Her First Slumber Party

Decide what you want to do during the party. Some slumber parties start at a skating rink or a movie theater and conclude with the girls sleeping over at the house. Other parties have a more do-it-yourself approach, with the girls creating projects and preparing snacks with an adult's guidance. Some slumber parties have themes, such as mermaids or fairies for younger girls and a disco or home spa for older girls.

Snacks and activities form the core of a slumber party, with decorations a distant runner-up. Girls can make their own English muffin pizzas and s'mores, or you can order in pizzas and pop microwave popcorn. Keep the food portable and cheap, because the girls will roam around with it and come back for seconds. Entertainment can be as simple as board games followed by an age-appropriate, non-scary DVD, or more inventive, such as a stage set up for karaoke or a game of flashlight tag in the backyard.

The girls' energy will have highs and lows. In general, it is best to start with active games such as a dance party or charades and then have winding-down activities such as Ouija Board readings and suspenseful but not scary stories. Girls can finish the evening by chatting while polishing nails and toenails.

Location determines many aspects of a girl's slumber party. A camp-out in the backyard can be great fun and minimizes messes and cleanup. However, you must make sure your backyard is a secure place for the girls to sleep. A basement or attic space gives the girls more privacy and room to spread out, while the living room keeps them closer to the kitchen, bathroom and adult supervision. Wherever the girls sleep, remove any breakable items and make sure there is plenty of room for spreading out sleeping bags.

A girl might beg for a slumber party before she is ready to handle one. Most children do not comfortably spend the night with a group of other children until they are 7 years old. If your 6-your-old begs for a slumber party, keep it modest and invite cousins and a best friend at most.