That fateful day fell upon my household. My oldest child left childhood and turned 13. My daughter has entered her teen years. She wanted a party but not like the kiddie parties that we have done before. I decided to do something a little more mature and plan her a spa slumber party. I thought back to the slumber parties of my youth to find some inspiration. We didn't need much. Some fun movies, snacks and sleeping bags worked just fine. I wanted to update it a little bit for my daughter and her friends so I included the spa element. Relaxing music and images off of YouTube, a chocolate fountain and floor pillows to have all the makeup and nail polish fun. I gathered all the ideas I had, whether I used them or not. There were so many good options. You can make it whatever you want.
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I set the scene by trying to remember every relaxing spa I'd ever been too. I let my daughter pick the candle scents she wanted to use. Made sure the lighting was not too bright. Used blankets and pillows to make the room more comfortable. I made some floor pillows (it ended up being cheaper than buying them) by getting some nice large pillow cases and foam squares from the craft section. I filled the gaps with some stuffing that I already had. I found some fun balloons online and set the tv on YouTube to a video I found searching for spa music. I used decorative storage boxes to stage all the activities and spa "station" items. Having a color scheme helps decide the decor. It can really be whatever you want. Using balloons, streamers, tablecloths in the color scheme can take care of most of the space, then just add certain elements. At a spa party, foliage can set the tone. Bringing nature in to help with relaxation.
Go the extra mile: Set up little individual tents. These can be made or purchased online. Each girl can feel special in her own space. Add satin robes to each tent so the girls can match and protect their clothes.
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Obviously, I went hunting down various spa-like things to serve as activities. The girls are at that stage where they want to play with makeup. My daughter likes picking up random lotions and makeup when out shopping. I scoured places like the Dollar stores, Five Below and TJ Maxxx for cute bath items like bath bombs and fun shaped sponges. I only had a few girls so I was able to get personalized manicure kits, headbands and make tote bags for them. I used one box to store things like makeup, hair chalk and nail polish. There is a spin game I found online that will help determine how they can paint their nails. Another box has some epsom salts scented like strawberry and raspberry that I used in my foot spa. The girls loved soaking in the warm water while it made bubbles. I added a gel-peel face mask that the girls used along with some fresh cucumber slices on their eyes while they relaxed on their pillows. I found a few recipes to make your own masks at home. I kept plenty of towels on hand to dry and clean up any messes. I had more activities on hand, just in case, they needed more to do, including fun sheets with games like Would You Rather and M.A.S.H. (a favorite from my childhood), a trinket bowl kit and a teen magazine. Only one, that was all I could find.
Go the extra mile: Hire a manicurist to give the kids mani/pedis
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I kept the food simple since these slumber parties usually end up being a grab and go type of thing. Their time to sit and eat would be during a movie after all the spa-activities. The typical tea-party-type sandwiches and cucumber water didn't appeal to the kids. My daughter fell in love with Buffalo Chicken Bites (with regular popcorn chicken in case someone didn't want spice) so that's what we did, with fries and various dipping cups, using Ranch, BBQ sauce, Fry sauce and Ketchup. I used the chocolate fountain and had strawberries, raspberries, marshmallows and gummi bears on hand for dipping. (I'm not saying I did this, but the idea of using Melatonin gummies for them to dip was tempting) I wish the fountain worked a little better. I still try to balance the components. The chocolate did not run smoothly. Make sure the chocolate is fully melted and the machine is fully warmed up before running the chocolate. There is a tip to use oil (vegetable or coconut, if you want a healthier option) to make the chocolate a little smoother. The cake was an ice cream cake with strawberry ice cream and chocolate cake. I added a small decorative bathtub and filled it with small marshmallows and white gumballs (to look like bubbles).
I loved watching movies at slumber parties. Usually it was at a Girl Scout sleepover and we would always watch Troop Beverly Hills. That one holds a special place in my heart. I kept a list on hand (including where they were streaming) and let the girls pick a movie. We landed on The Hot Chick but here is a list of others (depending on the age group):
- Sleepover
- 13 Going On 30
- Little Rascals
- Grease
- Sugar and Spice
- Bring It On
- The Princess Bride
- The Breakfast Club
- Pitch Perfect
- Dirty Dancing
- The Neverending Story (before they remake it)
- Miss Congeniality
- Adventures In Babysitting
- A Cinderella Story
- Ever After
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Hairspray
- Now and Then
Beyond that, I've learned that kids will be kids. You give them guidelines of things to do but they will find their own fun. It can be difficult to get them to focus so I don't run that tight of a ship. As long as they have fun and I have pictures to help me remember everything, that's all that matters.
Relax and enjoy!
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