A Super New Year's Eve Party for Kids
We love to Ring in the New Year with friends, fun, and food! These are a few of our favorite family traditions that make a fun-filled New Year with young children:
The Balloon Drop:
A few years ago, I had the wild idea to set up a balloon drop for the kids to enjoy on New Year's Eve. My husband found inspiration and designed our own balloon drop from a clearance shower curtain that we now use every year. A bag of balloons from the dollar store and a little creativity from dad, and voila! An unforgettable tradition was born! If you'd like to set up a balloon drop, here are instructions for a simple at-home balloon drop design.
The Time Capsule/ What a Year It's Been:
We like to capture memories of the "everyday" - you know things that are important to your children now (like our 5-year-old daughter's dream to grow up to be a fairy princess) that you might forget over the years. We each complete this simple "What a Year It's Been" Survey and keep it in a time capsule to read NEXT year, adding to it each year! Or, print them out and keep them in a notebook to remember your party each year.
Ring in Around the World:
We like to celebrate with friends, but we have young children and our friends do as well. The little ones aren't ready to stay up till midnight (at least not in a group!) and our friends do not want to drive with the party crowd, so we throw an EARLY evening party and ring in the New Year with other countries. Follow this guide to determine which country you want to celebrate.
Make Some Noise:
I purchased old-fashioned New Year's Noisemakers... you know the spinning, buzzing, clangy type, at U.S. Toy and reuse them every year! Party poppers, blowers, and even musical instruments or pots and pans from home can be fun!
Decorate:
We reused sparkly garlands and decorations from Christmas, made glitter numbers for 2013, and decorated with party hats for a bit of flair!
Yummy Food:
Serve your favorite appetizers and snacks for the night. Wrap sandwiches, chips and dip, fruit... and for dessert? Try this simple idea for a CLOCK Cupcake plate (our version to the left... the original is more professional, but you work with what you have)!