In a previous article, I set out some ideas for a fun girly sleepover party, so now it's the boys turn, because I know boys love a PJ party, maybe even as much as girls do, just without all the glitter, pampering and pink! If you are brave enough to host a boys sleepover party (and I do admire you), my first tip would be keep the numbers down to a manageable amount, because as we know they will be loud, boisterous and physically active.
3 to 4 is probably safest, any more than that and you are potentially entering a danger zone! On that note, it might be a good idea to outline a few little ground rules about no go zones in the house, what sort of play is acceptable, what is not, how doing anything dangerous will result in a call to their parents - that sort of thing.
Of course, it depends on the boys and their ages, but it doesn't harm to let them know there are certain restrictions when they come to stay.
Make sure you have all the parents' phone numbers in case of emergency.
But enough of the serious stuff! We know boys just want to have fun and a sleepover is great for a group of friends because they get to hang out together, stay up late and eat junk food - what's not to love?! Add some video games into the mix (probably unavoidable!) and possibly an action movie and you'll have a very happy bunch of young dudes.
When you send out the invitations, it would be a good idea to ask to be notified of any dietary restrictions and give a list of anything sleepover buddies need to bring, such as pillows and/or sleeping bags and give a pick up time for the next day.
Maybe have a couple of new toothbrushes on standby, or spare pyjamas, just in case someone forgets to bring theirs.
If you wanted to give the party a theme, there are plenty to choose from - you'll know what your son is into the most, but popular ideas are Star Wars, Sports, Lego or Minecraft; maybe their favourite video game, such as Super Mario.
But it could equally just be a non-themed PJ party, to keep it simple and also, boys simply love to hang out together so don't feel you need to impress them with a fantastic party theme and decorations.
Keep the partyware simple and disposable for ease, you could just put up some streamers and balloons if you feel you want to decorate - and have some spare balloons for them to play 'keepy-uppy' and other balloon challenges (they will probably invent some of their own).
You could have a few planned activities/entertainment as well as the all important food and drinks.
As growing boys tend to have good appetites, for party food, I would think about pizza and fries, hotdogs, fajitas or hamburgers.
Perhaps some ice cream and fruit or cakes for dessert.
I know they will likely want to go straight onto the Xbox, Wii or PlayStation, as boys love their computer games, so perhaps a few races on Mario Cart or something similar where they can pit themselves against each other would be fun with their competitive spirit! Perhaps try and limit the amount of time they get to spend on those (not easy I know) and maybe leave out some good old fashioned board games to play with instead, or set them some Lego building or racing challenges, maybe a science experiment, too? They can't resist those - and the messier the better! A game of 'What Am I?' is always a giggle, where players have to stick a card to their forehead (without looking) that has an object written on it.
By asking the other boys questions that can only be answered yes or no; the aim of the game is to work out who or what they are.
Unlike girls, they are probably not going to want to do anything in the way of pampering, in fact quite the opposite - they would much prefer to get dirty! If the weather is OK, let them burn off some energy outside with a game of football, or how about leaving out some materials for them do some den building and making a camp? In cold weather, you could theme the whole party as an indoor camp, complete with makeshift tents, marshmallow toasting etc.
In the evening, they could chill out playing card games or watching a movie with hot chocolate, popcorn, pillows and blankets.
I asked a colleague of mine to ask what her sons would look forward to most about a sleepover party and the first thing they said was a midnight feast! Yep, boys usually love their food, don't they? They'll need plenty of fuel so bear that in mind, you'll need to load up on snacks and if you could prepare a few tasty things to leave in the kitchen so they can help themselves during the night, they'll really enjoy that.
Have a good supply of paper plates, napkins and disposable cups and cutlery for convenience.
You don't want to face a sink full of washing up in the morning! Provide some torches so they can sneak down the stairs to grab their grub, it will add to the excitement.
Don't expect them to go to sleep early, boys gossip and chatter, as do girls, so they'll probably be sleeping in late.
Breakfast will need to be hearty! What about some pancakes with sliced banana and chocolate spread as a tasty treat to finish the party on a happy note? Good luck with your Boys only hangout!