Seven Ways to Ring in the New Year with Kids
3, 2, 1… Happy New Year!
Nothing is more exciting than ringing in a new year. However, staying up until midnight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Here are some fun ways you and your crew can celebrate that won’t have everyone yawning the following day.
Host a Noon Year’s Eve Party!
Many local family attractions host Noon Year’s Eve parties for families with young children, but why bother going out when you can stay in? Choose a simple yet customizable spread like personal pan pizzas or a taco bar, where family members can pick and choose their favorite toppings. Try your hand at a new board game or invest in a puzzle the crew can work on throughout the coming wintry days. Print off photos that encapsulate the highlights of the past year and make a 2020 scrapbook as a family that can be enjoyed years later. Then toast a cheer to the last noon of the year!
Build a Time Capsule
Make time stand still by capturing the essence of your family’s favorite things this year. You could make a physical box full of treasures—a favorite family read-aloud, a souvenir purchased on vacation, a CD with favorite songs and more. Or consider going digital, downloading images of popular movies, books or politicians from the year’s election campaigns into your online storage. What was the best thing you ever ate in 2020? Draw a picture about it and include it! Don’t forget to include mementos from a year unlike any other, such as a face mask and phrases like social distancing. Give yourself a date when your time capsule can be opened, be it next New Year’s, five or even 10 years from now.
Get Active
Get a head start on that fitness resolution! If snow is on the ground, pour some hot cocoa in a thermos and break out the sleds (check out KC Parent’s website for a comprehensive listing of all the best sledding hills in KC). If flurries aren’t around, head to a local skating rink to have some wintry fun (and perfect those triple loops) together.
Have a Modified Late-Night Celebration
Who says you have to wait until the clock strikes midnight here to celebrate the dawn of a new year? Be on the lookout for live-streamed New Year’s celebrations on the other side of the world and break out the party streamers when the clock strikes midnight there. Pick your desired locale to view based on when you want bedtime to be. For each hour leading up to the big event, choose a different activity (a dance party for the first hour, a crafting station to follow it, a Silly String fight, followed by watching a favorite family movie, etc.). When it’s “midnight,” have a balloon drop and stream the classic song “Auld Lang Syne.”
Go Digital
Did you know streaming services like Netflix have kid’s New Year’s celebration programming? It’s true! Just input “Countdown” in the search bar, and characters from your little ones’ favorite series will pop up. Pick from a variety of shows, all of which will ring in the new year at a very comfortable 8:00 in the evening. Your kids will be none the wiser!
Have a Good Samaritan Party
There’s no better way to spend the last day of the year than making memories doing something good for the community. Offer to volunteer at a soup kitchen or animal shelter. Or simply work for a purpose at home, building blessing bags—Ziploc bags full of travel size toiletries and fast food gift cards—to place in your car and pass along the next time you see someone down on his luck at a busy intersection. Consider making gift baskets for your neighbors—dollar store treats such as candy, art supplies and a DVD make for a great surprise. Wrap up the presents, place them on the door step and then make a run for it. Your kids will love the thrill of doing something kind in secret, but if you feel your neighbors need a heads-up, feel free to text them about the not-so-anonymous gift!
Ring in New Year’s ... on New Year’s Day.
If you have babies or little ones who still don’t sleep through the night, staying up late by choice means only one thing: You’ll be suffering for it the following day. The solution? Celebrate New Year’s Day instead of New Year’s Eve! Hail it a jammy day, where the attire of choice is none other than your favorite loungewear and pj’s. Order breakfast in or make something out of the box midday like fondue. Interview all members of the family, discovering their favorite part of the old year, their dreams and resolutions for the new one. Ring in the day with a mocktail or sparkling cider. Cheers to a new year!
Lauren Greenlee is a freelance writing mom of three from Olathe who enjoys ringing in the New Year with her family by watching It’s a Wonderful Life and eating raclette.