31 Slumber Party Activities That Will Remind You Of Your Own Childhood

Who doesn’t love a cupcake? At our first big slumber party for my 9-year-old, I baked a ton of cupcakes and set out all the frosting, sprinkles, and decorations they could possibly need or want, and the kids had an absolute blast. This sweet little garden cupcake kit from Meri Meri is so fun, and you then have a beautiful display of everyone’s creations. You can add in sprinkles and different colored frosting as well to really jazz up your little cake garden. Take my advice: bake the cupcakes in advance so they’re already cooled and ready for the little decorators.

Brand new video games are still plenty fun, but if you want to bring back the vintage feel of your own slumber parties, you need the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In this tiny mini system, there are tons of games, from Super Mario World to StarFox and Zelda. You can even show all the kids just how great you used to be at Street Fighter II. Plus, with just two controllers, kids can really get invested and take turns, rooting each other on to victory.

So this Super Smalls Spark and Shine Gemify Sunglasses kit is made for one pair of sunglasses, each parent could supply their child with their own set or it could be a very special gift to give a small group of kids at your next slumber party. Super Smalls is known for their gorgeous, super unique and fun craft kits, and this one is just darling. Using gems, kids can decorate their own pair of sunglasses and a case to hold them, and then you obviously need a photoshoot directly after. Plus the sunglasses are actually good glasses and not those flimsy costume-shop style ones.

But if you want a craft set that’s a little bigger and has more pieces for a crowd of kids, try the Super Smalls Make it Super DIY Bead Kit.

If you’ve got a group of kiddos who are really into the great outdoors, consider hosting a little nature scavenger hunt and using this scavenger hunt journal to document all their findings. With 32 pages, there’s plenty to work through, and they could either take turns on each page, or work as a group to complete each section together and see how far they can go.

Whenever my 9-year-old is with a big group of friends, their go-to game is playing charades. It’s a classic for a reason, and the kids will all have a blast split into teams or playing by the rules where everyone guesses and whoever gets it right gets the next turn. You can make your own cards or pick up a party game like Guesstures for some easy fun.

I know, so many kids already have phones i hand to take photos, but go ahead and set out the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 camera and get some extra film. They will all love snapping photos of the fun they’re having, and then everyone can take home a couple of photos to remember the party. Fashion show? Baseball game in the yard? Pizza-making party? All of it is worth a snapshot.

Whether you’re showing a movie or just want a fun snack, a popcorn bar is such a great slumber party activity. You can either pop or buy a bunch of already made popcorn, from plain to cheese, and then set out tons of fun toppings for kids to mix in to make the snack of their dreams. Mini M&Ms, caramel, butter, cheese, even Tajin — the options are pretty endless. You can even throw in items like dried fruit and other crunchy snacks like pretzels to make a trail mix. Grab some fun popcorn bins to save yourself on dishes, too.

OK, OK, I know this slumber party activity sounds kind of corny, but I really love it. With some poster board, magazines, these sweet vision board printables from Etsy, and a big clear space for everyone to work in, you can really get those kids feeling inspired and motivated to be their best selves. Maybe it’s summer and they all want to make a vision board for the next year, or maybe it’s just an awkward pre-teen age and they have a lot of feelings — no matter what, making a vision board is a really fun activity that will get them amped for whatever comes next.

A movie night is a given during a slumber party, but you can take the fun up a notch by creating a whole concessions stand with candies, drinks, and popcorn. There are tons of great printables, so you can get as detailed as you’d like with your display. Just use any area, like a dining room table or kitchen island, to show off all of the treats, and let the kids come pick their favorites before the movie starts. If you opted for a popcorn bar, this is a great time to let kids make their treats as cheesy, salty, and/or sweet as they want.

I mean, let’s be real. The slumber parties of our youth included creepy games like Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board (totally teach them how to play that) and messing around with Ouija boards (do not teach them how to do that), so lighting up the fire pit and doing a little spooky story telling is pretty tame. If the kids don’t know Are You Afraid of the Dark? (sob), give them a little summary and then let everyone take turns sharing their spookiest story. Maybe go ahead and have some marshmallows on hand, or this whole fun s’mores kit.

My kids and I love a dance party at any point of the day, but when you create an epic playlist (Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, *NSYNC, ABBA, you know the drill) and add in this amazing disco light, you’ve got the best kind of dance party. Also, major pro tip: this will wear the kids slap out for bed. You’re welcome.