After months of quarantine and social distancing, I’m willing to try lots of new things to bring joy and excitement for our little family. My daughter had been asking for a sleepover, so I thought it would be fun to have a little family slumber party! It started at dinnertime and lasted until the morning! Needless to say, Chloe was thrilled and wanted to do it again and again. Luckily it’s easy to do and you can make it happen with things you already have at home!
Let’s take a look at how to create your own at home family slumber party and what we did to make it special for our kids!
10 Steps to a FUN Family Slumber Party
Before we begin, I thought it would be fun to share all the items you “need” for a super fun family slumber party! Now remember, you can totally make this night happen with everything you have around your house, but if you’re looking for a few new things to make it fun, here’s what I recommend.
Air Mattress | Baking Set | Hedbanz | Perfection | Guess Who | Popcorn Holder | Mad Libs | Popcorn Buckets
1. Bust out the air mattress.
It all starts with the air mattress y’all. It’s safe to say that this was possibly the highlight of the slumber party. In fact, the mattress ended up staying out in our living room for a few days because the kids were having so much fun with it!
Don’t have an air mattress for your family slumber party? There are tons of options for air mattresses out there, but I recommend getting a queen size mattress with a built in electric pump. It’s totally worth it. Plus there are tons out there at incredibly reasonable price points. In fact, here’s a link to ours on Amazon for less than $70!
2. Pizza for dinner
Make it or order it…you choose! But I do want to share my super simple and delicious pizza recipe in case you’re looking for something a little healthier.
For our individual pizzas, here is what you need.
Ingredients
- Trader Joe’s Frozen Naan Bread – we prefer garlic for added flavor
- Jar of Pizza Sauce
- Shredded Cheese – 2 to 3 different types makes it even better. I recommend mozzarella and an Italian Blend
- Additional Toppings – Pepperonis, sausage, mini mozzarella balls, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, whatever you prefer!
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Once heated, place frozen naan breads in the oven for 2-3 minutes then remove. Be sure to let the pan cool down before letting the kids adding toppings.
- Add pizza sauce, cheese and any other desired toppings.
- Place back in oven for 5 minutes.
- Turn oven to Hi Broil for roughly 2 minutes. Be sure to watch so you don’t burn your cheese. The goal is to get the perfect little brown spots on top just like delivery pizza!
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
3. Play some board games.
The games you choose will obviously depend on the ages of your children! You can choose to play games that you already have at home, or pick up a new one to throw into the mix. It will make the night super special for everyone. Here are a few games that we have and love in the 3-6 age range.
- Guess Who is a classic and one that my daughter got at the start of quarantine. It’s been a hit at our house!
- Hedbanz is actually geared towards ages 7 and up, but if you have a Disney loving, this edition still works great for younger kids. We had so much fun playing this one and laughed the whole time.
- Perfection is another fun option great for a wide age range.
- Candyland is a classic hit great for a younger crowd!
Here are a few other awesome options that you can quickly snag from Amazon if you’re looking for something new to play.
Not into board games? Play some other awesome creative games like:
- The Floor is Lava
- Hide and Seek
- Jenga
Related Post: Try these 28+ Screen Free Activities
4. Make brownies, cookies or another special treat.
Is it really a slumber party without a special treat? Bust out your favorite recipe, find a new one or grab a mix or break and bakes from the store. It’s doesn’t have to be fancy, but choosing something that the kids can help make is so much fun.
If you’re feeding extra creative, make a treat themed after the movie you’ll be watching!
5. Choose an awesome movie.
Figure out a fun movie that the whole family will enjoy! We took advantage of Disney+ and scrolled through looking for something new to our kids. We chose Up for this slumber party and it was the BIGGEST hit! They’re obsessed with it now which makes me happy because it’s one of my top Pixar picks.
6. Pop some popcorn!
A movie isn’t really a movie without popcorn, is it?
There are lots of cute popcorn buckets out there! We have these traditional ones, but in bright colors. I also found these awesome popcorn buckets that mimic movie theater ones that would be so fun to have!
7. Snuggle on the air mattress.
Scoop your babies in tight and hold them close. If you’re like me, we’re always on the move, so I’ll take all the snuggles I can get. Don’t forget to grab everyone’s favorite stuffed animal while you’re at it!
8. Tell some spooky or funny stories.
If it isn’t too late after the movie, tell some spooky or funny stories! You can make it even more fun by creating some story prompts, writing them on strips of paper and letting everyone draw. Then you can each get creative with your stories based on the prompts.
Depending on your kids’ ages, you can grab a Mad Libs pad for some hilarious family fun. I literally can’t stop laughing every time the Mad Libs come out!
9. Settle in for the night.
Figure out where everyone is sleeping whether its on the air mattress, couch or sleeping bag on the floor! Since you’re all at home, you could technically sleep in your own beds, but that kind of takes the fun out of it.
We put Brody to bed in his crib, but Chloe and JP slept on the air mattress while this pregnant momma slept on the couch for the night. It was honestly a fun change of pace and I was quite comfy!
10. Wake up and make pancakes, waffles or cinnamon rolls!
Just like treats are necessary the night of a slumber party, a delicious carb filled breakfast is also needed the following morning!
You could go grab donuts, or you could have some fun in the kitchen! My crazy crew LOVES to help in the kitchen, so we usually opt for pancakes or waffles.
If you’re looking for a tasty new recipe, try my apple cinnamon waffles that are delicious all year long!
No matter what, have fun!
As with most family centered events, they don’t always go according to plan. Things may look different from the impromptu night that I shared. Just do whatever works for your family!
Choose activities that are age appropriate for you kids. It’s all about keeping them engaged and having fun. Once you do, they’ll want to do it over and over again. My daughter can’t stop talking about it!
I’d love to hear your feedback on other activities you think would be perfect for a family night like this! Drop your ideas in the comments and don’t forget to pin this to your family Pinterest board before you go!
What would you add to your fun family slumber party night?
Sounds like a great sleepover. My little ones love snuggling in front of a movie with popcorn.
Mine too! It was a fun spin to a normal day beyond just watching a movie!
This list could have saved me a lot of thinking years ago. I’m sure mothers of young children will find this very useful. They are suitable for most ages! Thanks for sharing
This is such a cute idea! My boys are 16 months and 3 years old, so we haven’t done a full slumber party yet, but we LOVE building a fort and watching a movie!
Forts and movies are the best! My daughter is 5 now and is so interested in sleepovers. I figured why not take it up a notch and make it a little more special. It was so fun!
You guys are so cute, this looks like a lot of fun! Maybe we can squeeze one in before school starts in a few weeks, thanks for the tips.
It was so fun! My daughter is asking to do it again, so I’m thinking we may do it next weekend just for fun!
These are great! Telling stories is my son fav 🙂
Oh this looks like so much fun! I Can’t wait until my son is a little older so we can have a family slumber party!
Yes! It’s such a blast. My daughter is at the perfect age because she wants to spend the night at a friend’s house, but isn’t quite ready yet. This is a fun alternative!
Love this!