Sleepovers are a favorite choice for girls of any age, but finding slumber party ideas that will keep young guests entertained can feel like a daunting task. Whether your girls are 6 or 16, the key is planning enough activities to keep the fun level high and to ward off the dreaded whines of boredom.

For most girls, slumber parties are an opportunity to get together and socialize with friends. They are about pillow fights, romantic movies, and truth or dare generously peppered with giggles, gossip, and silly stories. They are a time to confide, confess, and commiserate. Friendships are strengthened, secrets are shared, and the world's problems are solved.

Whether your sleepover follows a theme or is simply a fun gathering, slumber parties are a rite of passage – a memorable stepping stone into womanhood that every little girl dreams about. Planning the perfect party is akin to choosing the perfect prom dress because everyone knows that the memories will live on forever in scrapbooks, memory boxes, and in the hearts of girls everywhere.

Invitations

Your theme can dictate the style of your invitation or you can simply choose something fun and unique. Wrap your invite around a toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, or hairbrush. Attach the party details to a pair of slippers, a mini pillow, or a sleep mask. For a Hollywood theme, use a disposable camera or a popular celebrity magazine. If your party will be a camp-out, print the invitation on a flashlight, or use a bottle of bubble bath for a spa theme.

Activities

Making creative keepsake crafts are always a popular choice and guests will have a memento to remember their exciting evening. Decorate pillowcases, t-shirts, tote bags, bulletin boards, or picture frames. Make friendship bracelets, memory boxes, or fancy pillows.

For a Hollywood theme, have the girls give each other glamor make-overs and then show off their star quality by making their own movie or having a karaoke contest. Make the guests feel like true celebrities by renting a room at at fancy hotel, complete with swimming pool and room service. Enhance your camp-out with a scavenger hunt, flashlight limbo, or a glow-in-the-dark dance. Or pamper the girls with luxury spa treatments and an elegant meal. Of course, no slumber party would be complete without the obligatory movie – scary or romantic – lots and lots of food, and late night hours of whispered conversation and giggles.

Favors

The next morning, greet the girls with a cheery breakfast, including plenty of options to please every palette, and then send guests off with a small token to thank them for being part of your party. Flashlights, nightlights, nail polish, makeup, earrings, personalized cell phone skins, and music cds are great ideas that every girl will love. Make copies of photos taken throughout the party and create a scrapbook for each guest, or find a unique picture frame for each girl and include a special photo.

With a little creativity and a lot of help from the young hostess, you can find fun slumber party ideas that everyone will love.