Ringing in the New Year with Kids
New year, new places, new life, new experiences, new me! The best part about this new year will be your fresh start. Watching the ball drop in Times Square—or even on the big screen—is always fun, but creating your own little twist on the new year will be epic! Just keep reading and you’ll be sure to find some good tips.
Don’t sweat the mess
Out with the old and in with the new. Before you get the party started, get the space in order. Organize your thoughts and then your space. Creating a fun environment for everyone else to enjoy can be a little difficult, especially when you have nice things around. If you normally have your valuables in the room where your family shindig is about to happen, you might want to think again. Organizing your space and your thoughts will save you the headache of looking for things later. Also, if it gets a little messy at the shindig, don’t sweat it. The mess will leave with the midnight hour—trust me.
Don’t watch the clock
Counting down the hours can be a bit tedious, but if you have something to do while the clock winds down, everyone can stay happily distracted. Here’s an idea: board games and bingo! Amp up the general party fun by giving young party-goers an opportunity to bring in the new year with a fun trinket. Now, these trinkets don’t have to be huge, just enough to shock and amaze. Party glasses, a small basket of candy, whoopee cushions and glow sticks are just a few tiny examples. Youngsters always look forward to holiday silliness and sweets. Play a round of board games like Twister, Connect Four, Sorry, something “Trivial” or even a game of bingo, and give prizes out to the most competitive child. Bragging rights are everything!
Cook up finger-lickin’ fun
Turn your kitchen into your family’s favorite food network show. Give your little chefs a task to complete or issue a food challenge and see which group or little trouper creates the best pizza pie or ice cream sundae. Family blogs flood the internet with fun finger foods for the gang that are budget friendly for broods of all sizes. Mmmmm…I’m hungry already!
Remember the big countdown
Nothing would be worse for a New Year’s party than forgetting to count down the last 10 seconds of the previous year, so just make sure you don’t. If you have to, hype it up. Kids get excited by seeing you excited (even those “growing adults”). If the countdown isn’t considered a family thing, make it one. It’s always fun to have one last BIG trick up your sleeve that the countdown will help you reveal. Just don’t trip over your own left foot when you reveal it—and be sure to make it a good one!
Jessica Samuel is a native of St. Louis and a current Kansas City resident. She is a grad student, photographer and journalist.