contact details of the parents of all the children attending will allow you to pre-empt any homesick guests crying their way through the sleepover with no means of returning home. An awareness of the dietary requirements and medical conditions of your attendees is imperative - it wouldn’t be a great look to hospitalise any of your child’s closest friends. Equally important is setting out clear drop-off and pick-up times for parents. With this knowledge, you can guarantee that you won’t be: 1 - ransacking the fridge and cupboards for something for the kid who turned up two hours after dinner time OR 2 - abandoning someone else’s child on your doorstep because you simply couldn’t afford to miss insert name here’s christening.
Food
Pizza still rules the roost in terms of sleepover grub. Pretty much all kids are fans of it and it is extremely simple to prepare. Of course, kids are likely to get hungry throughout the evening and it is important to have a range of snacks on hand. Sugary high-energy treats are a no-go when lights out are imminent, but you don’t necessarily have to go to the other extreme of carrot and celery sticks either. A range of salty, savoury snacks are a safe bet, they will be well-received by hungry kids and parents looking to get a few hours of sleep.
Entertainment
It is worth having some kind of itinerary planned for the evening’s events - preferably something involving physical exercise if you have even the vaguest intention of getting any sleep whatsoever. Inevitably the form this exercise takes is entirely dependent on the interests and hobbies of your child and their friends. For some, a few hours playing football in the park sounds like a great afternoon, for others a karaoke and dance party sounds far more appealing. Sleepover classics like making a fort, pillow fights (parent-permitting), board games and truth-or-dare are still just as effective at making sure your guests have a fun-filled evening. With a several storage spaces and an exciting medieval themed play area, a steens tent provides the perfect environment for a sleepover.
Sleeping arrangements
Supplying all of the children with everything they need for a sound night’s sleep is the first step. Again, it comes down to preparation, but toothbrushes, pyjamas and sleeping bags are all commonly forgotten items that will cause havoc when it turns out they aren’t actually at hand.Instilling as equal a playing field as possible when it comes to sleeping arrangements is also vital - you want to avoid any arguments over who gets to sleep like a king on the top bunk while the other peasants rough it on the floor.Hopefully you now feel better informed about some of the do’s and don’ts of hosting a sleepover for your child. Do you have other tips that might be useful? Or any horror stories from sleepovers you have hosted?
