Sleepover party for (almost) 10 yr old girl..how many guest to invite?

[nhrenee]

Please don't answer 0, lol! My dd wants a sleepover for her 10th birthday. I was thinking that 5 guests would be a good #.

Any advice from someone who's "been there" would be GREATLY appreciated!

TIA

 

[crz4mm2]

We had 4. That was plenty
Good luck.

Cathy

 

[eeyoreforever]

I wouldn't invite more than 5 if you want to keep it nice. My dd went to her best friends slumber party about a month ago - 11 year olds. This girl had invited I think 12 kids. My dd was miserable. She said it was wild and that everyone was getting into their little cliques. That is too many girls to have together all night. Stick with a small party and they will have a much more enjoyable time. So will your nerves.

 

[Scratch42]

An Even Number! That way they can pair off! If it's an odd number then inevidably(sp) one gets left out and the trouble begins!LOL

Oh Yeah, don't plan on getting any sleep that night yourself so best to have it on a Friday that way you have the weekend to recoup!LOL

Scratch

 

[meeshi]

I would also say invite no more than 5, girls can get wild.
That's what we usually let our dd invite. Also, I agree with Scratch, an even number is best.

 

[tkd lisa]

I agree with the even number thing. The last one we had there were a total of 6 girls who slept over. That was more than enough!

 

[nhrenee]

Thanks for all the replies!

Would you mind sharing some of the things that did and didn't work (games, crafts, etc).

My tenative plan is to have everyone here at 6pm (Fri. thanks scratch!). We'll start with make your own pizzas, then cake + ice cream, onto games/crafts etc and then a movie.

All opinions appreciated!!

 

[grinningghost]

Oh those sleepovers! These girls go nuts in anticipation for what always ends up in a few tears (sorry, but that's been my experience). But that being said, they can be alot of fun, as long as you're prepared to possibly run interference.

What works best at keeping the squabbles away is keeping them BUSY. One of the best things I ever did was buy a pack of plain white t-shirts and some fabric paint and let each of them create their own t-shirts. It took up a good chunk of time, and since they were doing something individually, they didn't have anything to argue about.

Another game that the girls liked alot was "Name That Tune". I taped a bunch of song snippets and played them. Whenever one of them guessed the song, she got a small prize. I would keep the number of songs down to about 20, and make sure they're ones that they should be able to recognize. (Disney songs are a sure hit).

Good luck to you! I'm sure in the end, all will be great.

 

[vald1977]

Pictionary (or Pictionary Jr.) or Win Lose or Draw are always a lot fun and get the girls laughing. Charades can be a fun one too.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

What about them doing each others make-up, hair, and nails?

 

[eeyoreforever]

Instead of painting t-shirts, I went to the dollar store and bought plain white pillow cases for $1 each and got stencils and fabric markers and let the girls design them. All the girls autographed my dd's pillow case. They really enjoyed this.

For snacks, making ice cream sundaes is fun. Have different types of syrups (chocolate, strawberry, etc.) and different toppings (sprinkles, nuts, etc.) and let each girl create their own. You could even go to a fast food place and ask to buy a few sundae cups or banana split boats. They love this too.

 

[TwinMom7]

I just did one in February for a bunch of 11/12 year olds. I restricted it to 7 girls total, and that was plenty. They all brought photos, and I provided the little scrapbooks. At 3:30 in the morning, I still had a BUNCH of happy little scrappers.

 

[phisigprincess]

One of my favorite birthday parties ever was a talent show/ sleepover. We worked on our "acts" all night and then my mom and dad videotaped our show. 11 years later that tape still cracks me up. I'm sure some people would hunt me down if they remembered I had it though!! Good luck with the sleepover!!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I agree with the even number. We have an 11 year old boy that loves to have sleep overs. Sometimes we start out with an outing like skating which will tire them out a bit. They like to build a fire in the back yard (we have a fire pit on the deck) and roast hot dogs and make someores. I think the girls will enjoy making a craft or a shirt. I usually try to have some movies for later on, they can lie on the floor and watch. Enjoy your party!

 

[nhrenee]

Originally posted by TwinMom7
At 3:30 in the morning, I still had a BUNCH of happy little scrappers.

Gulp! Don't they get any sleep? I was going to have their parents pick them up at 10am.

Thanks for all the terrific suggestions!!

 

[clh2]

Regardless of what time they go to sleep - 10 is the latest you'd want them picked up.

 

[Roemama1]

My DD just had her 8 y.o sleepover. I had bought little makeup kits with brushes, nail polish, lip gloss, hair bows, etc. (I had bought them the day after x-mas so they were 1/2 off...) Since all the kits were different we played a little game by reading a long poem. The girls sat in a circle each with a kit in hand and everytime I said the word "AND" they passed their kit to the left. It took quite a while and was fun. Later the girls played dress up and did hair, makeup and put on a fashion show. Then they all sang kareoke(?) We also did a craft that I got from Orientaltrading.com using foam shapes, etc, glue. It was a blast. We later watched movies but they didn't go to sleep until 2 am. I was exhausted. The girls said that was the best sleepover they've ever been to. They even made me all thank-you cards in the morning.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

My 11yr old DD just went to a sleepover a couple of months ago and they were not allowed to use their hands to eat with. She said it was the most fun they ever had. All the girls were laughing and giggling so hard they could barely eat. Of course, the pictures were great too (especially when the cake and ice cream was served!).

 

[nhrenee]

Thanks for all the great suggestions!