This week for Frugal Friday I wanted to share with you how to plan the perfect sleepover.
This year my son did not want a “traditional” birthday party. Instead he wanted to have his first “sleepover”. After thinking about it I decided since they were turning 6 we would give it a try. We invited 2 of his best buddies over and decided to plan a fun night for them. Since he was having a sleepover for my son’s birthday we decided that he needed a more “mature” bedding set. He had outgrown Thomas so I started saving my swag bucks and cashed them in for Amazon.com credit. By doing this I was able to use the credit to purchase his bedding for FREE!
In order to make sure the first “sleepover” is a success I decided to use these simple guidelines.
1. Keep it small – For the first sleepover I decided to go with 2 additional guests who are both comfortable with us and the rules of our house.
2. Make “some” plans – Though I don’t have “every minute” of the night planned I do have an activity or two to keep them occupied. We are going to play indoor mini golf and then taking the boys to dinner (using a gift card we got for Christmas).
3. Menu planning – It is important to ask if the children have allergies or any foods that they don’t like. I want the boys to be “full” on the menu that I plan (including the snacks and breakfast) so that they are able to be full and feel comfortable while they are here.
4. Plan a night time activity – We are going to be watching a movie (you could rent a new one from Netflix or check it out at the library) with popcorn after we get the boys in their PJ’s so that they can settle down and move to the “thoughts” of going to bed.
5. Be prepared for an early morning – In case the kids don’t “sleep in” which I don’t expect they will we will be ready in the morning with some cartoons, breakfast and a craft project.
6. Treat Bags – Even though this is not a “traditional” birthday party my son still wanted to get a treat bag for his two buddies. I was able to pull items from my stockpile at no additional cost.
Another advantage is that our sleepover will cost us MUCH LESS in the end than a “traditional” birthday party, hosting for 10 -15 kids. My son is very happy and will get to spend some great one-on-one time with his buddies. Hope these tips help you to plan a successful sleepover too!
You may also enjoy reading my post, Birthday Parties on a Budget.
Also check out more Frugal Friday posts.
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For my daughter’s 8th birthday, we did a “pajama party” The kids came at 6, left at 9. We had pizza, popcorn and a movie and a craft. There was no worry that anybody would have to call parents in the night to go home (and they were ready for bed anyway). Parents had time to go out to dinner and have a nice evening. It was a success.
Thanks for that tip! That is a great idea
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