5 Fun Activities to Make Your Teepee Sleepover Party Unforgettable

5 Fun Activities to Make Your Teepee Sleepover Party Unforgettable

Updated September 2026

The teepees are set up.

The snacks are ready.

The guests have arrived.

Everyone has chosen where they’re sleeping…

And within approximately three minutes someone asks:

“What are we doing first?” 😂

The good news is that you don’t need an entire night of carefully scheduled entertainment to create an amazing sleepover.

In fact, some of the best parts of a slumber party happen when the kids are simply hanging out in their teepees, talking, laughing and enjoying being together.

But having a few activities ready can help get the party started—especially while everyone is arriving and settling in.

Here are five easy activities that work beautifully alongside a teepee sleepover.

🎨 1. Decorate Pillowcases

This is a classic sleepover activity for a reason.

Give each child a plain pillowcase and let them create their own design using fabric markers.

Depending on their ages, you could also provide:

✨ Fabric stamps
🌸 Stencils
⭐ Letter templates
💗 Shapes
⚽ Theme-inspired designs

Children can write their name, draw pictures, have friends sign it, or create something completely unique.

And unlike an activity that gets thrown away afterwards, the finished pillowcase becomes a keepsake from the party.

💡 Make it easier

Put a piece of cardboard inside each pillowcase before decorating.

This helps create a flat drawing surface and can prevent fabric markers from bleeding through to the other side.

Follow the instructions on whatever fabric products you’re using, especially for drying and heat-setting.

And I’d probably skip loose glitter.

Your floors will thank you. 😂

🧁 2. Create a Cupcake Decorating Station

Activity and dessert in one?

Yes please.

Set out plain cupcakes and let the kids decorate their own.

You could provide:

🧁 Cupcakes
🌈 Different icing colours
✨ Sprinkles
🍫 Chocolate decorations
🍭 Small lollies
🎂 Cake toppers

Give each child a plate and plenty of space to work.

You could even have some fun categories:

Most Colourful

Most Creative

Most Sprinkles

Most Likely to Collapse Before You Eat It

But there’s absolutely no need to turn it into a competition.

Sometimes letting them decorate — and then eat — their masterpiece is enough.

⚠️ Don’t forget allergies

Before planning any food activity, check with parents about allergies and dietary requirements.

Also think about cross-contamination when children are sharing bowls, spoons and decorations.

🔎 3. Send Them on a Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is brilliant for burning off some of that early-party excitement before everyone settles down for the evening.

You can run it:

🏠 Around the house
🌳 In the backyard
🔦 As a torch hunt after dark for older children
🎨 Around the party theme

Instead of simply giving them a list of objects, create clues that lead to the next location.

For example:

“I’m cold inside but have no snow. Find me where the party drinks go.”

Answer: the fridge!

At the final clue, they could discover:

🍿 Movie snacks
🎁 A little surprise
🍫 Personalised chocolates
🎬 The movie choice
🧩 Their next activity

For younger children, keep clues simple.

For older kids and tweens, make them work for it!

And if the hunt goes outside after dark, set clear boundaries and supervise appropriately.

📸 4. Have a Sleepover Photo Challenge

Instead of simply telling everyone to stand together and smile, turn the photos into a game.

Give the group a list of photos to capture during the night.

For example:

📸 Everyone making their funniest face
🛏️ A photo inside the teepees
🕶️ The coolest group pose
💗 A best-friends photo
🤪 Everyone doing something different
🎂 A photo with the birthday child
🧸 Everyone holding their favourite sleepover prop
😴 The funniest pretend-sleeping photo

You could also set up a small DIY photo area with a few props and a simple backdrop.

It doesn’t need to be elaborate.

A balloon feature, fairy lights and a handful of silly props can be plenty.

🔐 A quick photo reminder

If you’re photographing other people’s children, make sure you know whether their parents are comfortable with photos being shared.

Remind older kids and tweens to ask before posting photos or videos of their friends online.

Capture the memories — but respect everyone’s privacy too.

🎲 5. Play Some Good Old-Fashioned Sleepover Games

You really don’t need complicated entertainment.

Some of the funniest sleepover moments come from incredibly simple games.

Try:

😂 Charades
🤫 Chinese Whispers
🎵 Musical Statues
🕵️ Wink Murder
🤔 Who Am I?
🎭 Would You Rather?
⏱️ Minute-to-Win-It challenges
📖 Create-a-Story

One of my sleepover favourites is a Create-a-Story game.

Sit everyone in a circle.

One person begins with a sentence:

“It was midnight when we heard a strange noise outside the teepee…”

The next person adds another sentence.

Then the next.

Keep going around the circle.

The story will almost certainly become completely ridiculous — which is exactly the point.

And if you need some extra ideas during the night, Slumber Wonderland also has free downloadable sleepover games you can have ready as an easy backup.

🎶 Bonus Idea: Let Them Create the Party Playlist

This doesn’t even need to be a formal activity.

Before the party, ask the birthday child to start a playlist.

Then let each guest contribute a couple of songs.

Put it on while they’re:

🎨 Crafting
🧁 Decorating cupcakes
🍕 Eating dinner
📸 Taking photos
💃 Dancing
💬 Hanging out

Music instantly creates atmosphere without requiring you to organise another activity.

If you need inspiration, have a look at our Ultimate Slumber Party Playlist for plenty of sleepover-friendly ideas.

💡 The Most Important Activity? Nothing.

Yes, really.

One of the biggest mistakes parents can make when planning a sleepover is thinking they need to fill every minute.

5:00pm – Activity.

5:30pm – Game.

6:00pm – Dinner.

6:30pm – Craft.

7:00pm – Photo booth.

7:30pm – Organised fun.

Stop! 😂

Kids need some space to simply be with their friends.

Let them sit in their teepees.

Let them talk.

Let them laugh about something you don’t understand.

Let them make up their own game.

Let them dance to their favourite song.

Let them decide they’d rather play something completely different from what you planned.

You can have activities ready without insisting they do all of them.

Sometimes the best sleepover moments are the ones nobody planned.

🕔 A Simple Sleepover Flow

If you’re wondering how all of this might fit together, your night could be as simple as:

Guests arrive
↓
Explore the teepees + free time
↓
One activity
↓
Dinner
↓
Games / photos / hanging out
↓
Dessert
↓
Movie
↓
More talking than sleeping 😂

That’s enough.

You don’t need an entertainment program worthy of a cruise ship.

🛏️ Make the Teepees Part of the Fun

Don’t forget that the sleepover setup itself is part of the experience.

When the children arrive and see their teepees for the first time, give them time to explore.

They’ll want to:

Choose where they’re sleeping.

Look at all the details.

Take photos.

Sit together.

Talk.

And probably reorganise their pillows at least seventeen times.

You don’t need to rush them straight into an activity.

❓ Teepee Sleepover FAQs

What do I need to decorate for a Slumber Wonderland teepee party?

Your Slumber Wonderland sleepover setup is styled for you, so you don’t need to recreate an entire party space yourself.

If you’d like to add your own touches, focus on one or two areas, such as the cake table, food area, or a photo backdrop.

That way your decorations complement the sleepover rather than competing with it.

What are some other easy sleepover crafts?

There are plenty!

Try:

🎨 Decorating T-shirts
💗 Friendship bracelets
👜 Decorating canvas bags
🖼️ Photo frames
✨ Dreamcatcher-inspired hanging decorations
🔤 Beaded name bracelets or phone charms

Choose something appropriate for the age of the children and allow enough time for anything involving paint or glue to dry.

How many guests should I invite?

Start with your available space, not the guest list.

Think about how many sleeping setups can comfortably fit in the room and how many children you feel comfortable supervising overnight.

Age matters too.

For a child’s first sleepover, a smaller group can sometimes feel less overwhelming.

What if one of the children doesn’t want to sleep over?

That’s okay.

Not every child is ready to stay away from home overnight.

A guest can still come for dinner, games, cake and the evening activities before being collected at an agreed time.

There’s no reason they should miss the celebration simply because they aren’t comfortable staying the night.

What other games can we play?

Keep a few easy options ready rather than planning an entire evening of organised games.

Slumber Wonderland has free downloadable sleepover games you can print before the party, and our 20 Old-School Party Games Kids Still Love guide has plenty more ideas.

💙 Create the Wonderland — Then Let the Kids Create the Memories

The secret to an unforgettable teepee sleepover isn’t having the most activities.

It’s creating an environment where kids can enjoy being kids.

A beautiful space.

Their favourite friends.

Some yummy food.

A couple of activities.

Music.

Games.

A movie.

And plenty of time to laugh, talk and make their own fun.

At Slumber Wonderland, we create beautifully styled sleepover experiences for families throughout Wollongong, the Illawarra and surrounding areas.

We take care of the setup and pack-down, leaving you to add the food, activities and little personal touches that make the celebration uniquely your child’s.

And once the guests arrive?

Let the magic happen.

✨ Slumber Wonderland — Where giggles, whispers and imagination come to play!