Some of our happiest childhood memories
involve sleepovers with our friends. This might include sleep-away
camp or a slumber party at our best friend's house. While it can be
fun, you don't need a tree house or a camp site to have an amazing
sleepover for your favorite kids. Plan a sleepover in a fort that can
be built right in your own living room or den.
Before the kids come over, clear out a
room and make plenty of space. Put the furniture on one side of the
room so the kids have the other side to build a fort and engage in
sleepover activities. Tell the kids to bring their sleeping bags,
pillows, toothbrushes and imaginations to the party. This is sure to
get them excited about the possibilities!
Have a Fort Magic kit ready for the
kids to get started when they arrive at your house. After all, they
need time to build the structure they will sleep in that night. Have
the kids decide what type of structure they want to build. If they
can't agree, take a vote to teach them a quick lesson about democracy
and teamwork.
Let the kids be creative and do it on
their own. Stay on the other side of the room to supervise without
micro-managing their efforts. Make sure to be ready to serve snacks
and beverages to the busy workers as they build their sleepover
getaway zone. If a dispute breaks out, encourage them to resolve it
amicably among themselves.
Once the fort is standing, have them
step back and admire their efforts. Take plenty of photos and print
them out for the kids to take home and remember their fun sleepover
in a fort. Let them have flashlights and a game to bring into the
fort and play together. This is also a great time to remind them
about having a last snack and brushing their teeth.
While kids often stay awake late during
sleepovers, they are sure to get tired from building the fort. Plus,
they will have a private place where they can gather together away
from the distractions of the adult world. This is sure to encourage
them to have fun and get some rest after playing together for hours.
If the kids have trouble getting to
sleep, keep plenty of extra warm blankets and pillows on-hand to make
them feel cozy in their fort. You might also want to tell a story to
encourage them to relax. Keep in mind how long you would sleep as a
kid during a sleepover party. It seems there is usually more playing
then sleeping at these gatherings!
When the morning comes, have breakfast
options waiting for all the sleepyheads as they emerge from the fort.
They might want to take funny morning photos to remember the day
after the party started. Share the photos and fort with the parents
as they pick their children up from a really memorable and enjoyable
sleepover party!