There’s almost nothing worse than hosting a sleepover and hearing the words, “We’re bored!” It’s difficult to entertain a group of children, given their different quirks and interests, and it’s even more difficult when the room full of children will be in your care overnight. We’re always looking for ways to liven up sleepovers and avoid that dreaded phrase, which is why we were interested in checking out Sleepover Party Game, a silly, interactive board game that encourages kids to play together by acting out silly challenges instead of zoning out in front of electronics. With the help of a group of 8- and 9-year-olds, we tested out the board game, which is also a popular gift for girls. Was it a hit, or did the kids lose interest in throwing air guitar concerts for their friends? Who would be crowned the queen of sleepovers? Let’s find out.
Setup: Nothing to it
There’s almost nothing involved with setting up this game. The box contains three sets of cards, a board, and a spinner. All we had to do was push the plastic spinner arm into the hole in the cardboard game board and set out the cards before the kids could play.
Design: Simple premise, simple rules
The general premise of the Sleepover Game is straightforward. There can be as many players as you want, though the manufacturer recommends at least three. We had three girls over, all of whom were between the ages of 8 and 9, not including our 8-year-old daughter. They figured out the rules without help. Here’s the synopsis: Each player takes a turn at spinning the wheel, which lands on one of three categories: Act It, Work It, or Party. They take a card for whatever category they land on, and the cards ask them to perform silly tasks, like “be a human mirror” or “walk like a crab around the house.” The player who spun acts out their task before the next person takes a turn. Each task earns the player points, and the person who earns 10 points first wins and is crowned the queen (or king!) of sleepovers. It’s that simple. There was one minor issue with the quality of the game board. The board is made of flimsy cardboard, and while it withstood the wrath of our child’s sleepover, we imagine that it could show some wear and tear over time or if used by rougher children.
Entertainment Value: Amusing from the first spin
Don’t be turned off by the game’s simplicity. Trust us; it’s incredibly entertaining to watch and play. The girls at our sleepover were amused from the first spin, and things only got sillier from there. Each time a player would act out a challenge, whether it was trying to lick her own elbow (some got pretty close, by the way) or hosting a funny sound competition, it always led to giggling. We kept hearing things like, “It’s your turn to blow a raspberry on her arm!!” which would be followed by a cacophony of laughter. Apparently it’s extremely funny to blow air on someone’s arm … or leg … or belly, even when you’re in third grade. We couldn’t help but laugh along with them. The interesting thing about this game, though, is that while it’s recommended for kids ages 8 and up, we’re pretty sure we heard some of our older kids join in while we were in the other room. They won’t admit it, but it seems even 17-year-olds can’t resist the urge to make weird noises for no reason. The cards encourage a wide range of tasks, from things like “celebrate a touchdown,” in which the player would have to do an impression of a braggadocious football player, to “melt like a snowman.” No matter what the challenge was, it would be followed by laughter, and then shrieks of, “It’s my turn!” We were surprised at how long this game went on. Board games don’t often hold the attention of our 8-year-old, who can’t stand losing, but she was enthralled with this one. We had to drag the girls away from the game to eat dinner, and they went back to it right after they were done.
Age Range: Young and old(er)
This game is advertised as being appropriate for kids ages 8 and up, but it can certainly be enjoyed by all age ranges. We enjoyed hearing them laugh, and the older kids who tried the Sleepover Party Game were pretty amused with it, too, as long as they didn’t have to do anything too cringey.
Educational Value: None, but that’s the point
This game isn’t educational; it’s silly. That’s kind of the point, though. There may be a life lesson about the impossibility of licking your own elbow thrown in, but our guess is that any real educational value is completely by accident.
Price: Under $20 for hours of laughter
Sleepover Party Game retails for around $19, which is a steal given how much entertainment it provides. As an added bonus, our child’s room was impeccable the next morning because the kids were too busy trying to outdo each other in the challenges to dig around for other toys and crafts to play with.
Competition: A standout in the sleepover category
There are a ton of sleepover-themed games on the market, including the Sleepover Mad Libs, which is a slumber party take on the old classic. Sleepover Mad Libs is cheaper than the Sleepover Party Game at under $5, but we’d bet that you’d get more entertainment bang for your buck with the Sleepover Party Game. We’ve never seen Mad Libs entertain kids for hours on end, but we have seen the Sleepover Party Game do so. There’s also the Ultimate Sleepover Party Book, but unlike the Sleepover Party Game, the Sleepover book isn’t interactive. It’s more of a guide to having the best sleepover, and it includes game ideas in it. We’d invest in a game we knew would entertain the kids well before a book that would require tons of extra work. The Ultimate Sleepover Party Book costs about $14, so it’s cheaper than the game, but we’d prefer to spend the extra $5 for some guaranteed fun. Any game that can make kids laugh the way Sleepover Party Game does is worth every single penny. We were able to entertain a room full of girls for hours on end, and there were no fights and no tears—just laughter and silliness.
