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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Considering a mass sleepover!!

126 replies

2anddone · 16/02/2017 12:52

Ds does Year 6 SATs this year and I am considering an end of SATs party for his year group.
It would be a sleepover in the village hall from 6.30 until 9.30 the next morning and would include pizza tea and breakfast the next morning.
It's not his birthday or anywhere near his birthday and the majority of parents/ children in the year are incredibly close having known each other almost their entire lives!!
I was thinking of asking for a contribution of £5 per child to cover tea/breakfast/snacks/hall hire.. it wouldn't cover the entire cost but would help.
I know I (and a couple of parents who have agreed to stay) would get no sleep and it would basically be an up all night playing games, watching movies and generally being loud and having fun.
So you lovely people of mumsnet AIBU to even consider a mass sleepover, should I stick to just 8 in my front room and cater/entertain out of my own pocket?? crosses fingers and hopes there is not too much flaming!

OP posts:
AtleastitsnotMonday · 16/02/2017 13:38

Will you cook pizzas or order in? If ordering strike a deal with a local pizza place. If take away I would probably up the contribution.

Original poster
2anddone · 16/02/2017 14:07

Plan would be Sainsbury's pizzas which they make to order and cook for you for £3.50 per 10" pizza, meaning we could get orders in advance and then send a willing parent to collect them ready cooked and half the price of our local delivery service.
Would probably be closer to £7 per head with breakfast, sweets and hall hire on top

OP posts:
HemanOrSheRa · 16/02/2017 14:21

I'd charge over what you estimate - a nice round figure like £10. Then you can buy a few extras or donate any leftover cash to charity as a pp suggested. If the actual cost per head is something like £7.63 for example, you'll get people giving you £8, 9 or a tenner anyway (well, I would!).

snototterly · 16/02/2017 14:29

Sounds a wonderful, extremely generous idea. I'd consider making the pick up time earlier. They're bound to wake each other up much earlier and a possible 2+ hours of entertaining them all in the morning could be tricky.

harderandharder2breathe · 16/02/2017 14:39

You're crazy but the kids will love it!

I do similar with Brownies at least once usually twice a year. Although we have strict quiet lights out time (usually about 11pm)

I would definitely set aside a quiet area for those who do want to sleep to be able to do so, if you're not going to have proper lights out. Some of them just can't handle staying up so late.

You don't need to provide junk food, provide dinner and get kids to bring crisps and sweets to share.

Separate boys and girls toilets and changing area.

Have a fairly early pick up time, they can go home and collapse.

chaplin1409 · 16/02/2017 14:46

What a lovely idea not too many. My daughter is year 6 too and only 10 in her year and I know they would love something like this.

MaureenMLove · 16/02/2017 14:50

Sounds fab. I organised an end of year 6 party for my DD and all her class mates. I charged £10 per head and that included hire of hall, food, presents for all and any thing else I needed to put my hand in my pocket for. I believe there was about £12 left at the end and that went on the first round in the pub for whoever stayed to help! Grin.

It was bloody hard work organising it, but so worth while. My DB took video of the whole event and sold them afterwards separate to the party money.

What are you going to do with them?

user1484394242 · 16/02/2017 14:55

It sounds amazing. I would be happy to pay £10 for that.

Get them to bring sleeping bags and torches, they'll entertain themselves.

Harder's quiet corner is an excellent idea

Original poster
2anddone · 16/02/2017 15:58

Love the quiet corner area there is an alcove at the hall which would be perfect for it. We have a projector which will connect to a laptop so we could have dvds on through that. Also thought about some board games and group games if they want to, maybe even a little pamper area where girls (and boys if they want) can get face packs and nails done.
I am going to tell them to bring sleeping bags and pillows the nice thing is there is no wifi at the hall and 4g can be sketchy so don't have to worry about inappropriate websites or face times Wink

OP posts:
Original poster
2anddone · 16/02/2017 16:00

Maureen just recognised your name from the cm board many moons ago....(I have since name changed) hope you are well,

OP posts:
MiddleClassProblem · 16/02/2017 16:14

If you do £10 pp then you could do a party bag or something

woodlands01 · 16/02/2017 16:22

It's a great idea - just don't expect them to sleep and if they don't, don't stress about it!

I've done similar with 15 at home: either in massive tent in Summer or in living room on mattresses and cushions in Winter. It really is fab.
And you should charge - any parent who gets huffy about cost or lack of sleep should be ignored afterwards Grin.

I'm now at the stage of similar with 16 year olds (soon end of year 11....). I'm staying up all night to make sure boys downstairs, girls upstairs rule (when goto sleep - about 4am usually!) is followed. No problems as yet but can't make myself goto bed until I know. Hmm.

massistar · 16/02/2017 16:25

My friend did this for our Y6 leavers. They all brought tents and camped in her (massive) garden. The kids had an absolute ball but don't think her and her husband got much sleep! Grin

SecondsLeft · 16/02/2017 16:35

I would be more inclined to do it for end of SATs than leavers, but only because dd2s cohort spent hours sobbing at the end of the evening Hmm and I think emotions might be even more frayed at a sleepover. Sounds fine though, if you have sounded it out generally with some parents.

IHaveBrilloHair · 16/02/2017 16:38

That sounds great, I'd have happily sent DD
Make sure you have plenty of extra parents on hand though

MaureenMLove · 16/02/2017 17:50

I'm very well thank you.Smile a clue to your old name perhaps? Grin. It's been a very long time since I did childminding! Got a grown up kid now, so a life time away from littlies!

One thing we did, which went down really well. I asked parents to provide me with a baby photo of their child and then I made up sheets of current photos from the school class photo. I put all the baby pictures in clear wallets and stuck them all over the walls. When the kids arrived, just whilst everyone was milling about and settling, they got a sheet and had to go round the room guessing who was who. It was a nice easy ice breaker.

Jellyhanging555 · 16/02/2017 18:59

That's a great ice breaker Maureen! Love that idea. When i was in year 6 (over 30 years ago!) a very brave parent decided to have an end of school year party for our class. It wasn't an over night thing but I can honestly say it was probably the best party I ever went to! We were all going on to around 8 different schools after(due to our strange location and lack of communication in those days!) so knew we would never see some of our friends again. I still remember that night as a real night of camaraderie!

MrsMerchant · 16/02/2017 19:05

The teachers at my school sorted this out for us at the end of year six. It was so fun and I remember it even now 20 years on!! They had a food van hired that did toasted sandwiches.

awesomeness · 16/02/2017 19:07

Id so pay £10 for my dd to go! Her school do it in the school hall for leavers (small class sizes only 11 in her year 4 class)

If you have a local asda the 10inch create your own pizzas are 2 for £4.

I catered a large pizza party and spoke nicely to my local dominoes and got 50% off over £30 so got £100 of puzza for £50

Thissideof40 · 16/02/2017 19:10

Good luck - rather you than me! Lol. They'll love it though. And the contribution seems fine.

My daughter had a prom after her SATs which was great too but the stress of finding the dress for an 11 yr old was a nightmare.

Purplepotatoe · 16/02/2017 19:20

I think it sounds like a great idea and I would very happily contribute to something like that

SuperFlyHigh · 16/02/2017 19:27

That sounds excellent and the kind of thing my mum would have done if they were a thing when we were kids. The money is fine!

My mum used to invite all our class for our birthdays in September for my brother and I (up to 50 kids!) but we had a large house, to a joint birthday party. We had a disco courtesy of one of her friends who had access to a DJ turntable and disco flashing lights. All the kids loved it! My mum was mad! Grin

Purplepicnic · 16/02/2017 19:27

Make sure you get a massive group photo as a souvenir for them all

bagpackbagpack · 16/02/2017 19:31

I was excited and thought you meant for exhausted parents...

But this does sounds like a great idea!

HelenaJustina · 16/02/2017 19:33

Sounds amazing! I'd do it, how bad can it be?! And you will have legend status for ever more, the kids will never forget it either!