How to Host an Awesome Slumber Party

Your preteen can hardly contain herself but you’re dreading the whirlwind experience that is the birthday slumber party. So many party favors to buy! So many hyperactive kids to babysit! So much cleaning to do! To eliminate slumber party stress, you thought about hosting the festivities in a hotel, but that’ll cost you a portion of your daughter’s college education and you’d disturb other guests. You also thought about denying the girls sugar, but then you'd have a very unhappy daughter on your hands.

Suddenly, you have a light bulb moment… what if you host the party in a large group vacation rental? Your daughter’s slumber party will be the talk of the school and you’ll be the coolest mom on the block with this clever, original, and hassle-free party idea.

In a vacation rental, the birthday girl and her guests have plenty of room to play hide and seek, tell ghost stores, run around outside, pig out on food and drink, and give each other makeovers! You’ll have your own space, too, so you can keep a watchful eye on the girls but manage to escape the label “party pooper.” As well, when you’re away from home, no party crashers – like younger brothers or disruptive pets – can ruin the fun. Best of all, rent a home with a cleaning service and you won’t have to participate in the hectic cleanup the next day.

Consider inviting other moms to sleep over, too, so the adults can mingle and relax while the kids hop up on sugar and bond over girl talk.

When the slumber party’s finally over, return to your house, which won't have a single trace of rowdy girls... like trash bags full of gift wrap and decorations or cake crumbs.

Perhaps the best aspect of a vacation rental – compared to your own home or a hotel – is that it perfectly suits the spirit of your slumber party. Is your daughter’s birthday in the summer? Stay in a vacation rental that's located on the beach or has a swimming pool and hot tub. Is she inviting over 15 girls or 3? Choose the exact size you need. Does she like to cook? Find a vacation home with a big kitchen so everyone can bake cookies together. Is she an excellent roller skater? Book a vacation rental near the skate rink. It’s that simple and it’s that affordable! Don't spend a lot of money for your daughter to spend a fun-filled night with her best friends.

Once you’ve included the ingredient of a large group vacation rental in your slumber party recipe, you can’t go wrong. From party favors to decorations to games to food, be as creative or laid-back as you want. No matter what, your party will be a hit. Order pizza or cook hamburgers on the grill. Make root beer floats and S’mores or just munch on snacks and popcorn the whole night. Plan an elaborate scavenger hunt in the neighborhood or strategically place a PG movie and some board games in the living room, leaving it up to the girls to entertain each other.

If you intend to throw the best slumber party of the year, follow these 10 steps...

Book the vacation rental of your choice well in advance and make sure you don’t reserve it for a conflicting holiday/occasion that could steal the spotlight from your daughter’s special day
Make some catchy, attention-grabbing party invitations and send them out to your daughter’s closest gal pals
Buy party favors
Make preparations for food and activities ahead of time
Check into the vacation rental the afternoon or evening before the party so you have lots of time to decorate and organize the rooms for all those incoming sleeping bags
Learn about any allergies and health issues the girls may have and get the contact information of their parents in case anything goes wrong
When the girls arrive, set some ground rules for the party
Balance careful supervision with a hands-off approach so you don’t spoil the fun
Don’t neglect breakfast! The girls will be hungry when they wake up. Order donuts or prepare a massive pancake feast to satisfy their growling tummies.
Plan to relax and reorganize yourself when the party's over – it's best not to plan anything but slumber party recovery for the next day.

Whether you live in Florida or Texas, there are plenty of vacation rentals that will suit your daughter's slumber party.