Family Friendly Ways to Celebrate the New Year

New Years Eve holds a whole new meaning once you add kids into the mix.  The years of staying up past midnight while sipping cocktails all night might be a thing of the past.  But having fun on New Years with kids is something everyone can accomplish especially with these family friendly New Years Eve ideas.

Younger children may not be able to make it all the way till midnight to ring in the New Year.  Instead of risking the chance of having a bunch of cranky kids on New Years Day, hold a New Years Eve countdown earlier in the day.  Get traditional noisemakers, hats, and some sparkling cider to have an 8 o’clock toast.  Then the younger kids can still get the sleep they need while feeling like they were a part of the New Years Eve celebration.

When older children are able to stay up until midnight, you may find that they are not quite as interested in relaxing on the couch while watching Honeymooners reruns as you are.  Having some sort of activities planned can really help make the time go a bit quicker for anxious kids.  Plan at least one activity per hour to keep the kids occupied until it’s time for the final countdown of the year.

For example:  At 7:00 let the kids decorate their own cookies with frosting and sprinkles.  At 8:00, play a game of charades.  At 9:00, make homemade party hats with construction paper.  At 10:00, make some popcorn and settle in with a short movie.  At 11:00, talk about your New Years resolutions and have the kids draw some pictures of what they hope for the New Year.

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