Food

• party food image by Bartlomiej Nowak from Fotolia.com
  
  Think about the types of food the children coming to the party like. Pizza, chips, popcorn, soda and ice cream are all popular slumber party foods. You will need food to feed the children dinner, late night snacks and breakfast. Children love having a special breakfast like doughnuts, French toast or pancakes. Let the child hosting the party help decide the types of food you will have. Be aware of any allergies the children attending may have, if someone is severely allergic to a food it is best not to have that food available.
  
  

Activities

• Slumber parties are held for children old enough to stay away from their parents for the night. This age range generally does not need organized activities to entertain them. However it is a good idea to have a few planned activities to keep the party upbeat. Craft projects are always a great way to start a party. Children can begin working on the project as the other guests show up. Give the children each a plain pillowcase with fabric markers to decorate. This is not only a fun activity but also great party favors. After the craft project is complete organize a game for the children to play. Children can play charades; cut up pieces of paper with actions written on them. Have the children take turns acting out the words while the rest of the children guess the word. After playing charades the children can entertain themselves by playing board games or socializing. Later have several age-appropriate movies for the children to choose from. They will probably watch more than one movie at night.
  
  

Other Considerations

• Children are not always comfortable staying the night at someone else's house. Be prepared for late night phone calls to parents to pick up their children. Make sure you have all the parent's phone numbers. Also be prepared for little sleep. Most children stay up late at a slumber party. Let the children know in advance your expectations for their behavior, i.e., no late night phone calls, go to bed at a certain time, include everyone. Many parents have different rules about the rating of movies their children are allowed to watch. Consider this when selecting movies. Also it is best to set a pick-up time for the next morning in advance. Remember the children will probably sleep in after a late night.