How to throw a "sleepover" with your children
Who said that a sleepover could only be thrown on a special occasion or by inviting your little ones' friends? No way! Now that we all have plenty of time to be at home with our children, creativity is surfacing everywhere. And is there anything more fun than a sleepover with kids? Learn how to throw the best "soirée" without leaving the comfort of your home... They're going to have a fantastic time! (And so are you).
1. Pack a bag, even though you're not leaving home
Who says that a sleepover at home can't begin as usual? By packing a bag for a super fun night with everything you need! Whether you decide to have the sleepover in the living room or in your kids' room, the important thing is to pack a small bag with everything you'll need for a fun time together as a family. Some ideas:
- Sweets (a must-have!)
- Coloured pencils and notebooks
- Pyjamas
- A torch
- A blanket
- A board game
- A story book (or several)
- Something to drink: a juice, a milkshake… hey, you only live once!
2. Want to build a fort?
Children love to build their own little homes and crawl inside… Any way to create spaces to play in. Building a small fort in the living room or bedroom where you can spend your family sleepover is a real adventure in itself!
So, how do you do it? Here are some tips!
- Very simple: place a large sheet on the dining table so that it hangs over the edges enough to hide under. Underneath, you can place a few pillows, mats or blankets.
- You can also use the backs of some chairs as "walls", with the seats facing out. Pad the inside of the fort with pillows so it's nice and soft. On top, you'll again need a sheet or duvet to act as the roof, and on the floor, even more sheets, cushions or mats, like in the image you see above. You'll be itching to get inside!
3. Fort by day, bed by night.
Another idea! In this case, these types of light mattresses or mats you might have around the house can be easily moved, so you can also play with them and make them part of your perfect fort.
Your kids can fold them up for their sleepover or lay them flat to turn them into a comfortable bed. When it's time to get up, slide them under the bed and you're good to go.
4. Invite new guests to your sleepover!
Who said guests weren't allowed? Tell the kids to bring all their friends from their bedroom: stuffed animals, dolls, toys… Whatever they like! You're all set: your bags are packed and your fort is ready with everything you need to enjoy the night...
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
5. A thousand different activities for a sleepover with your kids
What should you do now? Enjoy the time! You never know with kids, so it's better to have ideas in mind for this at-home sleepover. These are just a few of the activities you can do inside and outside the fort you've just built. The only limit is your imagination!
- Reading stories
- Charades
- Playing shadow puppets
- Make-up without a mirror
- A singing contest
- Film trivia
- Playing board games in the fort
- Telling scary stories with torches
- A pillow fight
Bed time!
When it's time to go to sleep, if the fort is comfortable enough, why not let them sleep in the space they created themselves? If they prefer their own beds, you can take down the fort together, until the next party.
Don't forget to take a few pictures to remember this special night with the family. The most important thing is to always stay positive!
We are delighted to see our customers use our products creatively. Why not try being creative too? But do remember, any modifications or changes that you make to IKEA products prevent them from being resold or used for their original use, and so voiding IKEA product warranties and your right of return.
