Invitations
For my daughter’s 6th birthday party on July 3rd 2005 we had a girls slumber party. She invited 7 friends to sleep under the stars at Camp Jade. The invitations were blue cardstock which read “Jade is turning six years old. Please come celebrate with slumber party games under the stars at Camp Jade”. Glued to that was a green cardstock tent tied closed with twine. Opening the tent revealed all the party information. Turned out very cute and got lots of positive responses!
The Girls Slumber Party Agenda
The girls arrived at 6pm and we grilled individual pizzas (which if you’ve never tried are great!). They then decorated milk cartons with the bottoms cut out with markers to make ball catchers and then played catch for a while. Next came sun art using sun-sensitive paper and things found in nature. They loved doing these pictures.
Party Games
Then came the time for girls slumber party games. The girls played water balloon toss ball toss fill the bucket relay game using cups with holes in them to make it more of a challenge and finally a treasure hunt. I gave the girls a written clue which led them to 7 more clues and eventually to the “treasure”. These were small lanterns with their names on them hidden in a box in the tent. The treasure hunt was by far their favorite game.
Once they were in the tent I gave each girl a hobo sack which was a USA flag bandana (4th of July weekend) tied to a long barbecue skewer which they used later for s’mores. Inside the bandana was a compass, a whistle, s’more bars, binoculars, bookmark with “Camp Jade” on them and a star fact book. I then gave each girl a 2-gallon bucket and lid in which they put all their stuff and then sat on the lids.
Campfire Cupcakes
Then my daughter opened presents in the tent. We then had cupcakes that looked like little campfires with the help of raisinets as rocks and rolled-out starburst cut into flames. I then had the girls play some more slumber party games: “unwrap the present” game in which each girl unwrapped one layer of a multi-wrapped package that contained sparklers and glow bracelets. This was a big hit with them! . They put on the bracelets and we lit the sparklers and sang some patriotic songs.
S’mores
Next came s’more making time. We used the BBQ skewers to roast the marshmallows on our campfire (a chiminea) while sitting on our camp buckets. We sang some camp songs and told some silly ghost stories. Next we “talked” to the fireflies by luring the male to our “female” flashlight. This was exciting to all of them. (Read “Talking to Fireflies Shrinking the Moon” for this and more ideas). They then played flashlight tag until they were tired.
Bedtime!
We then got into our PJ’s and sleeping bags and I read a book of not-so-scary ghost stories (they are only 6 after all!) Lastly I got out the portable DVD player and they watched Mary Kate and Ashley’s Camp Out Party DVD. They were looking at the stars through the top of the tent by 11PM and asleep by 11:15.
End of the Girls Slumber Party
In the morning we had packaged donuts and orange juice and made sand art in little jars while we waited for the parents to pick them up at 9:30 am. The girls absolutely loved this party and especially all the girls slumber party games and Jade wants to do it again next year. It was fun and inexpensive to host and to see the smiles on the girls’ faces was priceless. I would highly recommend doing a camp out party of your own. Sleeping in a tent is a treat in itself!
Girls slumber party ideas by: Betty J. from Edwardsville, IL