Ask your kid what he would especially like, and go shopping together once you have a plan. Finger foods and dry foods are encouraged as you can easily clean up with a vacuum. For example: popcorn, pretzels, chips, crackers, etc. Make or order a dinner that they’ll eat at the table but which is easy to serve and clean up. Use paper plates if you can. Pizza is a great example of an easy dinner. Consider healthy options. Consider ordering a thin-crust pizza with cheese and spinach, or serve up homemade sweet potato fries instead of fast food. [1] X Research source Serve a simple and easy breakfast before you get them out the door: cereal, muffins, bagels, etc.
No leaving the house without asking. No prank phone calls. Stay in designated areas (this makes for less cleanup the next day). Mandatory quiet time after a certain hour. Make it clear that you have zero-tolerance for bullying and teasing. It’s one thing to have a playful argument over which movie to watch. It’s another to single a boy out and ridicule them. If something like this persists, call the boy’s parents and send the bully home early. [2] X Research source No inappropriate language or content allowed.
If a guest gets homesick, be ready to call their parents and maybe even have your partner give them a lift home while you keep an eye on things at home. Bed-wetting. If the unthinkable happens, try to help the boys maintain their dignity (feign a tipped over glass of water, for instance) and show them to the bathroom where they can clean themselves up. You could help them by grabbing a spare set of their clothing from their backpack. If your son becomes overwhelmed by all the activity, ask him to help you for a moment and give him a good pep talk when you’re alone. If this happens a lot, sleepovers might not be the best idea for a while. Know of any pre-existing medical conditions beforehand. Immediately inform their parents if any guest needs to go to the hospital and be sure to give the doctors as much information about the guest as you can. [3] X Research source
Have an assortment of family-friendly (but not too childish, if they boys are reaching the ages of ten or more) and fun games for the boys to choose from. Sorry, Operation, Scategories, and Youth Trivial Pursuit are all acceptable options. [4] X Research source Some boys may be into more strategy-based games such as Risk or Settlers of Catan. See if the sleepover group has any interest in these games and consider purchasing some for the sleepover. Make sure they clean up one game themselves before starting the next. Offer prizes in the form of small snacks for the “winners” of a game if you like.
Teach them how to make origami. Origami is an excellent craft they can take home as well. Small boys may enjoy making costumes out of paper, such as knight’s armor and weaponry. Keep coloring books on hand with an array of crayons. Try to choose interesting coloring books like those based around animals or landscapes. Print out monster mouths and try to see who can make the scariest monster sounds. If you’re at a loss for ideas, search for arts and crafts websites that are geared towards children. [5] X Research source
Choose a few movies that would be acceptable for everyone there to watch (keep in mind other families’ rules and beliefs and so forth). [6] X Research source Let them pick one to three of them, depending on how long they are and how much time they have available before lights-out. Put out enough pillows, blankets, and chairs so everyone has a place to relax and enjoy the movies.
If necessary, provide some heavy-duty sleeping bags and tents (outdoors only). Lead the boys in singing some traditional campfire sing-alongs. [7] X Research source Make s’mores, either over a campfire (supervised!) or in the microwave. [8] X Research source Lead the boys in telling not-too-scary ghost stories around the fire, or with flashlights indoors. Check on them in the middle of the night, especially if they are camping out in the backyard.
Pick a few video games that all the boys are allowed to play when they are each at home. It’s important to respect each family’s individual rules. Pick games that can accommodate two or more players at a time. Make sure you have as many controllers as necessary. Make sure everyone gets a turn to play if there are more guests than video game controllers. If one boy complains of being left out or of not being able to play a game he likes, mandate a change in the way things are going. Alternately, you can offer the ultimatum that the sleepover will quickly turn into a movie night or something else. Boys can get wound up playing video games. Make them switch to another more relaxing activity a half hour or more before bedtime, such as watching a movie or show, storytelling, playing a board game, etc.
Make sure everyone has their belongings packed. Ask the boys which shoes, clothes, toiletries, etc are theirs and then make sure they are all packed with the right person. Try to make it fun by offering small candy bars or other snacks for the boys who finish cleaning up the quickest. Get creative and think of other ways to incentivize clean-up time. Intervene and show them the proper way to clean if they’re confused. For example, show them how to correctly fold clothes, make beds, or clean up small stains so they will know for future incidents.
Pick a wake-up time that’s close to their school wake-up time. Kids are more likely to awaken at times that coincide with their usual routine. Use food to entice them. Bring in a fresh stack of pancakes or a steaming plate of bacon as incentives for getting out of bed. When all else fails, turn on the lights and loudly announce that it’s time to wake up. This method may annoy them for a time, but sometimes it’s necessary to be the disciplinarian.
