A successful slumber party requires more than a group of kids in their pajamas. When the sun goes down and kids are inside for the night, it’s up to some good planning to keep them occupied…and a bit quieter. So before you plan on hosting a pajama jam filled with rambunctious members with little to do, read the following information packed with information related to popular games.
MASH
You may have played something similar in grade school, predicting where you will live, who you will marry, and future occupation. MASH, representing mansion, apartment, shack, or house, is a fortune-telling game that allows kids to be aligned with five options per category. Randomly selecting where to stop throughout the categories and option, children find where they will live, their spouse, car, etc. Of course, it’s no realistic way of predicting the future, but kids love the silliness involved and the admission of school crushes and future hopes.
Truth or Dare
Of course, an adult should play along too to ensure the game remains appropriate as it requires each player to either reveal a truth or else take part in a dare composed by one of their peers. For example, a ‘truth’ may involve a school-related crush and a dare may involve eating a foul-sounding snack (like marshmallows and pickles). The game is generations old with ripples added throughout the years. For example, in some versions, you can pick another to help you complete a dare, or be forced to repeat a phrase ten times if you don’t complete it.
Spin-the-Bottle
It’s assumed you want your kids to wait a few more years (at least) before they begin kissing peers due to affection, yet this version of spin-the-bottle is a bit different. Using a nail polish bottle, a peer spins and the person that it eventually points to gets a manicure. Buy several different bottles of varying colors so all the girls get a chance to try on fresh paint. For guys, buy a number of faux tattoos that wash away after a couple of days and apply the same rules as above. Rather than the actual tattoo prints, use an empty soda bottle for the spinning.
Treasure Hunt
Similar to an adult scavenger hunt, place items around the home along with a trail of clues or riddles. To make it challenging, incorporate problems from the kids’ recent homework assignments. To make it more fun, split the kids up and reserve a prize for the team who solves the most puzzles or finds the final treasure first. To make it an official team effort, have the kids choose ahead of time and get matching pajamas.
Twister
This age-old game never grows stale. As you may recall, one twirls the spinner device that dictates where other players place feet and hands (Example: left-hand goes on blue). Within a few minutes, players are sprawled all over the board in amusing and athletic poses. This is great to play in tandem with Limbo, another test of flexibility and grace.
Allison Ernst had dedicated her working life to child education. She is a working mom and loves to write online about family matters. Her thoughts and advice can be found on a number of different websites.