It can be tough to think of exciting ways to spend New Year with your child, especially when you have younger kids. Whether you let the little ones stay up late until the clock strikes 12, or whether they go to bed and leave the adults alone to count down to midnight, make sure no member of the family is left out of the fun with these excellent child-friendly activities.
Reminisce about the Year Gone by
Chat with your children about their memories from the past year and discuss their wishes for the year ahead. As youngsters, they’ll likely have some imaginative goals! Talk about memorable events that have taken place during the past 12 months and look through photographs for plenty of feel-good moments. You could cuddle up and watch old home videos together too.
Make Colorful Mocktails
Kids usually love consuming brightly colored food and drink, and you can spend the afternoon helping your kids to make tasty drinks to toast in the New Year. If they’re going to bed before midnight, they can still raise a glass for an earlier celebration: mocktails at mock midnight! Think fruit juices, flavored syrups, sparkling water, small umbrellas, slices of fruit, vibrant straws … the possibilities are endless!
Sing Karaoke
If your child loves to sing, dance and perform, liven up the evening with some karaoke. Even if your kid simply sings their favorite nursery rhymes, there’s something quite special about belting out some tunes into a microphone. Plus, children may like to listen to the adults singing too.
Count Down to New Year around the Globe
Watching people around the world celebrate at the stroke of midnight is an easy way for kids to experience some New Year joy. It’s an especially good activity for children who won’t be awake to experience New Year in their own time zone.
Make a New Year Pinata
Pinatas can add so much excitement to any party. If you’re spending New Year with your child, there’s sure to be plenty of anticipation during the day as they wait to take their swing. Fill the pinata with plenty of sweet treats and small gifts and watch your child’s eyes light up.
Have a Board Game Bonanza
Plan a cozy day with your child’s favorite board games. You could even buy a new game to really capture their interest. Have snacks close to hand and let their competitive streak shine through. Alternatively, get together with distant family and friends for an interactive online gaming session.
Dress Up
Get the whole family in the party mood by donning your fanciest attire. Let little ones choose their favorite outfits and help them to really glam up with things like wigs, bowties, shiny accessories, tinsel garlands and so on. You could even get some kid-friendly body glitter, makeup, nail polish or colored hair gel for even more glitz. Alternatively, how about a spot of face painting?
Illuminate the Night
Once darkness falls, turn off the lights, turn on the music and dance around the living room or garden with glow sticks. A terrific child-safe alternative to sparklers, your kid is almost certain to enjoy air drawing in vibrant colors. You could also use light-up wands, LED balloons, bubble wands, ribbons, party poppers or even simply small flashlights.
Create Party Headwear
During the daytime, enjoy some New Year crafts with your child and make cheery party hats or headbands to wear later on. Be sure to make one for everyone who’ll be at your New Year celebration!
Eat Fun Foods
There are tons of cool ideas for New Year foods that are appealing to young children. Create a spread of bite-sized goodies that kids (and adults!) can help themselves to throughout the celebrations. Include plenty of tempting healthy options as well as sweets. Enhance the party mood (and save on washing the dishes) with disposable plates and festive napkins.
