When my kindergartner twin daughters asked for a slumber party to celebrate their 6th birthday I said, “absolutely no.” However, crestfallen faces led me to think of a compromise. We hosted a birthday pajama party – all the fun of a sleepover, but without actually sleeping over!
We designed the invitation, asking guests to arrive in their pajamas and to bring a sleeping bag and favorite stuffed animal.
My daughters embraced the party planning! The three of us shopped at Target for the perfect new pajamas to wear. We decided on a few short games to play and selected prizes for the winners from the Dollar Spot – and they each selected an easy craft to make at the party. The night of the party we set up a large folding table for crafts with two plastic table cloths, one under the table for spills and one on the table for decoration. We bought a package of foam frames at a craft store so that each girl could decorate her own party favor. And then, after lots of discussion and some compromising, we selected a movie to watch.
The girls were bursting with excitement when their friends started arriving at 5:00 PM. They all looked so cute in the their pajamas. And most of the parents wound up staying at the party, which turned out to be a blessing. I underestimated the chaos that eight kindergarten girls could cause! We had pizza, followed by two birthday cakes (if you are a twin, you really should have your own cake). After games and crafts, we settled everyone into sleeping bags for popcorn and a movie. They felt like such big kids, and a few even fell asleep. If memory serves (this was 6 years ago) no one finished watching the movie.
We took a group photo, and while they were watching the movie, I printed out copies and slipped them into their frames as party favors. The party was a hit with both the kids and the parents!
