If you’re celebrating New Year’s Eve with kids this year – here’s a few ideas to help create a fun night for everyone!
- Pick a new time zone to ring in the new year! Who says you have to wait until midnight? This is great for little ones who have earlier bedtimes or even those of us who want to celebrate earlier. With technology, you can tune in and watch the festivities just about anywhere in the world. (P.S. For us Hawaii is 5 hours difference which means celebrating the New Year at 7pm vs. midnight!)
- Pop the balloons! This was something I remember my mom doing when we were kids. She’d (carefully) add balloons to the Christmas tree and then when midnight came – with great delight and reckless abandon…we popped the balloons! (You could even add special notes, jokes, fortunes inside the balloons for kids to find)
- Host a Cupcake Wars style decorating competition. Bake cupcakes in advance and set up an area with icing, sprinkles, candy etc. Kids can show off their decorating skills and then eat their special creations as dessert!
- Choose a theme. Decorate, get dressed up, serve food and even plan activities that match your theme. Sound like a lot of work? It doesn’t have to be elaborate, usually just a few touches are enough to shake things up.
Joyful Hostess Tip: A Hawaiian theme is easy to pull off: have everyone dress in summer clothes, decorate with bright colours and flowers, serve up tropical juices (maybe a Blue Lagoon for the grown ups) and have a limbo contest
- Have a Virtual Karaoke Party. Sing the night away with friends near and far! All you need is a few apps to get the party started. For more info on how to set it up, here’s the link with instructions
- Serve up the bubbly! Add sparkling water to juices, or fizzy soda to ice cream to create a special signature drink that the kids can enjoy too! Here’s a how -to guide to create an ice cream float bar, including a free downloadable menu.
- Get your groove on. Boogie the night away and have your very own dance party. Or create a family dance routine to a favourite song. Now every time the song comes on, you have a special memory (and some killer dance moves)
- Plan an indoor picnic. For a change in the usual dinner routine – pack a basket, throw down some blankets and pillows and move the party to the floor!
- Get outside and play. Even if it’s cold and snowy out, being together in the fresh air is good for everyone. Visit a park, walk around the neighbourhood, explore your backyard, make snow angels, play tag, go on a scavenger hunt – just have fun!
- Eat by candlelight. Turn off all the lights and (as my kids say) eat “dinner-in-the-dark” It sounds simple but there’s something magical and special about candlelight. Just this one simple thing will create a whole different vibe for meal time.
Enjoy your special time together and Happy New Year!!
