If you’re planning a birthday sleepover for your child, you might be wondering what to do on a sleepover for 11 year olds.
Whilst 11 year olds are usually growing out of childish party games, they also aren’t quite ready for the sorts of games that teenagers might play, making your job of planning the perfect sleepover party a challenge.
The Best Sleepover Ideas For 11 Year Olds
That’s why we’ve put together our top ten sleepover party ideas for 11 year olds, taking one task off your plate and leaving you free to plan the finer details.
From camping out in the garden or hiring living room tipi tents to making mocktails and decorating t-shirts, we really do have ideas to suit all tastes and personalities.
Here are our top ten ideas for 11 year old sleepover parties:
1. Matching Pyjamas
To help get your 11 year old’s sleepover party off to an exciting start give each child a pair of matching pyjamas.
They will love matching their friends and taking photos together of their coordinated nightwear together.
Whether you opt for cute Disney pyjamas, an on trend Harry Potter design or a retro Friends set of PJs, you can be sure that the children will thank you for their new co-ordinated outfits.
Not only that, but whenever the children wear their pyjamas in future, they will think back to their sleepover party, reflecting on their happy memories.
This is a sure fire way to ensure that your child's sleepover party is remembered for years to come!
2. Camp Out
Whilst you probably think of your 11 year old as still being your baby, the chances are they’re starting to look for a bit more independence, and what better time to show them you trust them than on their birthday?
You can give your 11 year old that bit of independence by setting up a camping party in your back garden.
If you have a large tent, this is ideal for the sleepover party. If you don’t own a tent, try asking friends and family whether they have a large tent that you could borrow for the night.
You can then transform the tent into the perfect sleepover venue by decorating the interior with fairy lights and bunting, as well as setting up camping mats, pillows and blankets for each child to sleep on.
Your child will be delighted by their newly found independence, especially on their birthday. You child and their friends will have the perfect camp out sleepover party to remember for years to come.
3. Movie Night
There’s nothing better as an 11 year old than cosying up with your friends for a night of movies. Whether you decide to opt for a timeless classic such as Cinderella or a newly released box office hit, the kids are bound to be thrilled with a cinema night with their friends.
You could even turn it into a movie marathon and watch several movies back to back, and tie in cinema snacks such as popcorn, nachos and hot dogs. Be sure to scatter plenty of pillows and bean bags around the living room for the children to lounge around on, as well as blankets to keep them warm whilst they watch their films.
If you want to go the extra mile, try asking around friends and family – someone might just have a projector that you can borrow, turning your movie night into a true big screen experience!
4. Decorate T-Shirts
Every great sleepover needs something that the children can take home as a memento of their night, and what better keepsake than a custom designed t-shirt that they can wear over and over again?
For an easy t-shirt design activity, purchase a plain white t-shirt for each child (or ask them to bring one along to the sleepover), along with a pack of fabric pens.
Then, let the children’s imaginations run loose as they dream up their perfect t-shirt design and bring it to life with the fabric pens.
If you don’t mind a bit of mess, you could also allow the children to experiment with tie dye, creating stunning one off t-shirts which they can wear with pride for their birthday sleepover.
Whether they choose to create matching t-shirts with their friends or unique designs that reflect their individual personalities, every child is guaranteed to enjoy creating their own bespoke t-shirt design with their friends.
5. Party Games
No sleepover party is complete without a few party games. Not only will this help to pass the time until they finally fall asleep, but it will also keep the children entertained and give them lasting memories of their sleepover party.
Before the guests arrive, it can be helpful if you have some ideas of games to play, especially if it’s your first time hosting a sleepover party for your child and their friends.
Here are some of the most popular sleepover games for 11 year olds:
- Truth or dare
- Would you rather
- Guess Who?
- Charades
- Pictionary
- 20 questions
All of these games are great ways to get the kids interacting with each other, whilst encouraging them to bond over shared experiences. This is particularly useful if some of the children don’t know each other, as it will quickly get them talking and enjoying themselves!
6. Mocktails
Food and drink is an essential part of an 11 year old's sleepover party, but that doesn't mean it needs to be boring. Why not get the kids involved in making mocktails to sip as they watch a film or chat with their friends?
This is a great way to ensure the children are drinking something that they enjoy, whilst limiting their intake of fizzy drinks. Depending on how many children you’re catering for, you can either give each child a task, such as making the ice cubes or pouring the lemonade, or set out all of the ingredients and allow the kids to have a go at mixing them together themselves.
You could even lay out the ingredients and ask each child to create their own personal mocktail, then get all of the children to try each drink and rate them out of ten, before crowning a winner.
This can be a great opportunity for the children to bond, as it will encourage them to chat as they mix up their mocktails and taste test each other's drinks. And who knows, they might even eat a piece of fruit in the process!
7. Hire Tipi Tents
Tipi sleepover tents have soared in popularity in recent years, becoming a central part of many sleepover parties. However, the tents can be a little pricey for many parents to buy, especially if they won’t get regular use out of them.
Hiring a tipi tent is a cost effective way of bringing this unique sleepover accessory into your home without shelling out on the initial purchase price.
Tipi tents are the perfect size for children aged 11, giving them the space to tell secrets with their friends and chat freely, without feeling like the grown ups are listening in on their conversations.
There are lots of options for hiring a tipi, so do some research to find out what is available in your local area. It's always best to check reviews of any potential company to ensure that you're choosing a reliable and trustworthy company. And don't forget to check whether there are any discounts or promotional offers available before you book!
8. Make Pizzas
It can be hard to please everyone when you're catering for a large group of children. Luckily, pizza is usually a safe choice, as the majority of children will happily munch their way through a slice of pizza.
Pizza is a great choice for dietary requirements, as it can be easily tailored to suit different allergies and diets. For example, you can opt for vegan cheese, gluten free bases or vegetarian toppings depending on the children attending the sleepover party.
You can be sure to please everyone by allowing each child to create their own personal pizza, complete with their own custom selection of toppings. For ultimate convenience, you can purchase pre-made pizza bases that can simply be decorated by the children with their chosen toppings.
If you're feeling more adventurous, you could support the children in making their own dough, before stretching it out into their perfect pizza base.
For the authentic touch, you can place a pizza stone on your barbeque and heat it up, before transferring each pizza in turn onto the stone for cooking. You'll be left with authentic Italian pizza that the children will love!
9. Host A Pamper Evening
Every child loves to feel special, and there’s no better way to do that than to host a pamper evening for the birthday child and their best friends.
Begin the evening with quiet, relaxing music playing. Allow the children to unwind by soaking their feet in warm water and applying face masks. Then, provide them with a selection of different nail polishes to choose from - they will enjoy taking it in turns to paint each others' nails and experiment with different nail art.
Finally, they can move onto trying out different hairstyles on each other, and maybe even give each other a makeover using makeup - as long as their parents agree, of course! Don’t forget to take plenty of photographs of their new styles for them to remember in the years to come.
For the added touch, you could even provide every child with a matching dressing gown to snuggle up in as they enjoy their pamper evening with their friends.
10. Scavenger Hunt
Your 11 year old might think that they are all grown up now, but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying the childish fun of a scavenger hunt.
Plan a treasure hunt that will take the children around the house and garden, searching for clues until they finally reach the end prize. If you want to make it extra challenge, use riddles that must be answered to discover the location of the next clue. For extra fun, you could even divide the children into two teams and allow them to compete to be crowned the winner.
If you’re feeling more adventurous and you have open space on your doorstep, you could take your scavenger hunt up a notch by holding it in the woods or a field. This is a great way to get the children burning off their excess energy, leaving them tired for the night ahead.
In Summary
Hosting a sleepover party for your 11 year old isn’t an easy task. There are so many different things to think about, from the type of food that you’ll serve to the activities that you’ll offer to keep the children entertained. And that’s without even considering how you’ll convince them to go to sleep before midnight strikes!
We hope that we have inspired you with ideas for what to do on a sleepover for 11 year olds, making your task of planning the perfect birthday sleepover just that little bit easier.
At Pyjamas.com, we stock a wide range of kids’ pyjamas, with options to suit all tastes and personalities. If you’re looking for the perfect pyjamas for your child’s upcoming sleepover party, why not check out our full range today.
