Personalised book for a first sleepover: your child's Night at a Friend's House

What happens in your child's Night at a Friend's House

1. Your child packs an overnight bag with care.
2. At their friend's house, the children play and share supper.
3. They get ready for bed in an unfamiliar bathroom.
4. Your child misses home a little at lights-out.
5. A familiar bedtime book helps your child settle down.

How the first page could read

Your child folded their pyjamas beside a favourite book and tucked a toothbrush into a small overnight bag. Tonight was their first sleepover at a friend's house. There would be dinner, games and a bedtime somewhere new. Your child felt excited, with one small, wobbly feeling inside.

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

A first sleepover can bring a lot to think about: what to pack, where to put a toothbrush, what happens after supper and how bedtime will feel in another house. This gentle hometown story lets your child meet those details one at a time, while making room for a small homesick feeling without making it the whole adventure. Seeing themselves in the illustrations, drawn from their photo, gives the story a familiar face at the centre of an unfamiliar evening. For children aged 5 to 8, the growing page text leaves space to chat about their own pyjamas, comfort item and plan for lights-out.

Reading it together

• Read the story a few days before the sleepover and pause to make a packing list together.
• Let your child choose a familiar book or small comfort item to bring for bedtime.
• Ask which part of the new routine feels exciting and which part they would like to talk through.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Soft watercolour gives the friend's home, evening games and bedtime scenes a warm, calm feel. A sidekick idea: a kind friend with a torch for bedtime shadows. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.