101 Activities for a Fun and Perfect Sleepover for Kids and Tweens

A Sleepover can often be a nightmare for many parents, aunts or any adult having to set the whole thing up, sending out invites on behalf of the kids, preparing activities that are age appropriate and then spending the whole time at the party to ensure that everyone is having fun. All of these and add in little miniature people running around, it can be quite a handful.

However, there are many ways to ensure an amazing slumber party if you know what you want and can set it up before-hand. So, here are a few fun filled activities that I’ve tried and has always been a hit with my little nieces and nephews. You don’t get to being the fun aunt, unless the kids leave your house in glitter and glow paint, right?

I have been hosting sleepovers for my nieces and nephews since they were little toddlers and some ideas are from the slumber parties they have attended at their friend’s house. There is one thing that every adult hosting a slumber party must understand, what a slumber party for toddlers might include will not be something that is fun for a 7 year old. Hence, I’ve divided the list according to activities for each age group.

Here are 101 Activities for a Fun and Perfect Sleepover:

Sleepover Activities suitable for toddlers:

Slumber parties for toddlers are often than not accompanied by parents or guardians of some sort. Hence, the party is just as much for the adults, than it is for kids. Although, I’m not adding any activities for the adults, do not forget to include adult activities for the parents as well as the children.

1. Bubbles: Get them to blow bubbles or blow bubbles yourself and ask them to pop it. Make it a contest to see who can pop the most bubbles before it hits the floor.
2. Color in it: Print their favorite cartoon character and ask them to color it in and at the end of the party, they can take their colored character with them.
3. Wall Mural: Print a large image over multiple pages or print characters from their favorite cartoons and put them across the wall for a fun mural.
4. Finger paint: Instead of coloring with crayons, you can get your hands dirty with finger paints.
5. Pool party: Set up kid sized pools (easily purchasable) with water and toys such as beach balls and rubber duckies.
6. Dance: Toddlers love to dance so turn on the music and ask them to go crazy. You can even keep a competition to see who can dance the longest or who can come up with the craziest dance move.
7. Sidewalk Chalk: Give the kids chalk and ask them to go crazy on the sidewalk, draw whatever their imagination can conjure.
8. Band: Make the loudest band possible by giving kids musical instruments such as drums, shakers, horns, triangles, etc. If one of the adult has a knack for music, ask them to play along. Sing songs and let the children add their beats to the music.
9. Mystery Fish: Prepare a big box with little gifts that are all wrapped up, make sure the children cannot see the gifts. Prepare a rod with a rope and hook at the end, similar to a fishing line. Make small hooks on the gifts and ask the children to throw their line and try to catch a fish.
10. Freeze Dancing: In addition to just dancing simply, you can also incorporate this freeze dancing competition. Play music for a brief moment and ask the children to dance until the music stops. When the music stops, they have to freeze. If they move, they are out and it continues until there is one winner.
11. Freeze Dance with a Twist: A twist on freeze dancing can be, when the music stops and the children are frozen, the adults must recite a joke or a funny anecdote to get the kids laughing, if they laugh then they are out.
12. Bouncy house: Hire a bouncy house and set it up in the backyard, decorate it with lights so that the kids do not trip over themselves in the dark, let the fun begin.
13. Activity Stations: Set up small activity station, which the kids must complete in order to win. These activity stations can be build blocks, make something from Legos, paint a picture or make something out of clay dough. The kid that finishes first going through all of the stations, wins a little prize.
14. Make your own PomPom pets: Use anything you like: pieces of scrap clothing, colorful pompoms, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, felt, foam, etc.
15. Arts and Crafts: Have small paint projects from painting and decorating pots to mugs.
16. Backyard Adventure: Have a small backyard adventure like Dora or her cousin Diego.
17. Build a structure: Build a structure using boxes or other crazy shaped cartons.
18. Build a ball pit: Get a huge inflatable pool and build a ball pit. Hide gifts or candy in it and ask them to go crazy.
19. Make up a story: Have each player pick an aspect of a story such as plot or character and then make up a story with them.
20. Toilet Paper Roll Crafts: Have the kids create things from toilet paper rolls such as calendars or have them create animals.
21. Pig Out: Put a Vaseline jelly on your nose and try to get as many cotton balls out of the bowl using only your nose.
22. 22. Pass the Orange: Pass an orange or even a ball around in a circle without using your hands.
23. Burglar Alarm: Have someone hide an alarm around the room and have everyone search for it before it goes off. The winner gets a prize.
24. Find the worm: Hide three gummy words on a plate full of whipped cream and first one to find all three gummy worms and eat it wins.

Sleepover Activities suitable for 4-6 year olds:

25. Forts: Build comfortable forts with pillows and drapes. Add lights to brighten it up.
26. Musical Manicures: Musical chairs with nail polish. When the music stops, apply the color in hand on one finger, before passing it around again.
27. Treasure Hunt: Hide little presents around the room and ask the children to see if they can find any or all.
28. Glow in the dark bubbles: Add a twist to simple bubbles by using glow in the dark paint with the bubble solution.
29. Glow in the dark tub party: Add glowing solution (purchasable at craft stores) to a water tub and ask the kids to go swimming in their very own glow in the black light pools.
30. Chinese Whispers: Sit in a circle and whisper a message. See how far the whispers can travel without being contorted.
31. Paper Crepe Maze: Create a maze using crepe paper and see who can pass through without touching the sides.
32. Limbo: Classic event for everyone at a party.
33. Cupcake fondue: A mix of cupcake topping and icings, where everyone can dip their cupcakes into.
34. Water fight: If it is a warm summer evening, then a water fight with balloons or water guns makes perfect sense to cool the kids down for the night.
35. Pin the tiara on the pony or pin the football on the player: Classic game for a slumber party.
36. Talent show: Put on a talent show where everyone showcases their talents for prizes.
37. Fashion Show: Put on a fashion show.
38. Designer Contest: Make your own fashion dress with whatever items you can find, perhaps show off the dress in a fashion show.
39. S’mores bar: Have an s’mores bar where the kids can make their own smores.
40. Night time bowling: Add glow in the dark sticks to water bottles and go bowling in the dark.
41. Water balloon piñata: Fill water balloons with water and small prizes and ask the kids to try and break it in the first try. They get to keep the little prize inside.
42. Saltine Cracker Challenge: Fit as many as 10 saltine crackers in your mouth and try to say something that is asked of you.
43. Marshmallow Challenge: Similar to a saltine cracker challenge, but try stuffing as many marshmallows in your mouth.
44. Straws and cotton: Divide into two teams and each person has a straw. They must pass on a cotton ball from one straw to the other without dropping it.
45. Mini-pie bar: Have the children decide what goes inside their pies and over it.
46. Face full of Gummy Bears: Have a bowl full of whipped cream mixed with gummy bears and try to find as many gummy worms from the bowl as you can without using your hands.
47. Candy Apple Bar: Have the kids dip their apples in whatever they want include caramel
48. Pancake station: Have the kids top their pancakes with crazy toppings such as nuts, fruits and even chocolate.
49. Personalized Jenga: Each jenga block has something written on it and the person that selects that jenga block must do what is written on it.

Sleepover Activities suitable for 7-10 year olds:

50. Costume party: Select a theme and go crazy with it. Ask kids to dress up and come according to the selected theme.
51. Make tents and go camping: DIY tents to give the kids a feel of camping without leaving the house or go camping in the backyard with a fire, tent and s’mores.
52. Juice Bar: Have a juice bar with a variety of juices. They can have their pick or mix them together to make virgin cocktails.
53. Twister with a Twist: Incorporate colorful play dough for a messy twist in twister
54. Make Activity Balloon: Add an activity list for each hour inside a balloon and see how many things you can cross of the list before the hour is up.
55. Scavenger Hunt: Ask the children to decipher clues and see if they can find the ultimate present
56. Personalize pillow cases: Bring fabric paint and ask the kids to make their own fun pillow covers.
57. Glow in the dark lanterns: Have fun together by creating a DIY glow in the dark lanterns, which can later be used as night lights.
58. Laser Tag: Buy some laser tag guns and have a fun filled night tagging each other.
59. Dare or Sing: Classic twist on spin the bottle, the person must pick either one – dare or sing – and do what the slip says.
60. Make your own ice cream: Nothing more fun than selecting the flavors for your ice crème and watching it transform from milk to ice cream.
61. Hot cocoa bar: Make your own hot cocoa and top it with your favorite ingredients.
62. Trivia Night: Set up a trivia based reality show. Some learning, hidden in the fun.
63. Decorate your own t-shirts or caps: Nothing better than wearing your own designer brand.
64. Decorate your own picture frames: Something to keep a picture of the night in to remember always.
65. Scrapbook: Create a scrapbook with pictures from the night. Instant memorabilia.
66. Make up Songs: Make groups and pick items in the room for the others to sing about. They must make up a song regarding the picked topic.
67. Candy Hunt: Hide candy all over the backyard and when it is dark, grab flashlights and go candy hunting.
68. Charades: Pick themes or items and right them down on a piece of paper. Act out whatever the paper says.
69. Murder in the Dark: Select a person who is the murderer and the rest are victims. Turn the light off and the murderer touches a victim, when the light turns on everyone has to guess who the murderer is.
70. Minute to Win it: Select some games that can be completed in a minute and have competitions. The winner gets a small prize.
71. Who am I?: Write names of famous stars on a post-it and put it on your head, have the other people give you clues and try to figure it out.
72. Memory Games: Put random items in a box, show the people what is in the box for 30 seconds and then close the lid. Have them write down all the items in the box they remember. The winner gets a prize.
73. Tasting test: Put blindfold on each player. Cut different food items into small pieces and put them in the mouth and have them guess what the food item is.
74. Pop the balloons: Divide the group into sets of two and give them three balloons. Each set must pop the balloon using any other part of their body but their hands or feet.
75. Balloon Man: Split up in pairs and have one partner wear large, loose clothes. The other person must try to stuff as many balloons as they can inside the clothes. The team with the most balloons win.

Sleepover Activities suitable for 11-13 year olds:

76. Movie Night: Have a marathon of your favorite movies.
77. Tree house: Incorporate the treehouse by sharing scary stories under flashlights.
78. Video game night: For the video game lovers, have a game night and pick games that can be used as competition such as DDR or racing games.
79. Photo Booths: Create a photo booth and take as many selfies or groupies as you want with a fun and funky background.
80. Karaoke: Pick and sing your favorite songs.
81. Mani Pedi Station: This one is for the girls. Create a mani-pedi station and give each other manicures and pedicures over discussion of boys and movies and all topics under the moon.
82. Florescent Party: Have a paint party with glow in the dark body paint. Paint each other and have fun glowing under the black light.
83. Hair Salon: Give each other crazy hair styles or color each other’s hair using chalk.
84. DIY lip gloss: Make your own flavored lip gloss with coconut oil and Kool-Aid. There are also other recipes available online.
85. Spa Night: Create a mini-spa that includes facials, make up and other things you can find at a spa.
86. Horror Night: Have a horror movie marathon, or trying to scare each other.
87. Mini Olympics: Have a mini Olympics with various events and prizes for each winner.
88. Baking night: The little chefs can bake a cake or make cookies.
89. Make your own pizza: Nothing better than a homemade pizza where everyone can choose their own toppings.
90. Buffet: A buffet for their favorite midnight snacks, or movie snacks. Can be a morning breakfast buffet as well.
91. Make your own jewelry: Nothing more time consuming and fun than making your own jewelry that can remind you of the night every time you wear it.
92. Cheerleading night: Watch cheerleading videos and try to learn the moves. Start small.
93. Football night: Watch football plays and try to recreate them. Or any other sport really.
94. Mall Scavenger Hunt: Go to the local mall with a list of items that need to be gathered. Ensure that no items need to be purchased.
95. Makeovers: Give each other a makeover. Take photos.
96. Blind makeup contest: Split up in pairs, each one takes turns to put on a blindfold and try to put makeup on their partner.
97. Ask a Ball: Pick a huge inflatable ball and write questions all over it. Throw it at one another and let the other person answer the question that their right thumb is touching.
98. Hunger Games: Fill a box with everyone’s names. Whoever’s name is called has to eat a disgusting combination of food – ex: chocolate with pickle.
99. No mirror make up: Try to put on make-up without a mirror with the others giving you clues of what to put where.
100. Ice Cream Bar: Put whatever toppings you want on your ice cream and be your own little chef in your ice cream parlor.
101. Make Out, Marry, or Dump: Choose celebrities and ask each other if they would make out, marry or dump that person.

Hope you enjoy these activities at your next sleepover or slumber party. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Which ones have you tried? Which ones are you excited to try next?

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