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Join us as we share the most exciting games to play at a sleepover.
8 Min Read | By Sophia Rimmer
Last Modified 26 September 2024 First Added 25 November 2022
Children love sleepovers with their friends and family. Making memories, laughing so hard their belly hurts and getting up to mischief. They are kind of a big deal to our little ones.
When you have a sleepover, there’s nothing better than playing exciting games. We’ve got the best slumber party ideas for kids right up to their teenage years. Not only are our ideas fun but some of them will also help children’s development. Plus, they’ll use up some energy, ready for a good night’s sleep.
Scavenger hunts are great for kids because they encourage their creativity and allow them to use their problem-solving skills. They are super fun for kids of all ages. Of course, you’ll have to make it more difficult for older kids.
Firstly, you’ll need to think of random items in your house. It can be anything from socks to post-it notes to a toothbrush. Then, create a set of clues that will give everyone hints as to where they are. Whoever finds all the items to the clues first, wins!
Not only are forts super cool for kids to build at sleepovers but they also help with a child’s development. Imaginative activities such as building a fort enhance cognitive skills, social skills (teamwork and cooperation), construction techniques, and personal skills such as confidence.
What you’ll need: Large bed sheets, cushions and sleeping bags for comfort and sturdy chairs or furniture to prop the sheets up.
If you have spare towels, bed sheets or pillowcases, create a superhero cape for each of the kids. Tell them they have a very special mission to accomplish. Someone can be Wonder Woman, another can be Batman, and so on.
When children wear capes and transform into superheroes, it helps them distinguish between good and evil while encouraging bravery. And, according to research, pretend play improves a child’s cognitive flexibility and creativity.
Smiley faces, cute animals and silly expressions – we all know and love emojis, even our kids. Emoji bingo is a fun take on regular bingo. All you need to do is, create or print out a free emoji bingo card for each guest.
You’ll need some spare emojis to cut out individually and put into a hat. Either you or a volunteer will need to be the bingo caller and pull the emojis out of the hat.
The first person to get a full house and shout “BINGO!”, wins.
If you have two decks of cards lying around, then Memory is the perfect game for a sleepover! Children will have loads of fun trying to match up pairs. They just need some good old-fashioned memory skills to win this one.
To play, lay two packs of cards face down across a table. Each player then takes turns to turn over two cards to try and find a pair. If the cards aren’t matching they’ll need to turn them down again. But, if they are then they can remove them from the table. Play the game until there are no cards left. The player who has collected the most sets of cards in the end wins.
We hope everyone remembers to bring their dancing shoes to the sleepover because this game will have everyone busting a move. It’s a great way to be playful and practice coordination skills at the same time. Let’s play! Here’s how…
This is a classic game that you’ll probably remember from your childhood—but now you can play it with your kids and their friends.
We’re sure everyone knows how to play this game but just to remind you… blindfold each child, place a paper tail in their hand, and spin them around a few times (careful not to make them too dizzy). After this, you’ll need to guide them to a picture of a donkey on the wall. The player whose tail comes closest to the donkey’s bottom wins.
Pictionary is another classic game that everyone knows how to play, and we love it! It’s fun and creative, allowing children to practice their teamwork skills. You’ll need two teams and some cards with words or phrases on them (these will be the ideas on what to draw).
Firstly, one player from the first team will take a card, they are not allowed to show anybody. They’ll then start to draw it. Maybe it’s a car, horse or famous building. The rest of their team will need to guess what it is within a minute and if they do, they’ll get a point. Take it in turns for each team to play and whoever has the most points at the end wins.
Jenga is a fantastic game for all ages at a sleepover. We hope you’ve got it hidden away in your cupboard because it’s time to dig it out.
Jenga requires a steady hand to remove each brick away from the tower whilst making sure you don’t knock it over. According to Gamesver, it helps children develop manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and strategic thinking. It’s more than just a game.
Painting, paper mache and colouring in – if you’ve got kids then we’re sure you’ve got some arts and crafts lying around your house. What better time to get stuck in than at a sleepover?
Get all the kids to sit around a table filled with art equipment and materials and let their imaginations fly! Taking part in art and crafts provide children with a sense of accomplishment. This will allow them to take pride in their work and boost their confidence.
There are also more benefits to it. Here’s what The National Curriculum in England says about the purpose of art and designs study:
“Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.”
Yum! At some point at the slumber party, all the kids will get hungry. Instead of you making all the food, why not get them involved? Cooking is an essential life skill we all need to learn at some point so let’s make it exciting!
Set up a pizza-making station. You’ll need some pizza dough, sauce and plenty of toppings. Make sure to ask everyone’s parents if their child has got any allergies beforehand. Whilst making, encourage the kids to use their imagination when adding the toppings.
If you’re having a big sleepover with lots of friends, then you’ll have enough players for a game of football. This idea is only good for summer when the weather is nice enough to play in the garden.
Football (and most sports really) is a great game for encouraging teamwork, coordination, balance and flexibility. Plus, an opportunity to get out of the house and get some fresh air.
Never have I ever had a sleepover with my friends. Just kidding! You’ve probably played this one before too as it’s great for all ages, even us adults.
Perfect for inspiring creative thinking, start with everybody holding up ten fingers. Take turns saying something that you’ve never done before. If you have done it, then you’ll need to put a finger down. The person that’s left with the last finger up wins.
To make this sleepover game even more exciting, instead of holding your fingers up, you could play with sweets.
Another classic sleepover game that we’ve all played at some point in our lives. Hide and seek is so enjoyable and it has numerous benefits for children that you may have not been aware of. According to the experts searching for people (or objects) develops problem-solving skills, imagination, social skills and teamwork.
Last but not least… read a bedtime story. Now we know this is not exactly a game, however, at the end of the sleepover you’re going to want to do something that encourages relaxation to help the kids wind down. Reading bedtime stories is the perfect way to prepare children to sleep and with our Bedtime Story Finder, you’ll have plenty to choose from.
Find more sleepover inspiration with our post on how to host a fun sleepover.
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