Teen Slumber Party Tips

Gossip, noise and little sleep-it may not spell fun for you, but you can be sure it spells fun for your teen. If you want to plan the perfect party for your teenager, a few slumber party tips can get you started.

Before You Send the Invitation
You can prevent any potential problems by communicating with the parents of your teen's guests ahead of time and making sure everyone is aware of the rules.

• Limit the party size to six or less to minimize the chaos.
• If guests need to bring anything to the party-a sleeping bag, pillow, movie, music or a special outfit-mention it in the invitation.
• Check with parents to find out if there are any allergies that you need to take into consideration.
• If movies are a part of the evening, be sure parents approve of the ones you've chosen.
• Make your rules crystal clear (no visits from members of the opposite sex, no leaving the house without permission and no prank calls), and tell guests you will call parents and send everyone home if they are broken.
• Make sure you have contact information for all of the parents.
• Include a pick-up time in the invitations, and remind parents of this time when they drop off their teens.

Themes
A theme isn't necessary for a slumber parties, but it definitely adds to the fun. Here are several great themes (and corresponding activities) to consider:

Red Carpet Night. Roll out the red carpet, and invite all of the biggest stars (your guests dressed to the nines) to make an appearance. Then, have the paparazzi (you) ready to take their pictures, as they head to the theater (your living room) for a night of movies and celebrity gossip.

Spooky Slumber Party. Scare the pants off guests with a night dedicated to all things creepy. Dig out the Halloween decorations-cobwebs, spiders and whatever else you've got-and use them to haunt your home. Then, round up a bunch of scary movies, and prepare for a night of screams and bad dreams.

Salon Night. Pamper guests with a night of salon-style treatments. Have everyone arrive in pajamas and bathrobes. Then, spend the evening giving manicures and facials, doing makeup and styling hair.

Vegas Casino. Stock up on playing cards and poker chips, and transform your home into a casino for the night. Then, invite guests to show up looking their Vegas best.

Food
Dinner. Pizza and soda is standard slumber party fare, but, if you want to do something a bit different, try sushi, fondue, hors d'oeuvres or a giant sub. Whatever you choose, just make sure you have lots of it, and ask about any food preferences or allergies before the party.

Breakfast. Plenty of fill-up fuel is a must after a long night of fun. A few no-fail breakfast ideas:

• Pancakes cut into fun shapes, like stars for a red carpet theme or bats for a spooky theme. Just be sure to serve them up with a variety of toppings.
• An omelet bar. Set up a table with lots of tasty ingredients-cheese, ham, tomatoes, onions and peppers-and let guests pick what they want in their omelets. Then, cook them up for a made-to-order meal.
• Fruit and yogurt parfaits. They'll be a welcome treat after a night of junk food, and they can be made up in advance, which is a major bonus for you.

Snacks. Chips, candy and cookies rule at a slumber party, but don't forget to include healthier options like fruit, veggies and dip and pretzels.

More Food Ideas. Try to work your party theme into the menu. Think candy necklaces and ring pops for a red carpet party or gummy worms and chocolate eyeballs for a spooky slumber party. With a little creativity, you can even work a color scheme into your menu.

Party Favors
End the slumber party on a good note by handing out party favors. For a salon night, go for mini-bottles of nail polish, sample sizes of makeup or moisturizers and temporary tattoos. No matter the theme, you can't go wrong with a mix CD or pictures taken at the party.