Sleepovers are complicated at best for most parents, so we've broken down what you need to know about hosting a sleepover, based on your child's age.

Sleepovers are a rite of passage all children and their parents eventually encounter. However, sleepover hosting isn't for the weak — it's a real job! There's a lot of planning that needs to go into it, and you need to make sure you have the right activities and rules to make your sleepover a success for your kid and their guests. Therefore, we've broken down what you need to know about hosting a sleepover for a birthday party or just because, based on your child's age.

RELATED: Why It's Important To Set Ground Rules For Sleepovers

Although preschool can be a bit young for sleepovers, brave parents who are willing to give it a try will find success if they're willing to keep it small and not go overboard.

Because preschoolers are still growing and developing their social skills, sleepovers for kids in this age group should mostly be small events with one or two close friends. In fact, the team at Rainforest Learning Center says you may even want to pick a family you are close with and turn it into a family affair where the friend's mom stays over to avoid any midnight meltdowns that may occur.

Since you'll only be hosting one or two other children besides your own kid, details like invitations and elaborate plans aren't really as necessary at this age. Instead, you'll want to focus on communicating with the other parent(s) and learning all about their child, so they have the best possible experience in your home. You'll also want to communicate with the other parent(s) to provide them with a list of items the child may need to bring, like a sleeping bag, pillow, stuffed animal, toothbrush, and clothing. Make sure to also obtain emergency contact information should something happen, including names and phone numbers for both the child's parents (if applicable) just in case one parent can't be reached.

Finally, you will want to think through sleeping arrangements carefully for preschool sleepovers. You'll want a space that allows the kids adequate room to sleep, but where you are close by in case someone gets scared or has a problem during the night. It may even make sense to pile up in the living room if there's enough space.

Preschool kids don't need a lot of elaborate activities to keep them busy. In fact, toys will keep them busy for hours. Similarly, kids at this age love to explore the backyard, especially if there are fun things to play with.

However, if you want activities, you can try including some of these ideas:

Most of the time, explaining your house rules to the children is enough for this age group. It may help if you post a chart with the rules, and keep them down to 4-7, so the kids can remember them. Whether it is a written rule or not, you may want to stress the importance of not going into the kitchen without an adult because of possible injuries or choking hazards that can occur. Also, you'll want to set clear rules about bedtime so the kids get adequate rest.

Most of us have fond memories of our first sleepover in our early elementary years. With a little prep and a lot of love, you can also provide your own child and their friends with the best sleepover possible.

Although planning a sleepover for this age group generally works much better than preschool kids, there can still be some hiccups. Therefore, it's best to still keep the guest list to 6 kids or fewer, and try to select children you've already met, so you know their typical behavior. It also helps if you know the parents a bit, but that isn't a requirement.

Friday or Saturday nights usually work best for sleepovers for this age group, and you should probably send the invites out 2-3 weeks ahead of time, so people can clear their calendars. However, you'll want to make sure you mail the invites or find a way to hand them out that doesn't involve school because this can cause hurt feelings between classmates who were invited and those who were not. The invites should include address information, the drop-off time and pick-up time for the next day, and your phone number to RSVP.

When parents drop their children off, make sure you have a notebook or sign-in sheet ready where each parent can leave their name, phone number, any important health information about their child, and their pickup plans for the next day. This will help you not only cover your tracks in case of an emergency, but it will make it easy to see what time each child is going home and who is coming to get them.

This age group will do best if you plan out the evening with activities for them to do. Since kids will trickle in for the first bit and at least one will inevitably arrive late, you'll want to start with something simple like playing in the backyard or simple craft activity at the table. Then, once everyone has arrived, you can move on to dinnertime and the rest of your fun plans.

Sleepover activities that work well for this age include:

Additionally, Country Living has a great list of 25 party games that work well with this age group.

While kids in this age group aren't as sneaky as teenagers, they can sometimes get ideas in their little heads that aren't actually all that great. For this reason, having set rules that each child reads as they come to the party can really help avoid any issues later on in the night. Some things to cover include parts of the house that may be off limits (like the pool or a sibling's room), no going outside without an adult, rules on roughhousing or fighting (especially if it's a sleepover for boys), and not using phones.

Additionally, you'll probably want to set parameters on what constitutes an emergency and what doesn't, and what kids should do if they get scared during the night.

The tween years are the quintessential age for fun (albeit hectic) sleepovers throughout the year. However, this is also the prime age where things like bullying and rule breaking start to happen, so be prepared if you plan to host a bunch of kids.

Although this age group generally does much better with group activities, you'll want to think about how much space you have and how many kids your child can truly entertain at a time before you make the guest list. 5-10 is about ideal most of the time, especially when you try to figure out where everyone is going to sleep.

Just like with the 6-9 age range, these sleepovers work best on Friday or Saturday evenings, and invitations can help you provide contact info and other details. Make sure you also use the invite to specify what kids need to bring (like sleeping bags and toiletries) and what they don't (like cell phones). Also, make sure you clearly define the arrival time and pickup time for the next day on the invitation, so there's no question about it.

The biggest difference when planning for older kids is food. You'll need to not only plan for dinner and breakfast like you would with the other age groups, but you'll also want to have lots of snacks on hand and make sure they're in easily accessible places since these kids will likely stay up later than you. Just make sure you know any allergies that may interfere with snack plans, and then stock up on the popular favorites.

If you want to keep this age group busy and not in trouble, then you need to fill the evening with activities. Obviously, these activities will vary greatly based on gender, but we have some suggestions either way.

Also, when you plan activities, most experts say you should think about quiet things that early-risers can do in the morning (because there will inevitably be at least one or two). This will help keep things quiet while the rest of the kids sleep in after staying up half the night.

Rules can make or break a sleepover with this age group, regardless of whether it's boys or girls. Make sure you set some ground rules on things like roughhousing and name-calling and have a set lights out time (although they probably won't go to sleep). Also, it may be a wise idea to collect cell phones at the door, so there are not any issues with those who have vs. don't, and it will also help prevent videos or snaps that upset kids or prank calls.

Make sure each child knows your house rules, what is or isn't allowed, and what they can and can't eat. Also, make sure you have clear rules about going outside or what kids are allowed to bring to the party to avoid any other issues you haven't thought about.

Hosting a sleepover can be fun, but it can also be a lot of work. Just make sure you think about everything that could happen, so you can anticipate any issues before they occur, and you'll be just fine.

Sources: Rainforest Learning Center, Country Living, Parenting

Megan Glosson is a mother and freelance writer based Nashville, Tennessee. She enjoys writing on a variety of parenting topics, but loves taking on anything with a personal connection to her own life. When she's not writing, you can probably find Megan building Legos or playing board games with her two adorable daughters. To check out more of Megan's work or to contact her about freelance opportunities, visit http://meganglosson.com/.