30 Fun Things to Do at a Sleepover

One word. Ten letters. Say it, and your kid will zoom around in a haze of excitement. Sleepovers are the backdrop to some of the most memorable moments in a child’s life and offer the opportunity to form lifelong memories with their dearest friends. Most of these involve copious amounts of pizza, sneaking grownup movies after parents fall asleep and staying up all night. All very fun, but we can do better than that.

Plan the best sleepover ever with our list of fun ideas for all ages. Read on to find our failproof kid activities, tasty treat recipes and tons of unique craft projects to keep your overnight guests occupied until morning.

First up? Our DIY kids' sleeping pods. Create ultra-cozy lounge cushions for your little ones and their besties by following our easy-to-follow tutorial below. These plush pads will keep them comfortable while reading, finger-knitting or playing board games.

It doesn’t matter whether your sleepover is during summer, spring or fall — s’mores are a crowd-pleasing treat year-round. Set up a s’mores station with pre-skewered marshmallows, graham crackers and plenty of chocolate to set up your overnight guests for sticky-sweet success.

Build a bohemian tent in your backyard for the kids to sleep under the stars. Make this inviting space your muse and recreate it for your sleepover party with an all-weather tarp or tablecloth pitched above an oversized picnic blanket or jute rug. Soften the hangout area with a slew of all-weather blankets and pillows piled beneath glowing paper lanterns and bistro lights. Finish off the tent with sleeping bags and a few accent tables to eat, drink and play games all night long.

If you're hosting an outdoor slumber party this summer, take notes! Swap classic sleeping bags for their breezier counterparts to keep your sleepover crew feeling comfortable throughout the night. Hammocks offer guests unmatched relaxation and add an element of adventure to the alfresco event. And the best part? The designated chaperone (you) won’t wake up with back pain that lingers for weeks (or months).

Park your car at the end of your driveway or clear off your back patio, then supply your sleepover guests with a pail of colorful sidewalk chalk. Let their imaginations run wild or offer them an artistic prompt to get their creative juices flowing. Pro tip: A parent must chaperone while kiddos draw on the front driveway or walkway to ensure their safety. Kick back in a lawn chair and enjoy some vitamin D while they have fun.

A Ping-Pong tournament will keep competitive kiddos entertained for hours. Ping-Pong is perfect for older kids and teenagers alike — add a spread of sweet and salty snacks, remove any breakable items within 300 feet and let them do their thing. And if you don’t have a Ping-Pong table, don’t worry! You can snag a portable table tennis set complete with paddles, balls and net on Amazon for less than the price of a large pizza.

What better fuel for a night of laughter and fun than pizza and soda galore? Order a crisp salad and a few boxes of classic cheese and pepperoni pizzas to share with the kiddos and their parents at the sleepover drop-off.

Let’s face it: The only thing more fun than a summer sleepover with your best friend is a summer sleepover that includes swimming with your best friend. Treat your kiddos to an afternoon dip or night swimming at your neighborhood pool with a chaperoning parent (or two!) in tow. Have the chaperones stow away their phones and watch the swimmers at all times to ensure their safety.

Go tech-free until the after-dinner movie at your next sleepover. Have your kiddos get some fresh air and play outside in the sandbox, on the swing set or zoom down a fort slide. And if you don’t have outdoor play gear — don’t sweat it! Entertain your sleepover crew with relay races or games like Red Light, Green Light to keep them moving all afternoon.

Why reserve face painting for Halloween festivities? Pull out your detail brushes and set up a face-painting station to transform your sleepover guests with whimsical motifs of their choosing. Pro tip: Help the little ones wash off the paint before bedtime. Not only will this avoid their discomfort from prolonged wear, but it will protect your bed linens from stains and rouge glitter. That's what we call a win-win.

If you're hosting spirited kiddos for the night, you're in luck, friend. We have the perfect activity to help run through some of their energy reserves before bedtime. Take a post-dinner jaunt around the neighborhood with your family dog(s). Depending on the age group, your guests can take turns leading your fluffiest family member on the walk. Another idea: Head out for a field trip to the dog park to spend quality time with Fido and all his friends. Don't forget the Frisbee!

Put the phones away and encourage your sleepover crew to connect for the evening. Connect Four, to be exact. Pull out Connect Four and more classic board games for easy-going entertainment for all ages.

Searching for sleepover entertainment ideas for difficult-to-please tweens and teens? Lean into their obsession with all-things Bridgerton with a game of backyard croquet. And yes, you’ll earn major bonus points if you serve some cozy English tea and biscuits for post-match refreshments.

Fact: Everyone enjoys decorating holiday cookies. Capture the same joy at your next sleepover party with a DIY doughnut decorating station. Supply your sleepover guests with store-bought glazed donuts to use as their blank canvases. Pile your kitchen island with colorful icing, rainbow sprinkles, candies, food markers and edible glitter, and let them go wild.

Running through sprinklers on a sweltering summer afternoon is one of life’s simplest pleasures. Invite your guests to pack swimsuits and a change of clothes they can throw on after weaving between inflatable sprinklers in the backyard.

Get your overnight guests into an autumnal state of mind for your upcoming fall fête with delectable DIY caramel apples. The sweet treat is healthier than most but tastes just as indulgent as other seasonal eats, thanks to decadent candy toppings. Skewer apples and have your houseguests dip them in caramel sauce before rolling in toppings of their choice, including festive candies, crumbled cookies and chopped nuts.

Bingo is the ultimate game for sleepovers because it requires players to be present in the moment and share the experience. Bonus: You can customize the game to fit any sleepover theme imaginable. Are you hosting a Friendsgiving sleepover? You can make a bingo for that. Are the kiddos staying up all night and marathoning all the Harry Potter movies? Perfect opportunity for eight rounds of magical bingo to match. Oh, they're watching the Big Game? You get the idea.

Get your tweens off the sofa and out the door with a DIY pool noodle obstacle course. They’ll spend hours reconfiguring the noodles to make the obstacles more challenging, timing each other and competing for the title of pool noodle champ.

There are endless sleepover activities that kids would enjoy, but remember, sometimes less is more. Give your sporty kid or teen an evening of simple fun with a few basketballs, their favorite teammates and a hoop in the driveway. Serve some cold beverages and grilled cheeseburgers for dinner; everyone is happy.

Win over the kids (and their parents!) with this crowd-pleasing summer treat: fruit pizza. Provide your kiddos with a chilled sugar cookie as a base and fresh whipped cream as the sauce. Put out a mix of colorful berries, kiwi, melon and pineapple to use as pizza toppings, and voila! They’ll snack on this customized dessert all night long.

Give your guests a glittery sleepover takeaway with this gorgeous craft. Set up a crafting station indoors (or outside because of glitter) and guide your sleepover crew on how to make these magical glitter jars with the tutorial linked below. They’ll be obsessed with how glam their jars turn out and look forward to showing off their creations in their bedroom at home.

Can you really call it a spa-inspired sleepover without making homemade bath bombs? Rhetorical question, friend. Gather your tweenager guests together between hair braiding and nail painting to create a slew of DIY bath bombs using our tutorial in the link below.

These rainbow pinch pot planters are the perfect project for your soon-to-be college freshman and their friends the summer after high school. Lay out all the pinch pot and paint supplies and send them the link to our easy-to-follow tutorial below. Throw on a movie or music of their choice and leave them to their crafting. Each teen can decorate their bedroom or college dorm room with their personalized planters as a sentimental reminder of all the nights spent with friends.

It’s impossible not to enjoy yourself when blowing our DIY giant bubbles. Use our failproof bubble solution recipe below and make a big batch ahead of time to keep your sleepover guests giggling in the backyard until the sun goes down.

Create an outdoor painting oasis for the pint-sized Picassos in your life. Use a large drop cloth to cover surfaces and supply the artists with paintbrushes, canvas paper, charcoal pencils, crayons, watercolors and acrylic paint. Throw on a zippy playlist and let your creative sleepover crew bring their artistic visions to fruition.

Replace your kiddos’ devices with yarn and busy their hands for hours with finger knitting projects. Finger knitting is needle-free and relaxing — easy to do while watching a movie before bed or just sitting around talking about the latest celebrity gossip.

If a failproof sleepover dessert is what you’re after, you’ve found it. Our make-your-own ice cream sundae jars provide your kiddos the ultimate opportunity to customize their sundae to suit their taste and keep them entertained. Lay out glass Mason jars for each guest, plus all the fresh fruit and candy toppings imaginable. Don’t forget the fresh whipped cream, caramel drizzle and hot fudge, too!

Tie-dyed shirts are synonymous with childhood summer sleepovers. Help your kiddo and their besties create one-of-a-kind tees to remember the festivities with our easy tutorial below. And if you really want to impress them, go ahead and make a batch of our tie-dye desserts while you're at it.

Bring the sleepover movie marathon to your backyard with a DIY movie projector screen and cozy outdoor seating. Throw on your bistro lights to add sparkle overhead and serve everyone’s favorite movie snacks: buttery popcorn and chocolate candy treats.