If you’re planning a fun sleepover for the children or are looking forward to sending them off for a night at their friend’s house, we’ve got plenty of fun sleepover ideas for 8 year olds that both you, and they will want to try!
Super sleepover Ideas
- Teepee tents & Igloos
- Smores station
- Themed sleepovers
- Indoor campout
- Super cute PJs
- Scavenger hunts
- The chocolate game
- Balloon countdown
- Making pizzas
Most 8 year olds love being with their friends and will jump at the chance to enjoy a cool activity like a sleepover to have as much fun as possible. It’s fair to say, they will definitely still need a little help from you when hosting their friends who might be staying away from home for the first time.
Planning It Right
Planning is key as eight year old boys and girls will love a jam-packed sleepover full of fun games, cute PJs and dreams of a midnight feast as they (hopefully) drop off to sleep surrounded by their besties.
Thankfully planning the perfect slumber party couldn’t be easier, as they will be eager to tell you exactly what they want and will most likely want to be involved in all of the preparation. This means that you can even have fun ahead of the sleepover as you all get to work planning games and activities that will keep them busy and stop them and their friends from getting into too much mischief on your watch!
Using the fun ideas that we've shared below for food, sleeping arrangements, pyjamas and games, you can help them to enjoy the excitement and fun that they crave from having a sleepover with their friends, whilst ensuring that they still have an adult around to be on hand for any homesick cuddles or scary dreams that could quickly put a damper on things!
Don’t Forget The PJs
With all thought of fun sleepover ideas, don’t overlook the obvious - an awesome pair of Pyjamas that they can’t wait to get into and show off to their friends. At Pyjamas.com, we love everything about sleepovers, especially picking out snuggly sleepwear. Whether your little ones are having a summer camp out in the garden, an indoor tee-pee fest in the winter or a game-filled extravaganza, we’ve got a huge variety of pyjamas for 8 year old girls and boys to choose from.
Read on for plenty of fun sleepover ideas covering games, sleeping arrangements, food and pyjama options to ensure the kids have the best night ever!
Sleeping arrangements
The sleeping arrangements will depend on the number of children attending and the space you have available, but any more than two, and you will likely have to use some floor space, blow-up mattresses or get creative when it comes to make-shift beds!
A great way to build even more excitement and fun when it comes to actually getting into bed, you could let the kids build and sleep in their own forts made of pillows, cushions and sheets, or even hire one of those amazing igloos to create a whole new outdoor bedroom that they will be sure to love.
For those looking for something extra special, but firmly inside, you can hire mini indoor teepee tents that can be personalised with each guest’s name and match your theme. You can even decorate them with fairy lights, glow in the dark stickers, and bunting in their favourite TV characters or sports teams for the extra fun factor.
Themed Sleepover
Whatever phase your 8 year old son or daughter is currently in, we bet they’re absolutely bonkers about something! Whether it’s gaming, football, unicorns, mermaids, animals, or something else, it couldn’t be easier to pull together the perfect themed sleepover party which has their favourite thing of the moment front and centre wherever you look.
To really go to town when pulling a theme together, try to stick to a simple pallet of colours that match the theme, add themed cupcake toppers, relevant music, decorations, bedding or tee-pee options, and pyjamas to the sleepover plan.
For the ultimate themed sleepover vibes, could everyone wear the same matching pyjamas?
Click here to view our Frozen themed party ideas for plenty of inspiration for your themed night!
Click here for some of our favourite Avengers-themed nightwear!
Games Galore
There are plenty of games to choose from when it comes to pulling together a fun sleepover but depending on your appetite for a mess, noise and running in the house, you might want to choose the ones that take place at your house wisely! Consider the space you have, what the weather is likely to do, and how many children you will be entertaining to come up with fun activities that work for all. Here are some of our favourites for you to consider.
Balloon Pop Countdown
This has to be one of our favourite fun ideas for a sleepover. Not only does it build anticipation and is exciting to play, but it also provides a structure to the sleepover which is great if you want to try and stick to a semi-reasonable bedtime!
Simply blow up some balloons and write a different time on each with a marker pen. Then hang them somewhere they can be reached by the children then ask them to take it in turns to pop a balloon at the time shown on the balloon. Each balloon will reveal the next fun sleepover activity which is hidden inside!
Struggling to drag your little boy away from the football pitch, the Xbox or Transformers obsession? We bet our brilliant range of pyjamas might just get their attention! From Sonic, WWE, Marvel, Gaming, Aliens, Footy, Pokemon and more - we have soft, cotton sleepwear they are sure to love.
Click here for some of our favourite 8 year old boy’s pyjamas
Scavenger hunt
Whether you go simple and provide a list of items to find around the house or go to town with custom clues they have to solve to make their way around a trail, children love to seek out treasure! (especially things that could make the sleepover even more fun - such as a mini torch, bubbles and sweets).
Design a pillow
Designing a pillow doubles up as a fun sleepover activity as well as providing a keepsake or memento of the night that can be taken home the next day. Break out the fabric pens, clear space on the table and get the kids to let their imagination run free with pretty patterns, squiggles and pictures. They will be sure to have sweet dreams when bedding down for the night on their very own creation!
The Chocolate Game
Sometimes the best games are the old ones. You will probably remember the chocolate game from your own sleepover days and it’s sure to have the kids in fits of giggles as they race to snaffle the chocolate before the next person rolls a double!
You will need a bar of chocolate (a fairly soft one), a pair of gloves, a hat and scarf and a knife and fork that is suitable for 8 year olds to use. Sit the children in a circle and they take it in turns to roll two dice. When somebody rolls a double, they have to get to the middle of the circle, put on the hat, scarf and gloves then try to eat the chocolate with a knife and fork before the next person rolls the double!
This can get pretty frantic so ensure you have enough space or if you have lots of children, consider having two sets of kit and dice so that everybody gets a go.
Dancing
Go to any party with a disco and you will find a group of 8 year olds living their best life on the dance floor! Dust off the disco ball, zone of a dance floor with those funky coloured, foam mats that connect together like a jigsaw, and get the party tunes playing. They will hopefully pull out their favourite energy busting dance moves to tire them out ready for a good night's sleep!
We’ve got pyjamas for 8 year old girls well and truly covered. Whether they’re into pink and girly cute designs, are dog mad or just can’t get enough of the Little Mermaid, Harry Potter or Frozen, there are plenty of soft cotton designs to choose from.
Click here for some of our favourite 8 year old girl’s pyjamas
Food & Snacks
Make Your Own Pizzas
We think it’s best to play it safe when it comes to food for youngsters staying away from home. To keep their minds occupied on fun things rather than feeling hungry or missing home, pizza making is a great sleepover food option. It’s an enjoyable thing to do that not only puts them in control of what they’re eating but also creates minimal washing up for you!
Simply layout all the toppings and sauce and let them get to work creating their delicious feast - we know from experience, they’re much more likely to eat it if they’ve made it themselves!
If serving food to children who you don’t know very well, always check with the parents if there are any allergies or dietary needs to be aware of before the night and ensure you share the same info about your children if sending them off for the night elsewhere.
Smores bar!
We’ve never met an 8 year old that doesn’t love marshmallows, particularly when sandwiched between two biscuits and covered in chocolate! Smores offer a great option for dessert whilst doubling up as another activity if you’re able to have a little fire outside to roast them the authentic way!
If the weather isn’t playing ball, taking turns pinging the microwave will work just as well. Simply layout a selection of biscuits, marshmallows of all shapes and sizes, sauces and toppings and watch their little eyes light up as they get fully invested in building the biggest smores you've ever seen!
Got A Onesie?
For the ultimate sleepover snuggle factor, you can’t beat a onesie. Providing the warmth of a blanket but the convenience of an all in one, our 8 year old onesies feature everything from cute animals, magical unicorns, football, gaming, starry designs and emoji-filled fun. They're a great option for winter sleepovers!
Click here for some of our favourite onesies for 8 year olds
Packing Tips For Fun Sleepovers
Although excitement is key, there are some practical things that you should make sure the children have when heading off to their first sleepover. To ensure they have as much fun as possible whilst staying comfortable and happy, they will need a toothbrush, favourite or brand new PJs, change of clothes including underwear and socks, any medicines that they need to take, your telephone number, and their teddy or blanket that can provide a little home comfort that helps them drift off soundly.
Ready, Steady, Sleepover!
There you go, that’s our ultimate list of fun sleepover ideas for 8 year olds that will have the kids and you ready to plan their next sleepover right away!
- Teepee tents
- Smores station
- Themed sleepovers
- Indoor campout
- Super cute PJs
- Scavenger hunts
- The chocolate game
- Balloon Countdown
- Making Pizzas
We hope that we’ve given you plenty of fun ideas to think about when it comes to comfy sleeping arrangements, yummy food they will eat, games to tire them out and pyjamas to snuggle up in for the next sleepover you’re hosting.
All that’s left to do is get planning with the kids! So grab a paper and pen and jot down all of your favourite ideas to create a super sleepover your kids and their friends will never forget.
If you want to top up on boys' and girls pyjamas before the big night, head over to Pyjamas.com to pick out a new set of long or short sleeve sleepwear. We have soft, comfortable, cotton pyjamas with superheroes, sports teams, classic Disney, gaming themes, TV favourites, animals, funky prints, cute designs and more in styles and sizes to suit every age range, budget and season. There is so much choice, you might end up packing more than one pair!
