It goes without saying that parenthood changes a lot of things in your life, not the least of which is how you celebrate the holidays. For example, New Year’s Eve may have been an occasion for you to party all night long, but now that you have little ones, you have to adopt a more low-key approach (not because you’re exhausted or anything, right?). Fortunately, you can still have lots of fun bringing in the New Year with the kiddos – just keep the following tips and ideas in mind to help you throw a fun-filled, family friendly New Year’s Eve celebration.
1. A party without good food is no party at all, so be sure to whip up (or purchase) a generous amount of fun fare for your New Year’s Eve bash. Have plenty of finger foods and dips available, and don’t shy away from any huge canisters of flavored popcorn you might find while you’re out and about. Also consider offering some festive-looking sweets, such as these Trix Krispies treats from Cravings of a Lunatic, or Confetti Clock Cookies from Repeat Crafter Me.
2. If Times Square can have a ball drop, you can have your own makeshift balloon drop. No kid will turn down the opportunity to see gaggles of balloons dropping from their own ceiling, so this DIY celebratory extravaganza is sure to be a smash hit. Been There, Pinned That has the complete skinny on how to pull this one off for your New Year’s Eve bash using simple accessories you can get from the dollar store. Without a doubt, it will make the evening highly memorable for all the kids who attend, both yours and those of your guests.
3. What’s a family friendly New Year’s Eve party without some fun craft projects? Try these New Year’s Clock Hats from Reading Confetti, or make some paper plate noise makers courtesy of Kix Cereal.
4. Have plenty of games ready for both kids and grown-ups to enjoy. You can’t go wrong with engaging games like Pictionary, and you can also have a blast with this simple free printable New Year’s Eve Bingo game from Plucky Momo.
Put together a New Year’s Eve playlist made of kid-friendly dance tracks that can get everyone moving. Hold a dance contest and offer candy for prizes (maybe there’s a leftover Halloween stash somewhere in the house?), and be sure to take plenty of pictures. Cut loose a little bit; after all, this time only comes around once a year.
5. Take a little time during the evening to pause and reflect on the events of the past year. Go around the room and ask the kids and grown-ups alike what they liked most about their year, as well as what they would like to see happen in the New Year. You would be surprised at some of the amazing (and very often funny) things that kids can say when given a chance to share their heart.
Above everything, do your best to make the evening a fun and relaxing time. If you can spend time with family and friends and put smiles on people’s faces, you will have done your job well, and you can help them start their New Year on a positive and encouraging note.
