Birthday sleepovers - how many children?

[Pascha]

So Ds1 will be 9 in the summer, he wants to camp in the garden. I'm ok with this (back door open, full access, grownups on standby etc). I said four (him and 3 friends), he wants six. I'm a bit dubious as they're all noisy boisterous buggers but is it any worse than four really? Or should I just say one and stay indoors?

(We live behind a field in a rural hamlet so little chance of pissing off neighbours.)

We normally have a max of about 4 for sleepovers at weekends but inside not outside and the dcs rooms couldn’t take many more!
However, they know the children I won’t have to stay over, the screechy shouty ones who don’t actually go to sleep (my own dc like their sleep and have been to a few disastrous sleepovers where girls refused to sleep at all - fine and fun in itself - but these girls literally spent all night shouting and screaming, running up and down corridors all night and disturbing everyone in the house, these girls can come for dinner but they’re not carrying on with that kind of behaviour in my house), and it’s usually the same groups that come over each time with one or two new ones from time to time.
I’d say if they were camping in the garden that 6 might be okay, no neighbours to piss off and they’ll be outside.

How many can you manage?

How do they behave generally?

Eg early risers, night owls etc

Think about their personalities too

Although logic would suggest more children is recipe for more noise etc

Interesting. There's a real chance they won't sleep. I might do a trial run when it's warmer with just one friend to start with.

How many can you manage? Probably six us no worse than four

How do they behave generally? Like angels to me and ratbags when alone. Noisy and rambunctious and over-exuberant rather than naughty.

Eg early risers, night owls etc Ds1 is both. He doesn't see eye to eye with sleeping all that much. No idea about the others.

I'd go for it and do the 6. 4 or 6 they aren't going to get a lot of sleep. Also if you only choose 3 more boys then one can't make it (ill, last minute xx) you'll be down to only 3 kids = not so much of a party. Sounds fun. Can you plan some activities that will help tire them out?

We'll do something in the afternoon with them, probably build some dens in the local woods and go wild generally, then pizza for tea and maybe let them have a midnight feast...

I fondly imagine it'll go like this

As many as you can accommodate indoors when they all scare each other and want to come and sleep indoors when it gets dark

Can probably squeeze in six in the living room . It'll be tight but they won't care.