Fun ideas for summer sleepovers with your grandchildren
Sleepovers are always a fun occasion when you’re a kid. Staying up late, sleeping somewhere different, playing lots of games, eating yummy food… what’s not to like?
Sleepovers can be even more fun in the summer months when the weather (sometimes) is a little nicer. As a result, summer sleepovers are a brilliant way for grandparents to bond with grandkids, away from parents, to enjoy some quality time together. It doesn’t have to be all action stations either, if you are someone who relies on a stairlift at home, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a relaxing sleepover with the grandkids.
In this guide, we highlight some lovely fun ideas for summer sleepovers with your grandchildren so have a look and get planning for that quality time together.
Set up a tent in the garden
If the weather is set fair and it’s not going to get too cold at night, deciding to camp out in the garden with the grandkids is a great way to spend a sleepover. Just pitch up a tent or two, lay out some sleeping bags and pillow each, then enjoy a nice camp out under the stars. Young kids will love the sense of adventure that it brings, even though you have only gone as far as the garden. Sleeping in a tent will make the sleepover truly memorable and totally different from a typical night at grandma and grandad’s house. Just keep an eye out for the rain in case you need to rush back indoors.
Build forts and dens
Even though it’s summer, sadly, the weather doesn’t always co-operate, so it’s good to have some backup activities in mind should you need to head indoors. Luckily, there are lots of fun things to do inside and letting the grandkids build dens is one of them. Lauren, from the family blog The Heaton Family, shared with us her top tip for sleepover activities:
“One of my fondest memories from childhood were lazy weekends spent with my great grandparents. They would help us to build indoor dens from blankets, duvets and towels covering furniture, and they would let us leave them in place all day! We were allowed toys and meals in there, as well as sleepovers! I couldn’t think of a better tradition to hand through the generations. Pure magic!”
Making dens and forts is certainly a popular sleepover activity and there are even games that can be played with them. This tip comes from Jupiter from the lifestyle blog Life with Jupiter & Dann:
“When I was a child, my grandfather would always allow us to build couch forts in the front room, then he would pretend to be the giant! The giant would ask to sit outside the fort, ask questions about being a human, and eat snacks with us. Creating couch forts can be as simple as allowing the cushions to be flipped into walls on the couch to adding in chairs and putting sheets on it. We didn't ever have much help with the forts, as we didn't want the giant to see it before it was done!”
Enjoy some stargazing
If you have picked a clear night for your summer sleepover, a great activity to enjoy is a spot of stargazing. Lying down in the garden on a blanket once the sun has gone down and looking up the stars can be a wonderful and relaxing way to spend time together. You can teach the grandkids about the constellations or wonder aloud about what might be happening around those distant stars. If you have a telescope at home, make sure to bring that out with you for an even closer look. There are even some great apps you can download that tell you exactly what stars you are looking at and where the planets currently are.
Home ideas website The Spruce recommends star gazing as a great night-time activity for kids to enjoy: “Big and little kids are fascinated with the night sky, which makes stargazing one of the top night-time activities for kids. Teach them about space and astronomy when you plan a night of stargazing for your family. Pick any night when the sky is clear or check the calendar to find specific dates for expected meteor showers, new moon phases, full moons, and more.”
Outdoor movie night
It’s often nice to have a movie night during a sleepover, it’s a great way to relax before the grandchildren head off to bed. But have you thought about having one outdoors? If you’ve got room in the garden, by investing in a projector (which you can pick up rather cheaply these days), you can set up your own private movie theatre.
Hosting your own outdoor movie night is something that Karen from the family blog, The 3am Diary, shared with us as her top recommendation: “How about an outdoor cinema movie night at home, complete with popcorn, maybe roasting some marshmallows, and cosy blankets? You could even make your own pizzas with the grandkids before the movie with pitta bread or wraps as the base.”
Have a picnic
If it’s dry out, sitting down together on a comfy blanket to enjoy a delicious picnic is an excellent idea, especially if it’s not something you get to do very often. Having a picnic during your summer sleepover is something that Petra, from the parenting blog, A Mum Reviews, shared with us as her top tip, suggesting it particularly as a unique evening meal:
“A thing that children of all ages love is having a picnic dinner and this would make a lovely activity for a sleepover with grandparents. It’s a fun activity and the evening meal at the same time! You can have a picnic outside in your garden if the weather allows or set up in the living room in front of a film if it’s raining. For the meal itself, choose a selection of things that your grandkids enjoy – things like fruit & veg, crackers, cheese, crisps, pizza and maybe a treat? Your grandkids will love it and dinner time should be easier for you too.”
Bake some snacks together
Perhaps you want to prepare for a picnic in the park or the garden, perhaps you just want to make yummy treats for dessert; baking with your grandchildren is definitely a great sleepover activity. Terri, from the parenting and lifestyle blog The Strawberry Fountain, shared with us why she feels baking is perfect for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy together:
“My children love to bake, and I think this is one of the best activities to do with the grandparents. It gives them time to bond, learn and laugh together. It allows them to develop a keen interest that can grow over time and become more complex as the child ages and of course gives them something yummy to eat for supper.”
Have a BBQ
When it comes to dinner time during your sleepover, having a BBQ is a brilliant way to spend time outdoors and do something a little bit different but very much summer-themed. On a hot summer’s day, it will be tough to drag the grandkids indoors from the garden for a regular dinner so why not bring dinner to them? By firing up the barbeque and serving up some burgers and hot dogs, you can all enjoy something tasty for dinner and enjoy the outdoors for as long as possible.
You can get as creative as you like with your BBQ menu, but you certainly can’t go wrong with a good cheeseburger. If you want to impress the grandkids though, why not try a recipe that will make the cheese ooze out of the burger itself? Food blogger Charlotte has a great recipe on her website, Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen, sharing:
“In order to keep the family happy, I couldn’t stray too far away from the traditional burgers. I, therefore, decided to take some cheese and put it in the middle of the burger so that when you take a bite, it’s perfectly melted and oozes out.”
Tell some campfire stories
Storytime is always a nice relaxing activity to enjoy together but why not add a summer sleepover twist to things by telling tales around a campfire? If you can safely light a small fire in your garden at home or if you have a fire pit set up, just gather around the fire once the sun has gone down, toast some marshmallows, and start telling stories. You can read from a favourite book of your grandchild’s, you could recite a great personal story from when you were a child, or you could even make something fantastical up. Whether it’s funny stories or scary stories, it can be a fun way to pass the time in the evenings.
Play games to tire them out
Getting young children to bed can sometimes be a bit of an epic but grandparents can do themselves some favours by arranging a few energetic activities to try out in the evening so when it’s time for bed, they will be sufficiently sleepy. From letting them enjoy water balloon fights and playing with water guns to sports like badminton, frisbee, and hide and seek. Have a few ideas prepared, even games the kids can play among themselves while you take a seat and let them tire themselves out before bedtime.
Have breakfast outside
When you wake up the next morning, why not keep the new experiences going and treat your grandchildren to breakfast outside? If the sun is shining, this can be a lovely way to start the next day. You can serve up orange juice and pancakes, a delicious, cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausages, or even just traditional toasts and cereals. The very fact that you are eating outside will make the breakfast one to remember. If you really want to get them excited about breakfast, ask them what they would like beforehand and then go all out with the presentation.
Summer sleepover activities to enjoy with grandchildren
- Set up a tent in the garden
- Build forts and dens
- Enjoy some stargazing
- Outdoor movie night
- Have a picnic
- Bake some snacks together
- Have a BBQ
- Tell some campfire stories
- Play games to tire them out
- Have breakfast outside
There are lots of fun ways that grandparents can enjoy a brilliant summer sleepover with their grandchildren. We hope you will consider some of the above ideas and that your next sleepover together will be a memorable one.
For more tips, guides, and advice, make sure to visit our news page.
This news article is from Companion Stairlifts. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only.
