Nothing makes a slumber party a hit more than great party games.  Sometimes the tried and tested games like tug of war  and duck-duck-goose are just what you are looking for.  However, other times some fresh ideas are need to take your party to the next level.  Here are some pointers and great game ideas for your next slumber party bash.

Things to Remember

  • Be Prepared: Have all the games set up and ready to go before the party. Make sure you have clearly understood the game instructions/directions. It is better if you play the game once to help  find any loop holes or missing steps.
  • Be Flexible: If you sense that a game is not going well, move on to the next activity or make a quick adaptation to the existing game.  Also be prepared to take the party indoors if the weather disturbs your outdoor party.
  • Everyone is a Winner: Parties are a time to have fun. Consider playing most, if not all games without prizes, but everyone gets a candy or sticker.  This is especially important when younger children are involved.

Sleep Over Games

  • Burglar Alarm - Set a little timer and have everyone go out of the room. One person stays in and hides the timer. Then the other children come back in and try to find the timer before it goes off. Whoever finds it gets some kind of prize and also a chance to hide it the second time around. In case the timer goes off before anyone has a chance to find it, the person hiding it gets a prize. For an added effect this could be played in a dark room using flashlights.
  • Musical sleeping bags - Clear a space and lay out the kids’ sleeping bags in a circle or row on the floor. Use one less sleeping bag than the number of players.  Start some music – and have the kids walk around the sleeping bags.  When it stops each child has to get inside a sleeping bag.  Whoever is left without a sleeping bag is out of the game.
  • Shadow Buff – This is a guessing game where a shadow is the only clue. One person who is “it” sits in the middle of the floor facing a blank wall or a sheet serving as a screen.  Turn off all the lights with only a single light (from a flashlight) behind the person who is “it”. One by one, the other players pass behind ”it” and in front of the light.  Looking straight ahead at the shadow on the wall, ”it” tries to call out the identity of the player crossing behind.  Players may disguise their shadows in any way to confuse the guesser. The player whose identity is guessed correctly becomes “it”.  Here is a good tip:  don’t let your height give you away.  Moving closer or farther away from the light will make you appear taller or shorter.
  • Piggly-Wiggly -Everyone lays out their sleeping bags. Choose someone to be “it” and they must leave the room.  Everyone else hides completely inside the sleeping bags (not their own). When they are ready, “it” comes back in the room and she sits on one of the sleeping bags and says, “Piggly-Wiggly”.  The person inside says “oink, oink.” “It” must then guess who is inside the bag.  If they are right, the person in the bag is “it”.  If they are wrong, they pick another sleeping bag and try again.
  • Volley Balloon – Pair up the kids and have them link their arms with their partners leaving just one hand free to volley the balloon. Whichever pair is able to volley their balloon the longest wins. For a trickier challenge, teams can try racing to a finish line, volleying their balloons all along. If a balloon touches the ground at any point along the way, that team must run back to the starting line and begin again.
  • Oversize Board Game – This game really gets you involved … because you are the piece that moves around the board.  On a very large patio or driveway draw a large (VERY large!) gameboard with chalk.  Make every square at least 18″.  Make it in the shape of a circle or oval (or a figure 8).  Write “start” at the first square and then on each square write a command or action.  Example:  Square 2 = move ahead 3 spaces, Square 3 – jump up and down until your next turn, Square 4 = sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star until your next turn, Square 5 = go back 2 spaces … and so on until every square is filled.  Make 2 large oversize dice (paint them white or leave unpainted and draw black circles on the sides of the “dice” – 1 – 6 dots)  from boxes at least 12 x 12 – the bigger the better!  Roll the dice and then move yourself along the game board.  When you land on a square do what the square says.  The winner is the one to reaches the end space first by landing on it with an exact roll.   This sleepover game is also fun to play at night with flashlights.
  • Hide and Seek the Blair Witch way- (Best for teenagers)  This is a new type of hide and seek to play using a mobile phone and your home phone.  Wait until it’s dark and turn out the lights. One person hides with a cell phone. In the pitch black, everyone goes looking for this one person. Every so often the person hiding must call the house phone and give clues to where he/she is hiding.  This game is thrilling and fun. If you have one, use a night vision video camera to follow the guests and watch the tape later.
  • Tapper – This is a great game for older kids and teenagers. It’s fairly simple to play. Designate a person as “Tapper “ and have him/her leave the room.  Have the rest of the players hide around the room.  Switch off the light before the “Tapper”comes in. The “Tapper” comes into the room, with the lights off, and taps on someone. If you get tapped you have to say “Yes?” in a weird voice (or you can say something else, it’s up to you). The Tapper has to figure out who was speaking. If the Tapper is right, the person tapped has to be the Tapper next and everyone finds a new hiding spot. If the Tapper is wrong, he/she has to tap another person.This game is hilarious! After a while everyone will end up just screaming random things when the Tapper walks into the room!
  • Flash Light Hide and Seek – Playing a game in the dark does wonders to its appeal.  Hide and Seek played at night with flashlights is one game that is better with the lights out.  Improvise the game to suit your friends and playing area.  Add face paint, dark clothing and a black light and your guests will be hooked.

Have a fantastic sleepover!  If you have some more great sleepover game ideas, please send them to us at partyexperts@purpletrail.com.  We love to hear from you! 

Celebrations are what life is about – Design Your Celebration.