How to Host a Sleepover

Co-authored by Sarah McDonald

Last Updated: December 7, 2024 Approved

When you're a kid, one of the most fun and exciting things you can do is to host a sleepover. The hard part is making a plan and ironing out all the details. Once your friends arrive, as long as you have some fun ideas up your sleeve, you'll be on your way to having a fun and unforgettable night. If you want to know how to host a sleepover this is right for you!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making a Plan

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1
Think of a fun theme for your sleepover. People often have a sleepover for their birthdays or just because they feel like having some friends together. However, if you want to be creative and get wacky props and costumes in the mix, then you can consider having a more elaborate theme for your sleepover party.^{[1]
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Research source} Here are some fun examples you may want to try out:
- A different time period themes, such as the 80s, the 70s, or the 60s
- Crazy hair day
- Backward day
- Dressing up as your idols
- Western day
- Hawaiian day
- Think Pink day
- Pop-Star day
- Twilight day
- Harry Potter day
- The Clique day (based on a book)
- Chocolate or a vanilla party based on what you like
- A tea party
- Play hide and go seek or sardines
- Dog day (you can dress as your favorite animal)
- Everyone dressing as their favorite celebrity
- A holiday theme like Easter, Valentine's Day, or Christmas.
- A Movie Night
- Divergent Day
- Backyard or indoor camp out (Sleep in a tent in the backyard or living room)
- Spa treatments
- Planning is essential.
- You should be very certain about the events you have coming up.
- Then you can decide what to wear.
2
Decide on your guest list. Talk to your parents about the maximum number of people they will let you invite to your sleepover. Typically, sleepovers have around 2-8 guests, but it depends on what you're going for. Invite people who you want to hang out with, who make things more fun, and who will get along with each other. Also, try not to hurt any feelings by not forgetting someone in your group of friends.^{[2]
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Research source}
- If you have a shy friend who doesn't know anyone else, you have to decide if that person will actually have a good time, or if you will spend the night worrying about including the person in all of your games. Try to invite people that know each other, so they will enjoy with each other and feel more comfortable.
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3
Write and send out the invitations. You can mail your guests, use email, call, text, use Facebook, or even tell them in person. Also, try looking for invitations that fit your party theme, so people get a general sense of what the party is about. Remember to include any special information, like what the guests may want to bring. Tell your friends in private, so other people don't feel left out.
- You should tell your guests what time to arrive and around what time they should leave. Some people actually like to keep hanging out the next day until they get bored, but if you have something to do or your parents want them out of the house at a certain time, you should mention it in the invitation. You can also let them know if you'll be serving breakfast at a certain time.
- It doesn't have to be so formal, either. If you just want to call each friend and tell them about it, that's fine, too. It's all about how much effort you want to put in.
- If you want to make nice online invitations, you can check out a website like Paperless Post. They'll charge you a bit for each invitation, but not as much as you'd have to pay for most fancy paper invites.
- Don't be disappointed if some of your guests can't make it. Some parents don't let their kids sleep over other kid's houses.
- Reader Poll: We asked 212 wikiHow readers who've hosted guests, and 54% of them agreed that having a specific end time for the event is helpful for people to know what to expect. [Take Poll]
4
Get all of the party supplies you need. Sit down and make a list of everything you'll need to make the sleepover a success. Don't forget food, dinner, snacks, breakfast, movies, soda, decorations, or anything else you might want. Be sure to check in with your guests about whether or not they have any food allergies, or if they are vegetarians.
- You'll probably need to go with your parents to get the stuff you need. In general, get a little bit more than you expect to need, so you don't run out of food or treats for your guests.
- If you plan on having your guests stay for breakfast, then you should also plan to make sure you have some breakfast food, such as pancake mix and fruit, ready and waiting.
- If you plan on playing any games you don't have, then make sure to buy them or to have a friend bring one over.
- If you want to watch a movie, have it ready in advance.
5
Make a plan for keeping your siblings busy in advance. You may have a younger brother or sister who wants to hang out with you during your sleepover, but you may just want to hang out with your friends and do your own thing. If this is the case, then you should talk to your sibling about letting you have some time with your friends in advance. You can even promise to do something in return, like hanging out with your sibling one-on-one the next day.
- If you can plan it so that your siblings are away with other friends during your sleepover, then even better!
Once your friends RSVP to your parties, you can check in with them to make sure that they aren't allergic to animals if you have any; if they absolutely can't be around pets, then they should know that they won't be able to make it. Most people who are allergic to pets have allergy medication that can help, so letting them know in advance could save the night for them. Some people also have allergies to certain foods, such as peanuts, so check in with them in advance about this so all of your guests stay healthy.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Hosting an Awesome Sleepover

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Be polite when your guests arrive. They will most likely come in with their parents, so be friendly to them and show them that you're a nice kid with a nice home. Tell your friends where to hang their coats, where to put their shoes, and where to put their sleeping things. Ask if they would like any food or drink. Give them a tour of the house if they are unfamiliar with it. Be sure to mention the places they can and cannot enter. Show them where the bathroom is, too!
2
Prepare the food. If you (with the help of your parents) already picked up some food to eat and make, such as hot dogs and hamburgers, then you should make the food if the guests arrive around dinner time. Don't leave people standing around hungry. You can offer them soda or snacks, like chips and salsa or guacamole, while you're waiting. You can also order pizza in, which is pretty commonly done at sleepovers, or even order Italian food, Chinese, or even Thai food if that's what your friends like.
- Make sure to keep snacks, such as chips, vegetables, and dip, or pita and hummus around so the guests have something to snack on while you get ready to order food.
- For sweets you could make cookies, brownies, cupcakes, go to the store and buy lots of sweets and popcorn because people always get hungry.
- Make sure you have enough soda for everyone to drink, as well as the option of water, orange juice, or other beverages for people who don't like fizzy drinks. If you don't want people to get hyper and stay up all night, you can limit the caffeine intake later.
If your friends like listening to Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, or whoever is popular in your friend group, then put on some music and enjoy the great tunes. Get silly and dance around for a bit — you'll probably need to burn some of the energy you got from all of that food and soda! You can even have a dance off if you want to get fancy.
Pillow fights are fun, exciting, and high energy. They normally happen spontaneously, so if you're in the mood to have one, just start gently hitting one of your friends with a pillow and wait for the fun to begin. You should first get down to where everyone's things are so that everyone has a pillow to throw. Just be careful not to hurt anybody and to make it clear that you're just playing around.
5
Play video games. If you and your friends like to play Wii or other video game systems, then you should make sure your guests bring their remotes in advance so as many people as possible can play. Just make sure to keep things light and not too competitive. If you notice that people are starting to feel left out, then you can do something else. Remember that not everybody likes or wants to play video games, and you don't want to leave out your less tech savvy friends.
- Check out more ideas for things to do at a sleepover on wikiHow’s “Ideas for things to do at a sleepover?" forum page.
You want to remember the night! You could even have a mini photoshoot with your friends. Bring out your camera or your phone camera and start snapping pictures of you and your friends doing silly things. You can even bring out some ridiculous costumes and old clothes and goof off while wearing those. If your parents are still up, you can ask one of them to take a picture of all of you so you have a group photo.
Be respectful of the guests who want to go to bed earlier. Not everyone may want to stay up until two or three in the morning, so you should let the people who want to sleep get some rest. If everyone else is being loud, you can even let the guest sleep in your bed or in a different part of your house so he or she isn't bothered. Get permission from your parents in advance.
Play some fun night-time games, like Truth or Dare, or Pop Goes the Party. Games are a fun way to enjoy a sleepover. Make sure the games are easy to follow and don't take that long to play.^{[3]
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Research source} For example, Monopoly is a great game, but it takes too long to play it; pick something that is better for the attention span of you and your guests.

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Our Family Plays Games, LLC is a family-owned business based in Omaha, Nebraska. Launched in 2018, their mission is to promote growth and awareness of the modern board game hobby and bring more BIPOCs and families into the board game community. In June 2020 they were featured on Good Morning America and have since been featured on NBC News Online, Senet Magazine (UK), Ligadas.com (Brazil), a variety of YouTube programs, podcasts, and on local television. In January of 2022, they launched a second program on their channel, called OFPG Voices to highlight other underrepresented voices in the hobby. In addition, they make special appearances at board game conventions all around the country and work with board game publishers from around the world.

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Board games bring joy and connection. Board games are a great way for families and friends to spend time together, cultivating shared experiences and memories. We've even found community virtually through online board game nights on Zoom. If you are looking for something to do, dust off your favorite games!
9
Tell scary stories. Get a flashlight and take turns telling ghost stories.^{[4]
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Research source} You can even think of a scary story in advance, or tell all of your guests to come prepared with one. Whoever tells the scariest story can win a prize. Just make sure none of your guests are too freaked out; not everyone likes to be scared or to be in the dark.
- If you have a shy friend who doesn't know anyone else, you have to decide if that person will actually have a good time, or if you will spend the night worrying about including the person in all of your games. Try to invite people that know each other, so they will enjoy with each other and feel more comfortable.
10
Watch a movie. Watching a movie or TV is another great thing to do at a sleepover, but this should be done later in the night after you've burned some of your energy and just want to lie down and be entertained. It would help to decide on a movie in advance, whether you want to watch a horror movie or something fun and romantic. Sometimes people can spend so much time deciding what movie to watch that you end up just watching nothing, and you don't want the decision process to be a buzzkill.
- Bring out the popcorn, cookies, and other treats. This will help make the environment more festive and party-like. You can even bring out some treats people would commonly see in a movie theater, such as M&Ms or Sno-caps.
Though planning a million games and activities can make for a fun sleepover, sometimes the most fun you can have is just by sitting around and laughing with your friends. You can gossip, tell stories about your embarrassing moments, look through the yearbook to talk about your crushes, or just get to know each other better. If people are laughing and having fun, you don't have to change the mood by coming up with a ton of activities to do. Just let people enjoy themselves.
12
Make sure everyone gets along. If you're hosting and someone starts arguing or upsetting other people, take charge. If people are being noisy and keeping others awake kindly tell them that if they want to talk, they have to talk in another room. Try not to take sides and to listen to both sides of the story. You don't want to make enemies at your own sleepover.
- Be on the lookout for tension that may arise. If you notice that guests start arguing a bit, you can change the subject to try to avoid conflict.

Part 3

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What To Do the Next Morning

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You should only do this when it's time for people to leave. If you just happen to be up early, you shouldn't be rude and wake everyone else up for no reason. Be respectful of the people who want to keep sleeping. Once people start getting up, give them some time to get their acts together instead of trying to rush them to breakfast.
If most people are hungry, tell your guests all their breakfast choices. If your parents are awake, ask them if they could make breakfast for you all. Try to get something most people normally don't have all the time, such as homemade Belgian waffles, but remember, have simple cornflakes or another plain cereal as an option too. Not everyone likes a big breakfast, and your friends may still be stuffed from all the awesome food you had the night before!
This is something a polite host should never forget to do. Even if you're getting sick of having guests around and are ready for some alone time, you should be polite enough to walk your guests to the door and to thank them for coming. If their parents are waiting in the doorway for them, then greet the parents and thank them for stopping by. You can even offer to help carry your friend's things to the car.
Throw out popcorn and plastic cups off the floor and into the trash. It was your party, so you have to clean up the mess, not your parents. If you do this yourself, then your parents will be much more likely to let you have another sleepover. If it was possible, you could have cleaned up a bit throughout the night or even had some friends help you if there was some downtime, but it's not fun to interrupt a party for cleaning. Once you've gotten everything back to normal, you can relax and enjoy having some time to yourself!

Join the Discussion...

Ideas for things to do at a sleepover?

28

WikiLynxChaser837

My friends are sleeping over at my place this weekend and we need something to do! I already have movies and some games, but what else can we do... Read More

1

WikiFlamingoRider304

There are so many fun things you can do! Pick a few activities based on your friends' personalities. Here are some ideas:

1. Play video ga... Read More

Natasha Miller
Event Planner & CEO, Entire Productions

I really like choosing games where everybody can have fun regardless of whether they’re actually good at the game or not. Cornhole (aka bags) i... Read More

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Question

What are some of the snacks you need for a good sleepover?

Community Answer

Anything easily shared, appealing to a lot of people and tastes, will be perfect. Classic choices include chocolate & candy, popcorn, pizza, chips, fruit, cookies, mac and cheese, etc.

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What about if you do a sleepover with only one other person?

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There are plenty of activities you can do. Talk about secrets, watch movies, have a pillow fight, or tell stories.

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It's my first sleepover. Are they fun or awkward?

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Many people feel anxious for their first sleepover, but don't worry. They're usually lots of fun.

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Tips

Have an interesting combination for breakfast and let your guests choose what they want to eat because everyone likes different things.

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Always check that everyone is having a great time! Make sure that you aren't just giving attention to just one person. Include everyone.

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Play truth or dare, or other fun group games. Have rules and draw the line about personal questions. You never want to have feelings hurt, so make sure it does not get out of hand or your friends won't want to come over again.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you take sleeping medications, such as Trazadone, Ambien, or Prescription Melatonin, ask your parents if they will let you take them at a later time. If they say no, calmly tell your friend that you will go to bed early. Just don’t be rude and make everyone else go to bed with you.
If you and your friends are bored but you played every game, then try to start a conversation, ask what they want to do, or tell scary stories. Result may vary depending on your and your friends' ages.
If one of your friends tells you to do something you know you'd usually get in trouble for, don't do it. You can still get in serious trouble, even if your guest is there and it was their idea.

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Warnings

Depending on your age, some guests might get a little homesick. Try to avoid this by keeping things busy and fun, and if someone does want to go home, make sure to tell your parents and they will handle the situation, or let them call their parents so that they feel better.

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Make sure everyone knows where they can go and where they can't in your house. If they were to go in a prohibited room, not only would they get in trouble, but you would too!

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Make sure not to make it too over the top. It is just a sleepover so make sure you keep it reasonably simple and don't invite too many people, especially people that have problems with each other. The last thing you want is a fight.

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Don't start to pick on another friend just because one of your other friends doesn't like them.

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Make sure your party does not get too out of control. If you ever feel uncomfortable, doing or saying something then talk to your parents immediately.

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If someone is scared of your pet, (if you have one) make sure you put them in a different place so your guest feels safe.

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If you plan to serve chips, shaking them in a colander over the sink first helps to get rid of crumbs before you serve them.

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Be sure to have popcorn. It's a classic treat for a movie that everyone is sure to love. However, if you are aware that your guests have braces or don't like popcorn, you may want to consider that when selecting snacks.

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Avoid making your guests bored.

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It's fine to take photos and post them on Facebook, but do not post: embarrassing photos, sexually suggestive photos, photos that show an illegal activity (such as underage drinking), or otherwise anything that could get you in trouble and/or made fun of. Also, if someone has asked you not to tag them in a photo, do not tag them. If you already tagged someone and they have asked you to untag them, untag them immediately.

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Things You'll Need

Pillows, sleeping bags, etc.
Snacks (cookies, chips, etc.)
Stereo
TV
Games
DVD, or a Blu-ray player, Movies
Video games
Small table (for food or board games)
Makeup and hair care samples (or tell everyone to bring their own)
Nail polish
Recipes for homemade face masks, body scrubs, etc.
Music - try to mix it up with all kinds of music from classic rock, to pop, to 80s, and so on and so forth! It will get everyone up and dancing!
Conversation topic box
Phone
Camera
Ask your friend bring a controller for the game system you got!
Computer to view pictures or watch some YouTube videos!
Fizzy drinks (Coca-Cola®, 7UP®, Snapple, etc.) and water
Flashlights to enhance your ghost storytelling experiences
Basic supplies (Clothes, PJ's, Toothbrush, etc.)
You might also want to get or make some decorations if you are planning a theme.