How to Throw an Adult Slumber Party

Party All Night with an Adult Slumber Party

Whoever said you had to stop having slumber parties once you grow up? Just because adults have jobs and scheduled routines is no reason they can’t have an occasional adult slumber party. It’s a perfect way to have a party where nobody has to go home! And unlike a wild event where somebody drinks a few too many and crashes on the couch, an adult slumber party is comfortably planned. So if you love great times with friends and want to make an entire night of it, read on to plan your slumber soiree!

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How to Throw an Adult Slumber Party

1. Plan Where Everyone Will Sleep and Prepare Your Space

Unless you live in a palace, it’s important that you don’t invite more guests than you can comfortably accommodate to your adult slumber party! So if you live in a studio apartment with no extra beds and your floor is the only space you can spare, gauge how much room people will need for a sleeping area and plan accordingly. Also make sure that they know where they’ll sleep. Some people cannot comfortably sleep without an air mattress or some kind of padding, so if they want to attend, they may need the couch or bed. If you have extra comforters, layering these can help soften a hard sleeping surface. Ideally, there is at least carpet or some kind of padded rug. Then again, anyone who drinks enough won’t mind one way or another…until morning, at least!

Clean Your Home

If you want friends to spend the night, you’ve got to make your home inviting. Clear up any clutter strewn across tables or elsewhere. Vacuum, sweep, Swiffer, wipe counters, clean the microwave, and definitely clean the bathroom(s). Not only is this proper hosting etiquette in general, but it’s especially important if you expect people to spend a whole night in your space. Plus, you will benefit from your sparkling clean home and enjoy it, too!

2. Prepare Food and Bevvies

You really only need one real food at your adult slumber party: pizza. Everything else can be filler food – kettle corn, Doritos, snack mixes, cheese cubes. But remember: you’ll all be hungry for a hearty breakfast come morning. Not everyone’s a big breakfast eater, but be prepared for hungry friends nonetheless and plan a nourishing morning meal. Whether you whip up some eggs and toast or prepare a breakfast casserole ahead of time that you need only warm in the oven, you’ll want something nutritious and tasty on hand. People always appreciate things like croissants and bagels, too. The easiest hacks are to buy pre-made frozen breakfast pastries that you simply heat in the oven. Or a box of muffin mix that you mix and bake in minutes.

As for drinks, juice and wine will do! If anyone will be drinking, wine and beer (or a liquor and a mixer) are classic staples for an adult slumber party. If anyone will not be drinking, flavored sparkling waters and juices are tasty alternatives. For breakfast, have classic orange juice (and some sparkling wine to mix mimosas as well!).

Refreshment Budgeting Tips

It’s easy to spend a lot on food, but it’s more cost-effective to prepare your own dishes (such as this slumber party pizza) rather than buy pre-made party platters or order take-out. This requires that you plan your menu and set aside time to cook/prepare food in advance (included in your time block to-do list below). While that takes a little more effort and preparation on your part, it also gives you more freedom over specific ingredients you provide. This is important, say, if someone is gluten free.

Of course, you can always budget by inviting guests to BYOB and/or bring edible items to share. Most people are happy to contribute (see 5. Guest Participation). But regardless, be aware of any invited guests’ dietary restrictions and provide at least one or two decent food/drink options for them as well.

3. Set the Ambience with Fun Music and Scented Candles

Play some fun music for your adult slumber party! Whatever you and all your guests enjoy will facilitate a good mood and a fun time. There is no one-size-fits-all – just avoid any downers or negative, stressful tunes. One idea is to ask everyone their favourite songs ahead of time, and put a party playlist together!

Nice smells are not necessary, but everybody loves walking into a place that smells good. While nobody will notice if there are no smells, people always notice a pleasant smell. Lighting scented candles is a pleasant addition to your home’s atmosphere – and you get to enjoy it beyond the party, too!

4. Plan Adult Slumber Party Activities

What did you do at slumber parties as a child? With some exceptions (no pranks or bras in the freezer, please!), you can revisit the same pastimes now. And if you’ve never been to a sleepover in your life, then you especially should host your very own and first ever adult slumber party! Below are a few fun activities to revamp as the older/wiser/more intelligent twelve-year-old you:

Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever

Truth or Dare is the ultimate adult slumber party game. It can definitely make for an intriguing and silly time. Never Have I Ever is also a fun classic. There are plenty other games you can get into as well. Board games are also a great idea! But careful to not bore everyone to death. Some people can really get into long, strategic board games, while others limit it to easier ones like Apples to Apples.

Keep in mind that, as a considerate and attentive host, it’s important to make sure none of your guests feel uncomfortable or left out. Even though you should always vet your guests when you initially invite them, still pay attention and check in with someone if you notice they seem uncomfortable. Maybe they need to take some time to relax solo in another room, or maybe everyone else is happy to move on to another activity. This doesn’t mean you micromanage emotions or hover/control every situation, but rather that you are in tune with your friends and show you care by helping them out. So if any conversation or activity gets a little too personal for someone’s comfort, step in and redirect as needed!

Beauty Rituals

I can’t speak for the boys, but braiding hair and painting nails were staples of girl sleepovers. Applying face masks is another popular spa activity. When was the last time anyone did this for you, or vise versa? If it’s been too long, wait no longer! Not only is it super relaxing for the person receiving the grooming, but it’s a fun way to beautify one another while practicing beauty skills.

Watch comedies, chick flicks, action/adventure movies, or rom comes (or weird foreign films)

Watching a good movie is another classic staple of a slumber party. Funny movies are classics that everyone enjoys. As long as the topic matter isn’t so off-color that it personally offends any guests, you usually can’t go wrong with a popular comedy. Or a well-made action/adventure film, or a fun click flick! Then again, watching a super weird foreign film will ignite all kinds of conversations to keep the discussion interesting all night long. Sometimes they are excellent, sometimes they are plumb bad, and sometimes they are so weird that you can’t even.

Tell Stories

Every slumber party must have at least one weird story shared by a friend, such as a paranormal encounter, Area 51 or some other odd life experience. Don’t ask me why; this is just a hallmark of sleepovers. Everybody talks about everything and eventually the weird stories come out. It’s a classic to look forward to at your adult slumber party!

5. Establish Guest Participation

Guest participation involves the extent (if any) to which you ask your guests to participate in your party. For example, you may request that people bring a dish to share. You could naturally invite everyone to wear their PJs (no one can argue with comfort!). Whatever you choose, make any participation expectation clear from the initial invite.

You’ll certainly need to require that guests bring their own pillows and sleeping bags or sheets/blankets, along with their overnight bag. They could opt to bring a yoga mat for padding, if they own one, as well as ear plugs or an eye mask. If only a few friends are coming, you may have plenty of blankets and pillows to spare. But people usually prefer their own pillows anyway, and they may want extra blankets if your space runs cool. It’s important that everyone sleeps comfortably, so make sure they know what they should bring and where they’ll be sleeping!

Checklist of Items You Need

These are the things you need for your adult slumber party:

1. If available, extra comforters or padding for guests if they will sleep on the floor
2. If available, extra pillows or blankets for guests as needed
3. Ingredients to prepare refreshments for the evening as well as breakfast
4. Playlist/speakers and, optionally, scented candle(s)
5. Nail polish and/or hair grooming items (optional)
6. Movie(s) and TV screen
7. Any game materials/board games
8. Eye masks for your guests (optional)
9. Ear plugs, for yourself and extras for your guests if available (strongly recommended)

Checklist of Preparations for Your Adult Slumber Party

1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date:

1. Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well. Assuming you and your friends have occupations that have you working during the standard workweek and off on the weekends, you should have a Friday or Saturday night party. Saturdays are usually optimal so that people have time to get plenty of sleep Friday night and sleep in Saturday morning. That way they’re ready to stay up late at your adult slumber party! But Friday nights are exciting because then people have something to look forward to while working all day Friday. Of course, if your schedule is such that you are off in the middle of the workweek, you’ll want to plan your party then and invite friends with a similar schedule. The point is, most people won’t want to have to turn around and go to work fatigued the next morning! So consider this when choosing a date.
2. Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort) as well as maximum number of guests you can comfortably accommodate in your space. Choose your guests wisely, as you will all be spending an entire night together! It’s important that everyone gets along. And you can certainly invite friends who don’t know one another so long as you think they will jive well.
3. Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s)
4. If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure calendar date for your awesome adult slumber party!

2. Then, proceed with the fun planning:

1. Schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep (securing and/or making food/drinks, etc.)
2. Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
3. Order any party supplies you’ll need 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time)
4. Shop for any party supplies you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
5. In your planned time slots, acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
6. In your planned time slots, prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)
7. In your planned time slots, clean your house (ideally within a day or two of your party so that it stays clean) and, however much possible ahead of time, prepare sleeping spaces for your guests

3. Day of Party (in your amply planned time slot):

1. Prepare any foods/drinks that are too fresh to do any earlier
2. Do any easy last-minute preparations with your space that you couldn’t do before
3. Prepare ambience (music, scented-candles)
4. Get dressed in your favourite sleepover PJs
5. Once everything’s ready, meditate or do any preferred self-care to get in a good head space if you aren’t already. You want to be relaxed, energized, and excited. You will be happier, and guests will pick up on your contagiously good vibe and automatically be happier as well – everybody’s best interest!