Food
Junk food at slumber parties is a time-honored tradition, but don't go overboard. This is fine to have some chips, and birthday cake is a must — but supplement these with fruits or a veggie platter so you don't end up with a party full of tummy aches. You may offer bottled water or juice instead of soda with caffeine or you'll never get to sleep.
Consider slumber party guests are old enough to make their own food so consider planning a kitchen activity. Make-your-own-bars (pizza, tacos, and sundaes) work well for this age group.Bedtime
When should you turn the lights out? This depends on the ages of the guests, of course. Probably younger children should be in their sleeping bags by 10 p.m., older ones by midnight. And some parents have been known to change all the clocks in the house to give kids the illicit thrill of staying up late (while still managing to give everyone a decent night's sleep).
You should avoid squabbles about who sleeps next to whom by suggesting the guests arrange their sleeping bags in a starburst pattern with heads in the middle.
It will be a good idea to offer a calming activity as a transition to bedtime. Even if some children will want to tell scary stories, a good movie is probably a better choice. And if some guests are ready to go to sleep before others, consider putting them in a guest room or adjacent space where you can dim the lights.
If it is a first sleepover, be prepared for a guest who wants to go home. If a child has never spent the night away from a child’s parents, the fun of a slumber party may wear thin by bedtime. Be sure you have a way to reach all the parents in case this happens. However, before you call the parents, try to address the guest's fears. And a child who's afraid of the dark may be comforted by a dim night light. Rules
If you're clear about the rules (no leaving the house, no crank calls, no unsupervised cooking) from the outset, you should be able to remain behind the scenes (there if needed, but not hovering).
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