As the year comes to a close, it’s time to celebrate and bid farewell to 2023 with a bang! And what better way to do that than by creating unforgettable memories with your little ones on New Year’s Eve?
Check out our Event Calendar for New Years Eve and Day Events!
10 Ideas for New Year’s Eve Fun with Kids!
1. Create a Balloon Drop in your home. Grab a bed sheet, fill with balloons, fold in half and tape to ceiling or archway. You could also secure with Velcro. Add string to one side of the sheet and pull at midnight! Try a test run first.
2. Create Calendars. Let the kids print off calendars or make some yourself (great way to practice days, months and numbers). Then let them personalize a cover, draw something on each month or just color in the sides, top and bottom. Help them fill in important dates like birthdays and holidays, too!
3. Make a Bucket List. Write down all of the things your family would love to do this upcoming year. When you take time to write things down, they become imbedded in your mind and easier to accomplish.
4. Time Capsule. Grab important items that represent 2023 and let the kids add personalized touches like a hand print or photos, or things that they made. Fill it, lock it and put “Do Not Open Until …”
5. Make Your Own Pizza. Shape your pizza dough into numbers for the new year, or something funny to represent the past year (toilet paper roll, anyone?). Add the toppings and eat up!
6. Have a Glow in the Dark Party! Go to your local dollar store and get glow in the dark bracelets, necklaces, and swords. Play games like ring toss with the necklaces and glow hide and seek.
7. Get Creative! Lay out lots of crafts or scraps of paper, glitter, paints, stamps, pipe cleaners, etc. and let the creative juices flow. Make party hats, noise makers or confetti.
8. Celebrate Midnight in Another Country. Sample food or drinks, or try games or traditions that represent the country that is celebrating at that hour.
9. Bake Good Luck Cookies or Cake. Let your kiddos help bake and decorate cookies or treats with their favorite toppings to help bring good luck this year. At midnight they can toast with milk and the goodies they created.
10. Create a NYE Wishing Tree. Ask your crew to collect some branches from outside and put them in a vase or tall cup. Cut out star shapes from paper or crafting foam and let everyone add a wish to their stars. Punch a hole and add sting to tie each star to a branch and you’ve got a family ‘Wishing Tree’ for the upcoming year.
Pro Parent Tip: even though little ones want to be a part of the fun, you don’t have to keep them up until midnight to include them. Consider setting the clocks in your house to midnight or creating own countdown (even if you’re only counting to 8pm!) Put them to bed and then have your own adult party 🙂
