Sleep over Party

Let them rent a couple of movies and make ice cream sundaes. Order pizza. Maybe they could paint their nails.

The fun thing about a sleepover is just hanging out with the girls. You don't need to have too many planned activities. Have fun!

K.
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao - fun toys and games for kids of any age!

They make their own fun. Don't worry about it. Just invite them over, and then ask your daughter what she wants to do. Have pizza and ice cream for dinner.

S., the most important thing to remember is that little girls are clique-ish. Shoot for even numbers at the party. So, invite 3 or 5 or 7 girls. One less than your child's age is usually a good maximum. Before the party coach your daughter on the responsibility of hostessing.. making sure no one is left out, and everyone is treated with kindness... if she understands and accepts her role, then you will head off friction and tears.

Now, for the actual party... this was the most positively memorable party I ever had for either of my girls: my daughter and I premade chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla cupcakes and a double batch of 7-minute frosting. Then, we gathered supplies for individual pizzas and rootbeer (and/or coke) floats. Turn your kitchen table into a buffet of candy sprinkles and candy toppings. As the girls arrive they start decorating their cupcakes. Then, stack the cupcakes on a tiered cupcake stand with your daughters' on top boasting a candle.

Next, the girls make individual pizzas. While the pizzas bake, they are munching on a mini-fruit/salad bar.

After supper, its ShrinkyDinks time! shrinkyDinks is a special paper than you color with pencils and bake. When it bakes, it shrivles up and thickens. A quarter of a size 8x10 paper will shrik to roughly the size of a quarter or fifty-cent piece.. if you poke a hole in it before baking, it makes GREAT charms for necklace, bracelets, or zipper pulls... have each girl make one for the birthday girl, and one for herself. String them on ribbons with a jump ring and you have instant and indidual party favors. In addition, your daughter has a bracelet to remember her sleepover. I think my daughter still has hers... almost eleven years later... Shrinkydinks paper is found online, at Michaels, and Hobby Lobby

Next, exchange charms and have cupcakes.

After cupcakes, my girls played Twister and then went on a flashlight scavenger hunt in the backyard. Karoke is also fun, and/or a dance-off. just get them moving for an hour or so.

Ask around and borrow a foot spa for each pair of girls. Help them give each other pedicures and paint toenails.
The girl in the chair sips on her float while her partner pampers her... then they switch.

Set up sleeping bags in the living room and start the movie. They will likely fall asleep in the first 30min. :-) happy slumbering!

Sleep overs are really fun right of passage for elementary age kids and continue on into high school and college! Generally all that's needed are sleeping bags (the kids usually all sleep in the family room -although sometimes if they fit they can all sleep in the host's bedroom). Depending on the age and interests -rent a few movies that are age appropriate or stage a "viewing marathon" of their favorite tv show -get DVDs or on demand for past seasons. Offer up popcorn and snacks and maybe make a special punch or drink. Ask your daughter what she would like to do for dinner -order pizza or Chinese? Have everyone get in the kitchen for a hands-on dinner making session? If she has a favorite and wants to, maybe a dish from your home country could be served. Afterwards if they want -maybe they could bake some cookies or cupcakes. It will depend on your daughter's likes/dislikes -they may also want to do manicures and pedicures for each other, but expect a lot of whispering, talking and giggling FAR into the night. They will eventually all pass out though!

Some of my fondest memories from childhood and teen years are sleepovers. I'm 40 and my best girlfriends and I still love to do it!

Sit down with your daughter and plan out the food, snacks, drinks and entertainment she wants. The rest will take care of itself! You should send a written invitation to each girl's home who is invited. Let her parents know there will be adults/parents at the home the entire time and include your ph# for RSVP. You may want to follow up with a phone call anyway if you don't know all of the parents so you can introduce yourself and answer any questions. Please state that the girls need to be picked up by a certain time the next day.

You can do arts and crafts. You can get craft kits at Michaels. They can decorate cupcakes or cookies. Have a couple of movies for them to watch. If you have karaoke machine, they can sing. If you have any board games, they can play for awhile. For the sleepover, have the kids bring their sleeping bags, pillows and a change of clothes. I would make a plan so if the guests come over at 7pm, have an activity set from 7 to 8 such as arts and crafts, then 8 to 9p have the birthday cake, then 9-10 pm have games or singing. Watch a movie by 10 pm so they can get ready to go to sleep. Also have plenty of snacks. This would be my suggestion for a party.

I always order pizza, have a craft and lots of free time. I agree, invite an odd number of girls so it's a even number attending. Always give a basic rules to the girls (i.e., no tattling, no leaving anyone out, be nice, no jumping on furniture, no food out of the kitchen, etc.). Also give guidance to your child on being a good host (letting guests go first, etc.). One craft that the girls loved was decorating a pillow case or t-shirt. I taped plastic table covers to the floor, gave each girl a white pillow case/t-shirt and lots of fabric paint (and no goodie bags). I usually have craft time 9 -10 pm and try to have the girls laying down and watching a movie (age appropriate and let the parents know what movie(s) will be shown) between 10-10:30 pm. Pick-up time is usually 10 -11 am, with donuts for breakfast. I have discovered that issues start if pick up is after lunch as the girls are usually tired.

lOTS OF SNACKS AND MOVIES. dONT FORGET THE KIDS MAKEUP AND DRESS UP STUFF. STUFF TO DO HAIR. MAYBE SET OUT A FEW GAMES. THE KIDS WILL DO THE REST ON THEIR OWN.

MY daughter had a sleep over for her 8th birthday. I went to the dolar store and bought tons of crafty stuff. I let them make picture frames, bonnets, and all sorts of stuff. Kept them busy for hours. We then ordered pizza and had cake and ice cream and the I layed them on the floor to watch a movie with popcorn and caprisuns. They all fell asleep before the movie was even over. I then printed a picture of the group for them to put in the frames they made.

We used to play a game where there was a large chocolate bar wrapped up in paper and string. Players took turns rolling dice and if someone got doubles then they had a chance to try for the chocolate. But first they had to put on a hat and gloves to unwrap it and then use a fork and knife to cut and pick up the piece of chocolate. It really takes a while under those conditions, especially if you use big bulky gloves and can barely hold the silverware. We also like to play Uno and other card games.

Snacks and movies are always good. But I would skip the long, serious or scary movies. My sister had a movie at a birthday party when she was about 7 and a lot of the kids got bored because it was a 2.5 hour movie (an older kids movie).

I am a VERY conservative mom and I just want to give my 2 cents for you to consider.
1) You should invite the families over to meet you & get to know you. You could do this on the afternoon of the party (Invite the parents to stay for dinner when they drop off their daughter) or invite them to come beforehand some afternoon. Many will say NO but personally I would never send my daughter to spend the night at a house where I have not met the family.
2) Showing movies, pick VERY carefully which titles you will show. Better to get one that's more on the simple side than one that could be too "grown up". 8 y.o. is pretty young. I don't let my children watch things like iCarly, Hannah Montana, Witches of Waverly Place, etc. because they show kids being disrespectful to adults and also focus on boyfriends/girlfriends, etc.

I might be crazy, but it's something to think about. Better to be safe than sorry!

You don't need to plan much, as another poster said. They will just play! I would let your daughter pick out 1 or 2 movies.....order pizza for dinner (if they like pizza) - dress up clothes, make up....board games.. barbies... My daughter just had a sleepover this past weekend (she is 8) and they just played and watched movies... did all the stuff I just mentioned. Oh she had a sleepover a couple years ago around this time and one thing we did that they all enjoyed so much was I bought some huge gingerbread man cookies and had them all decorate them. They loved that. They got to eat 1 at night and had 1 to take home in the morning.