ave a Board Game Tournament
Bring out several short board or card games and create a mini tournament.
UNO, Guess Who?, Jenga and similar easy-to-learn games work particularly well because people can join without spending 20 minutes learning complicated rules.
If you have several games, rotate after each round so one activity doesn’t dominate the evening.
7. Play 20 Questions
One person secretly chooses a person, place, animal or object.
Everyone else gets up to 20 yes-or-no questions to identify it.
It’s simple enough to play while everyone is sitting around eating snacks.
8. Play Name That Tune
Create a playlist containing songs everyone is likely to recognize.
Play only the opening few seconds of each track. The first person to correctly identify the song or artist gets a point.
For an extra challenge, use:
- Movie soundtracks
- Songs from childhood
- TV themes
- One-hit wonders
- Songs from a specific decade
Creative Things to Do at a Sleepover
Not every activity needs a winner. Creative projects give everyone something to do while leaving plenty of room for conversation.
9. Make Friendship Bracelets
Put beads, elastic cord, embroidery thread and letter beads on a table and let everyone design bracelets.
You could make matching bracelets or secretly create one for another person in the group.
Best of all, everyone leaves with a small reminder of the night.
10. Decorate Pillowcases
Buy inexpensive plain pillowcases and provide fabric markers.
Guests can add names, drawings, quotes, signatures or inside jokes.
Place cardboard inside each pillowcase while decorating so ink doesn’t bleed through to the other side.
11. Paint Mini Canvases
Set up small canvases, brushes and washable paint.
Choose one picture everyone tries to recreate or let each person make something completely different.
You don’t need artistic talent. The imperfect paintings often become the funniest ones.
12. Make a Group Scrapbook
Take pictures throughout the evening and combine them with handwritten notes, drawings and funny quotes.
If instant photos aren’t available, create most of the scrapbook during the sleepover and add printed pictures later.
13. Create a DIY Photo Booth
Hang a plain sheet, blanket or decorative backdrop against a wall.
Collect simple props such as:
- Sunglasses
- Hats
- Paper crowns
- Signs
- Feather boas
- Balloons
Use a phone timer so nobody has to remain behind the camera.
14. Make a Time Capsule
Give everyone a piece of paper and ask them to write something about their life right now.
Include predictions about:
- Where everyone will be next year
- Favorite songs
- Current hobbies
- Funny inside jokes
- Future goals
Seal everything in an envelope or container and agree on a date to open it.
15. Design Matching T-Shirts
Plain shirts and fabric markers can become a surprisingly entertaining activity.
Choose a sleepover name, funny slogan or simple symbol everyone can add to their shirt.
Tie-dye is another option if you have enough outdoor space and time for cleanup.
16. Have a Drawing Challenge
Give everyone the same prompt and five minutes to draw it.
For example:
“Draw a cat running a restaurant on Mars.”
Then reveal all the drawings simultaneously.
Nobody needs to be good at drawing. In fact, terrible drawings usually make this activity better.
Things to Do at a Sleepover With Food
Food doesn’t have to happen between activities. It can become the activity.
17. Make Your Own Pizza
Prepare individual pizza bases and put toppings into separate bowls.
Each person builds their own pizza before everything goes into the oven.
Offer several topping choices so guests can make something they actually want to eat, while checking dietary restrictions and allergies beforehand.
18. Build an Ice Cream Sundae Bar
Put out ice cream and toppings such as:
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate chips
- Crushed cookies
- Fruit
- Syrups
- Mini marshmallows
Everyone creates their own combination.
Keep portions manageable—you still have an entire night of snacks ahead.
19. Decorate Cupcakes or Cookies
Bake plain cupcakes or cookies beforehand.
Provide frosting, sprinkles and edible decorations and turn dessert into a decorating contest.
Categories could include funniest, most colorful, weirdest and “looks least edible.”
20. Have a Blind Taste Test
Choose several safe foods or drinks and hide their packaging.
Guests taste each item and try to identify what it is.
You can also compare different flavors of the same food, such as chips, cookies or juice.
Check allergies first and tell participants what general category of food they’re trying.
21. Make Popcorn Mixes
Pop a large bowl of plain popcorn and divide it into smaller portions.
Let guests experiment with different seasonings or mix-ins.
Make one sweet version, one savory version and one mystery combination created by the group.
22. Have a Pancake Breakfast
The sleepover doesn’t end when everyone finally goes to sleep.
A pancake breakfast gives the group one last activity the next morning.
Set out fruit, syrup, chocolate chips or other toppings and let everyone customize breakfast.
Things to Do at a Sleepover When You’re Bored
Every sleepover eventually reaches that moment when someone asks, “What should we do now?”
Keep these low-preparation activities ready.
23. Build a Blanket Fort
Gather blankets, pillows, chairs and cushions and create the biggest indoor fort possible.
Once it’s finished, use it for snacks, games, storytelling or the movie marathon.
Just keep entrances clear and avoid unstable furniture or anything that could fall.
24. Have a Scavenger Hunt
Hide clues around the house and divide everyone into teams.
Each clue leads to another location until the group finds the final prize.
Possible prizes include snacks, small party favors or the privilege of choosing the night’s movie.
25. Create a Minute-to-Win-It Tournament
Choose quick challenges that can be completed in approximately one minute.
Try:
- Stacking cups
- Moving cotton balls with a spoon
- Keeping a balloon off the floor
- Building the tallest block tower
- Tossing socks into a basket
Keep score across several rounds and crown an overall champion.
26. Tell a Story One Sentence at a Time
Someone begins with one sentence.
The next person adds another sentence, and the story continues around the circle.
After several rounds, you’ll probably have a completely ridiculous plot involving aliens, teachers, talking pets and haunted pizza.
27. Solve a Mystery
Create clues around the room or use an age-appropriate mystery game.
Assign roles, inspect evidence and work together to solve the case.
Mystery and escape-room-style activities appear frequently in current sleepover activity guides because they combine teamwork, storytelling and problem-solving.
28. Have a Pillowcase Race
If you have a safe, open area, use clean pillowcases like sacks and race toward a finish line.
Move furniture and other obstacles beforehand.
This is better earlier in the evening when everyone still has plenty of energy.
29. Play Flashlight Games
Turn down the lights and use flashlights for shadow puppets, flashlight tag in a safe area, storytelling or a clue hunt.
Establish boundaries beforehand so nobody runs into furniture or stairs in the dark.
30. Make Up a Secret Code
Create symbols for letters or common words.
Then write messages to each other and see who can decode them first.
You can make the challenge harder by hiding a final coded message somewhere in the room.
Cozy Things to Do at a Sleepover
As the evening gets later, switch from high-energy games to activities people can enjoy from sleeping bags, couches or a blanket fort.
31. Have a Movie Marathon
A movie marathon remains one of the simplest sleepover activities.
Instead of spending an hour deciding what to watch, choose a short list beforehand.
Try a theme such as:
- Animated movies
- Comedy night
- Superhero movies
- Mystery movies
- Childhood favorites
- Classic movies
- A complete movie series
Prepare blankets, dim the lights and bring out popcorn.
32. Create an Indoor Cinema
Take movie night a little further.
Make pretend tickets, create a snack counter and arrange cushions or sleeping bags like theater seats.
Someone can even make short “coming soon” trailers on a phone before the movie starts.
33. Have a Karaoke Session
Use instrumental tracks or a karaoke app and take turns performing.
People who don’t want to sing alone can perform in pairs or groups.
Finish with one song everyone knows.
34. Make a Sleepover Playlist
Ask every guest to choose two or three songs.
Combine them into one playlist that becomes the soundtrack for the night.
Save it afterward and you’ll have an easy musical reminder of the sleepover.
35. Tell Funny Stories
Late-night conversation is often more memorable than the planned activities.
Ask everyone to share something funny that happened at school, on vacation or when they were younger.
Avoid stories that embarrass someone else in the room.
36. Read Scary Stories
If everyone enjoys spooky entertainment, turn off most of the lights, grab flashlights and tell age-appropriate scary stories.
Check first that everyone actually likes being scared.
For younger groups, mysterious or silly ghost stories are often better than genuinely frightening ones.
Sleepover Challenges and Competitions
A little friendly competition can revive the group when the energy starts dropping.
37. Have a Dance-Off
Create a playlist and give each person 30 seconds to perform.
Or split into teams, give everyone ten minutes to create a routine and then perform it.
Make ridiculous award categories so the emphasis stays on fun rather than dancing ability.
38. Hold a Talent Show
Everyone gets a few minutes to perform anything they want.
Possibilities include:
- Singing
- Dancing
- Magic tricks
- Comedy
- Impressions
- Drawing
- Weird skills
People can also perform together if they don’t want the spotlight alone.
39. Try a No-Laugh Challenge
One person has 30 seconds to make another person laugh without touching them.
Faces, impressions and ridiculous noises are allowed.
If the other person laughs, the challenger earns a point.
40. Have a Fashion Challenge
Divide into teams and create outfits from safe items you already have.
You could use scarves, old clothes, paper accessories and costume pieces.
Finish with a dramatic runway show.
41. Create a Commercial Challenge
Divide into groups and give each team a random household object.
They have 15 minutes to create an advertisement convincing everyone that the object is the greatest invention ever made.
Film the commercials and watch them together.
42. Try the Whisper Challenge
One person wears headphones with music playing while another says a phrase.
The person wearing headphones tries to guess the phrase by reading lips.
The incorrect guesses are usually better than the correct answer.
Things to Do at a Sleepover Without Phones
Phones are useful for photos, music and movies, but they can also turn a group activity into several people silently scrolling.
You don’t have to ban them. Try setting aside one screen-free part of the evening.
43. Play Cards
A deck of cards gives you dozens of possible games without requiring screens or expensive equipment.
Choose games everyone understands or teach one simple new game.
44. Complete a Puzzle
Put a large jigsaw puzzle on a table and work on it throughout the evening.
Nobody has to sit there until it’s finished. People can add a few pieces whenever there’s downtime.
45. Make Paper Fortune Tellers
This classic folded-paper activity costs almost nothing.
Fill the inside with silly predictions, challenges or questions and test them on everyone.
46. Play Telephone
Sit in a circle.
One person whispers a sentence to the next person, who whispers what they heard to someone else.
Continue until the sentence reaches the final person, who says it aloud.
Compare it with the original.
47. Write Notes to Your Future Selves
Each person writes a letter describing their current life, friendships, goals and predictions.
Seal the letters and choose a future date to open them.
Outdoor Things to Do at a Sleepover
If you have access to a safe backyard and appropriate supervision, move some of the party outside before it gets too late.
48. Have a Backyard Campout
Pitch a tent, bring sleeping bags outside and turn an ordinary sleepover into a miniature camping trip.
You don’t necessarily have to sleep outside. The tent can simply become another hangout area.
Backyard camping continues to appear among popular sleepover recommendations for kids and tweens.
49. Go Stargazing
Bring blankets outside and spend some time looking at the night sky.
You can simply talk while watching the stars or use a sky map to identify visible constellations and planets.
50. Play Glow-in-the-Dark Games
Glow sticks can turn ordinary outdoor games into nighttime activities.
Use them for a dance party, ring toss or clearly marked boundaries for games.
Make sure the playing area is free of obstacles before turning down outdoor lighting.
Things to Do at a Sleepover for Different Ages
A great activity for an eight-year-old may feel childish to a 16-year-old. Instead of choosing ideas solely because they’re traditionally associated with sleepovers, think about what the actual group enjoys.
Sleepover Ideas for Kids
Younger children usually benefit from more structure and shorter activities.
Good choices include:
- Treasure hunts
- Cupcake decorating
- Blanket forts
- Charades
- Crafts
- Board games
- Animated movies
- Dance parties
Keep several backup activities available because younger groups can move through games quickly.
Sleepover Ideas for Tweens
Tweens often enjoy a combination of games, creativity and increasing independence.
Try:
- Friendship bracelets
- Would You Rather
- Karaoke
- DIY photo booths
- Scavenger hunts
- Movie marathons
- Pizza making
- Drawing challenges
- Mystery games
Let them choose between a couple of activities instead of controlling every part of the schedule.
Sleepover Ideas for Teens
Teenagers often want less structured time than younger children. Current guides aimed specifically at teens commonly recommend balancing a few planned games with plenty of room for food, music, conversation and spontaneous activities.
Good options include:
- Movie marathons
- Karaoke
- Card games
- Photo challenges
- Cooking or baking
- Music games
- Trivia
- Mystery games
- DIY projects
- Late-night conversations
Avoid forcing everyone into an activity. Having several choices available usually works better.
How to Plan a Sleepover Without Overplanning It
One of the easiest mistakes is planning so many activities that the sleepover starts feeling like a scheduled event rather than a night with friends.
You probably don’t need 50 activities.
Think of this list as a menu rather than a checklist.
A practical night could look like this:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Early evening | Pizza and an easy icebreaker |
| After dinner | Main game, scavenger hunt or creative activity |
| Later evening | Dessert and karaoke or music |
| Night | Movie marathon |
| Late night | Cards, stories or conversation |
| Morning | Pancakes and photos |
Prepare one main activity, two or three easy alternatives and one calm option for later.
That gives the night enough structure without controlling every minute.
How Do You Make a Sleepover More Fun?
The secret isn’t finding the most elaborate activity. It’s creating an environment where everybody feels comfortable participating.
Give People Choices
Not everybody enjoys karaoke, scary stories or competitive games.
Instead of saying, “We’re doing this now,” offer two possibilities and let the group decide.
Keep Activities Easy to Start
A game requiring 30 minutes of setup can kill the mood.
Prepare supplies before guests arrive so you can move from one activity to another quickly.
Don’t Schedule Every Minute
Some of the best parts of a sleepover happen when nobody is technically doing anything.
Friends talk, tell jokes, share stories and invent their own games.
Several current sleepover planning guides specifically recommend choosing only a handful of activities and allowing room for spontaneous fun.
Mix High- and Low-Energy Activities
Don’t schedule a dance competition, scavenger hunt and active game back-to-back.
Alternate energetic activities with calmer ones:
High energy: dance party → calm: pizza
High energy: scavenger hunt → calm: craft
High energy: karaoke → calm: movie
The evening naturally becomes quieter as bedtime approaches.
Make Sure Nobody Gets Left Out
Avoid games that repeatedly eliminate players.
If someone doesn’t want to participate in a particular activity, give them another way to join—keeping score, choosing music, taking pictures or helping organize the next round.
What Should You Prepare Before a Sleepover?
A little preparation makes hosting much easier.
Before guests arrive, check:
- Where everyone will sleep
- How many pillows and blankets are available
- Food allergies and dietary restrictions
- Emergency contact information when appropriate
- Drop-off and pickup arrangements
- Bathroom supplies
- Phone chargers
- Water and easy snacks
- Activity supplies
- A few movie choices
- House rules and areas that are off-limits
If children are attending, parents or guardians should also know who is supervising, where the sleepover is taking place, and how to reach the host.
For younger children, readiness for a first sleepover isn’t necessarily determined by one particular age. Comfort away from home, the ability to communicate needs and the ability to seek help when necessary are more useful considerations.
What Can You Do at a Sleepover at 2 A.M.?
Once it gets really late, loud games probably aren’t the best option.
Switch to quiet activities such as:
- Card games
- Would You Rather
- Drawing
- Friendship bracelets
- Watching a movie
- Telling stories
- Completing a puzzle
- Looking through old photos
- Making a playlist
- Talking from your sleeping bags
Quiet guessing and conversation games are particularly useful late at night because they require almost no setup and can be played while everyone is already settling down.
And despite the temptation to make staying awake until sunrise the goal, sleep should still be an option. Nobody has to prove they can stay awake the longest.
What Are the Best Things to Do at a Sleepover?
The best things to do at a sleepover are usually the simplest ones: play a few funny games, make something together, prepare snacks, put on music, take pictures, watch a movie and leave enough free time for everyone to talk.
If you’re planning your own night, choose five activities from this list:
- One icebreaker
- One energetic group game
- One creative or food activity
- One movie or entertainment option
- One quiet late-night activity
Then stop planning.
You don’t need to complete 50 activities to have a memorable sleepover. The games and crafts provide something to do, but the jokes, conversations, unexpected moments and time spent together are what people are most likely to remember the next morning.
