To help break up long days at home, we’re bringing you some of our favorite activities to do with the whole family. Our pajama party ideas are at the top of the list, with the opportunity to work together, get cozy and most importantly, have fun. Below, you’ll find tips on how to throw the best pajama party ever!
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8 Tips to Throw the Best Pajama Party in 2021
1. Make a Guest List
Make a list of everyone you want to invite to your pajama party. Create individual invitations for each person on the list. You can list out all the games and activities planned on the invitation or wait for them to find out in person. Decorate your pajama party invitations however you please. Your guests will be counting down the days until the big event!
2. Throw a Dance Party
Do the words Great Wolf Stomp mean anything to you? Well, they will soon. Welcome to the Great Wolf Lodge dance party!
If you’re unsure of how to get things started, take a look at the video below. We teamed up with the Crosby family who spent an entire day participating in some of our original activities and decided to wind things down with a little song and dance.
The family fun took them into the kitchen, outside and all around! Before calling it a day, they got together for the ultimate pajama dance party. Take a peak into their experience and see just how easy it is to get into the groove, family style. The video below covers a whole day of events, but you can jump to minute 16:51 for the dance party:
- Microphone
Find out how to make your very own microphone with this simple guide. All you need is an empty toilet paper roll, some tape, aluminum foil, string, scissors along with some markers, stickers or whatever else you want to decorate your mic with! Check out our instructions below.
- Disco Ball
We’ll also show you how to create a disco ball for the pajama party. Once you’re done, hang it up and get ready to rock around in your pajamas! Here, you’ll need either a styrofoam ball or some aluminum foil to use as your base. You’ll also want to gather some glue, tape, scissors, string and sequins. Follow our instructions below:
- Accessories
Don’t forget to use some of these printable props. These jazzy glasses, bow ties and camera will be the perfect compliment to your dancing shoes! Try to match each prop to the song you’re listening to!
- Create a Playlist
All that’s left to do is decide on the music. Get together and create a playlist of your favorite songs. Let everyone get a few picks in. You can decide on a theme or combine genres. All that matters is that the music helps get you moving!
If you’re having a hard time deciding on songs, check out our original playlist that we mentioned above. If that doesn’t quite do it for you though, we’ve created a separate playlist for family road trips with classics such as ‘ABC’ from the Jackson 5, and ‘Surfin’ U.S.A.’ from The Beach Boys. We’re sure one of these lists will have enough hits to help get the party started.
Finally, it’s time to dance! You now have everything you need for a fun pajama dance party. Get ready to bust out your Great Wolf Stomp and see if you can keep up with the Crosby’s. Make sure to let us know how the party went on social media by tagging us.
3. Pillow Case Making
Start the night off with a fun craft! Give everyone at the pajama party a plain white pillow case to decorate. We suggest using fabric marketers to make your design since they don’t make too much of a mess, but you can also use fabric paints for this activity. Take an iron to the designs once they’re finished so that the ink doesn’t fade.
If you’re still looking for pajama party ideas, think about entertaining a good ol’ fashion pillow fight with your newly decorated cases! Let the kids jump around in their pajama pants and enjoy the party. Just make sure no one swings too hard!
4. Bedtime Relay Races
Create a list of silly tasks you can do during your pajama party. Have someone wiggle across the room in their sleeping bag, for instance. Or challenge someone to hum a tune while brushing their teeth. The more creative you get, the better. Divide the group into two teams and put your lists of tasks in two buckets stationed at either side of the room. When you say go, a member of each time will dart across the room and pick out a task from their bucket. The first to finish, wins!
5. Movie Night
Pick out the perfect flick for your party movie night! Whatever you decide to watch will set the tone for the evening, so choose wisely. Decide as a group what theme you’re going for, whether it’s silly, scary, romantic or something else entirely.
Of course, you can’t have a movie night party without the right atmosphere. Whether you’re getting the kids ready for a slumber party, or are simply looking to spend some time together as a family, it always helps to get comfy. Get everyone in their pajama pants and bring some pillows and blankets into the living room. Curl up and press play!
6. Glamour Makeovers
This is one of our favorite pajama party ideas! Get your make up ready and invite the kids in for a very special makeover. See who everyone wants to model their makeup after. They might want to recreate a classic Hollywood look or go for something a little more unusual.
Remember, this activity that can also take different directions. It might be fun to incorporate a theme into the event. You could model everyone’s makeup after famous princesses, mermaids, fairies or something else!
7. Party Decorations
Now that you know what you want to do during your pajama party, it’s time to figure out how you want it to look! Prepare for the big night by setting up some party decorations before your guests arrive. Again, you can choose a theme or decorate in a more general way.
Some of our favorite party decorations include balloons, streamers, stickers and more. You can also greet your guests with a few party favors to help decorate for the event. You might even want to provide everyone with their own party pajama set so they can match!
Of course, you’ll also want to prepare a comfy area for your guests to enjoy at your pajama party. Prepare your room with plenty of sleeping bags, blankets and pillows. That way, everyone will have an opportunity to cozy up before bed.
Check out this post for another one of our original pajama party ideas. You’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to make a wolf den at home. The kids will have a blast hanging out in this tent together!
8. Party Snacks
It never hurts to have some snacks around, especially if you’re expecting guests for a sleepover pajama party. Ask everyone coming to the pajama party what kind of food they want. You can also kick your pajama party off with some sleepover basics. Popcorn and soft drinks all around!
If your pajama party guest list happens to include people who like to cook, think about what kind of food you and your guests an make together. Baking cookies from scratch is always a fun pajama party activity. Maybe you want to create your own original pizza, or put together a few homemade ice cream bowls!
Check out this page for our DIY recipes and menu items. They’re easy to make and fun to eat.
We hope everyone has a blast at your pajama party!  Be sure to check back in with us soon for other activities to do at home. You can also check in with us about visiting us at the lodge. Read our Paw Pledge to see how Great Wolf Lodge has committed to keeping your family safe while you play.
