A few years ago, I inadvertently created a yearly tradition for our family. I invited my two young nephews to an extended stay at our house that happened to fall over New Year’s Eve. I wanted some quality time with the kids, but I also knew that hosting them would give their parents a chance to celebrate the holiday. We have never been big on ringing in the new year, so staying home with our son and nephews was a great option. Their New Year’s Eve visits became a yearly thing that we all looked forward to.
New Year’s Eve With Kids: Some Suggestions
I love hosting parties, but other than my own children’s birthdays, I don’t usually have any excuse to go “all out.” I will take any opportunity to festively decorate the house and prepare fun things for the kids to do. Over the past few years of throwing kids-only New Year’s Eve parties, I have curated a list of go-to ideas.
Our guest list has grown by two over the years, thanks to the birth of my daughter and youngest nephew, so we now have a full house of five kids and two adults for the holiday. The difference in age can be challenging, but we’ve been able to compromise on activities that both the older and younger kids enjoy.
Midnight or “Midnight”
Though there isn’t any harm in letting kids stay up late once a year, we prefer to get them to bed at a reasonable hour. Therefore, we count down to midnight and ring in the New Year at a more appropriate time for their ages. Netflix has made this even easier with their kid-friendly countdowns that you can stream at any time.
Keep It Simple
Search Pinterest and you’ll find plenty of d.i.y. games and activities for kids on New Year’s Eve. I’ve been overwhelmed with the coordination and resources needed for some of these ideas. While I think they’re great and I’d love to have the time to make them happen, I just don’t. I have narrowed down the options to a couple of simple things.
The biggest hit with the kids each year are confetti poppers. We buy a big box of them and everyone holds one while we count down to our midnight. They make a mess (that is easily swept up). They scare the dog, but the laughs and excitement are so worth it!
Another must-have are paper glasses with the incoming year. When I buy these, I also pick up a fairly inexpensive package of other various decorations from the party store. At some point I discovered that the kids love helping me decorate. I let them go to town. Streamers are taped up across doorways, and tinsel is strung along the fireplace hearth. The living room looks more like a high school toilet paper attack than a party, but they have fun! The leftover balloons become their entertainment as they develop their own keep-away games.
You won’t find any fancy canapes at our party. Kids are so easy to please. I pick up a bag of chips, some dip, something sweet and we’re good to go! The ultimate theme of our New Year’s Eve celebration with kids is simplicity. Keep things simple, and everyone will be guaranteed to have a great time!
