Best Night for Slumber Party?

[emma'smom]

Dd8 (turning 9) is planning her first slumber party and we need some advice from the experts:

(1) Is Friday or Saturday night better? We're thinking Saturday night since so many sporting events occur on Saturday and often there are practices Friday night, etc.

(2) What is a reasonable start and end time? Also, if we want to have a "Don't stay overnight....just come for some evening fun." option for kid's who don't want to/can't stay overnight, what would a reasonable pick-up time for these kids?

(3) What do kids do at a 9 year old slumber party?

(4) How many kids are a reasonable number? We're used to inviting 15-20 kids to regular birthday parties...so would 10 be too many for a slumber party?

 

[aprilgail2]

1) Is Friday or Saturday night better? We're thinking Saturday night since so many sporting events occur on Saturday and often there are practices Friday night, etc.

I like Friday nights becaue I hope the y are a little tired from a full day at school and maybe- just maybe they will go to sleep before 6am LOL.....around here Sunday mornings are taken up with sports- soccer and football!

(2) What is a reasonable start and end time? Also, if we want to have a "Don't stay overnight....just come for some evening fun." option for kid's who don't want to/can't stay overnight, what would a reasonable pick-up time for these kids?

My daughter just had one and the one girl that didn't want to stay and the one boy that had to go home...because he was a boy went home around midnight- the rest of the kids stayed and went to sleep around 5am.

(3) What do kids do at a 9 year old slumber party?

The giggle, eat, giggle, watch a movie, giggle, play video games, giggle some more...

(4) How many kids is reasonable? We're used to inviting 15-20 kids to regular birthday parties...so would 10 be too many for a slumber party?
10 is to many for me but my daughter has been to sleepovers with 15 kids....I liked just the 6 I had for hers that was plenty!!

 

[NHdisneylover]

(1) Is Friday or Saturday night better? We're thinking Saturday night since so many sporting events occur on Saturday and often there are practices Friday night, etc. We find it to be about the same. On Friday parties we have kids not coming, or being picked up really early for activities and on Saturday s it is the same for church. If there is one kids my child REALLY wants there then I will plan the day I know is more likely to work for that one child.

(2) What is a reasonable start and end time? Also, if we want to have a "Don't stay overnight....just come for some evening fun." option for kid's who don't want to/can't stay overnight, what would a reasonable pick-up time for these kids?
We usually start around 5:00ish so they can hang out a bit before dinner. I can't stand having kids stay up all night so I aim to have everyone in jammies and watching a movie by 10:00 to 10:30ish. I generally tell parents picking up that night to pick up then, or after the movie (generally around midnight, and I will call when we start the movie to give them a more specific time--I do ask those staying for the movie to get out quickly and quietly and try not to disturb the calm)

(3) What do kids do at a 9 year old slumber party? Girls? They largely entertain themselves (playing with the hostess's toys and games, karaoke, Wii, etc). I always have some sort of craft available, and nail polish/facial stuff just in case. A make your own pizza, or taco bar or what not is generally popular for dinner (something each girl can customize herself) and we often have some sort of "fun" dessert t do an hour or so later (decorate cupcakes, ice cream sunday bar, etc

(4) How many kids is reasonable? We're used to inviting 15-20 kids to regular birthday parties...so would 10 be too many for a slumber party?If it were me I would go with 6 or 7--a WHOLE lot depends on the dynamics of that particular group of kids though

 

[mamacatnv]

(1) Is Friday or Saturday night better? We're thinking Saturday night since so many sporting events occur on Saturday and often there are practices Friday night, etc. We find it to be about the same. On Friday parties we have kids not coming, or being picked up really early for activities and on Saturday s it is the same for church. If there is one kids my child REALLY wants there then I will plan the day I know is more likely to work for that one child.

(2) What is a reasonable start and end time? Also, if we want to have a "Don't stay overnight....just come for some evening fun." option for kid's who don't want to/can't stay overnight, what would a reasonable pick-up time for these kids?
We usually start around 5:00ish so they can hang out a bit before dinner. I can't stand having kids stay up all night so I aim to have everyone in jammies and watching a movie by 10:00 to 10:30ish. I generally tell parents picking up that night to pick up then, or after the movie (generally around midnight, and I will call when we start the movie to give them a more specific time--I do ask those staying for the movie to get out quickly and quietly and try not to disturb the calm)

(3) What do kids do at a 9 year old slumber party? Girls? They largely entertain themselves (playing with the hostess's toys and games, karaoke, Wii, etc). I always have some sort of craft available, and nail polish/facial stuff just in case. A make your own pizza, or taco bar or what not is generally popular for dinner (something each girl can customize herself) and we often have some sort of "fun" dessert t do an hour or so later (decorate cupcakes, ice cream sunday bar, etc

(4) How many kids is reasonable? We're used to inviting 15-20 kids to regular birthday parties...so would 10 be too many for a slumber party?If it were me I would go with 6 or 7--a WHOLE lot depends on the dynamics of that particular group of kids though

I agree with this except that the control freak in me must have a schedule of events, games and crafts mapped out to the movie time. I also prefer 8-10 guests for an overnighter.
The last slumber party we had we did a sandwich bar (breads, cold cuts etc) at around 6, then cake at approx 8 ish and then for the movies we had fruit w/peanut butter dip, veggies, the leftover sandwich goodies and assorted popcorns.

We did several organized games, a "project runway" competition with wrapping paper and ribbon and a craft project.

The following morning was a free for all until breakfast, then we opened presents following breakfast. I had parents pick up at 11 a.m.

 

[Cinderella94]

I like Fridays better because then they have the rest of the weekend to get their sleep schedule back to normal before school on Monday, if they stay up extra late on Friday.

 

[Kitty 34]

We had lots of slumber parties, all on Friday night. Gave me the rest of the weekend to regroup!!!

 

[bigbabyblues]

Dd8 (turning 9) is planning her first slumber party and we need some advice from the experts:

(1) Is Friday or Saturday night better? We're thinking Saturday night since so many sporting events occur on Saturday and often there are practices Friday night, etc.

We always do Friday night

(2) What is a reasonable start and end time? Also, if we want to have a "Don't stay overnight....just come for some evening fun." option for kid's who don't want to/can't stay overnight, what would a reasonable pick-up time for these kids?

We start around 6:00 or 7:00. I left the pick-up time for the girls and non-sleepover kids open, just put a note on the invite that we would love for them to come even if they couldn't spend the night and left it at that. Most left around 11:00 or so when we started getting the boys' sleeping bags out and settling down to watch the movies.

(3) What do kids do at a 9 year old slumber party?

I have boys, and DS' bday is in November. They like to go outside and just play, they like Capture the Flag, etc. We have pizza for dinner, snacks out for whenever, and they just do their thing. Nerf gun battles are big with them, and they don't always all play together. We had a few playing Wii, we had a few playing games, etc. I don't do anything organized, it's whatever they want to do. Breakfast is pb&j pizza (like we had a Chef Mickey's, lol), and Mickey pancakes. When I'm ready for them to settle down, DH puts in a movie and hits the couch.

(4) How many kids is reasonable? We're used to inviting 15-20 kids to regular birthday parties...so would 10 be too many for a slumber party?

We've done 3 sleepovers for my older DS. The first time, we had 13 stay and a couple more that didn't spend the night. The second time, I think we ended up with 8 or 9.

 

[Pembo]

I say Friday night...kids are tired from school and you have an extra day to recover.

Start around 7 pm (after dinner) and pick up at 9 am the next morning...

My dd doesn't like to stay overnight. I picked her up at 10 pm.

I'd only invite a few that she knows well.

 

[mamacatnv]

In 4th grade DD attended a 1/2 slumber party
(I thought the idea was genius myself!)

The entire 4th grade female population was invited from what I saw.

Wear favorite slippers, jammies & bring favorite stuffed animal.
Arrive at 5 depart at 9 (it might have been 9:30 its been a few years, I know it was plenty of time for DH and I to have a nice dinner and do a bit of Christmas shopping)

The girls were fed, played games, had ice cream sundaes, got "make-overs" and had their toes done. For the craft they made onsies or t-shirts for their favorite stuffies with an iron patch they chose! Their "goody bag" was a sleeping mask with a saying on it.
They were all gone by 10! It was perfect!

 

[PollyannaMom]

(1) Is Friday or Saturday night better? We're thinking Saturday night since so many sporting events occur on Saturday and often there are practices Friday night, etc. I like Friday because they have more time to recover.

(2) What is a reasonable start and end time? Also, if we want to have a "Don't stay overnight....just come for some evening fun." option for kid's who don't want to/can't stay overnight, what would a reasonable pick-up time for these kids? I start early, like 4:00pm, and change all the clocks in the house to different times so they think it's later than it is when we settle them down for bed.

(3) What do kids do at a 9 year old slumber party? At DS's we've found a mix of planned activities and free time worked well. One year we made Harry Potter wands and ice cream floats, another year we went skating, and we always allow a little time to play with the gifts.

(4) How many kids is reasonable? We're used to inviting 15-20 kids to regular birthday parties...so would 10 be too many for a slumber party? I like 4, but have survived 6. Even numbers are your best bet!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Friday night is better imo.

I love the change the clocks back however that doesn't work if they have cell phones.

Since they are 9, perhaps you can give the option to go home at 9pm or spend the night? That way you can have planned activities up until that time and then a movie after 9pm.

Good Luck!!!

 

[brockash]

I think it just depends, because some kids do sports on Sat. and some do church on Sun....some do both. Personally, I like having sleepovers/parties on Fri. nights....but it's for a really selfish reason. On Fri.'s the kids are much more likely to fall asleep at a more reasonable time, because they had to get up in the morning and were at school all day. Plus, after they leave on Sat., we have the rest of our weekend. When we've done Sat. sleepover's, I feel like we never even had a weekend. When my DS used to have Sat. sleepovers, the kids were up much longer into the morning, so for me we now mainly just do Fri. nights