Stocking for a sleepover? Stuff fun foods into the kitchen

Parents who have hosted sleepovers know that half the fun for kids is making and eating treats, so it pays to prep the kitchen with fun culinary gear and supplies for the indoor camp-out crowd.

Here are some entertaining ideas and gear:

Get the movie-theatre vibe going with Great Northern Popcorn’s Retro Style Popper. Or if space is tight, opt for West Bend’s Air Crazy Mini Popcorn Machine, which airpops eight cups in three minutes.

“I like to give everyone a different colour bowl so they know which popcorn is theirs,” says Joss & Main’s style director Donna Garlough.

Or offer kids bowls in different patterns for treats like popcorn and ice cream. Garlough advises choosing smaller ones so kids don’t go overboard with sweet scoops and toppings. Banana splits, sandwiches and sundaes are easy with one of Chef’n’s Sweet Spot Ice Cream Makers. Freeze the dish a day ahead, and then on sleepover night let the kids pour in the ice cream base. Wait a couple of minutes, and start scooping. You can make custom sandwiches with cookies.

All you need is a cookie sheet for one sleepover classic: “Most kids love pizza, and this idea allows kids to customize their own,” says Parents magazine senior editor Karen Cicero. Just unroll store-bought pizza dough onto the cookie sheet and, using a knife, create an outline for 12 pieces, but don’t cut through.

“Offer tomato sauce, pesto, cheeses, veggies and other toppings so guests can create their own designs on one or two of the slices,” Cicero says. Bake according to the dough package instructions.

Or let the kids line muffin tins with crescent-roll dough triangles, fill them with pizza-type toppings, and bake for about 20 minutes.