Counting down to midnight with the kiddos this year? Looking for some fun ideas for kids to celebrate New Year’s Eve? Check out these 5 ideas for New Year’s Eve with Kids!
Create a DIY Balloon Drop
You might not have your own ball drop in the living room, but why not have a balloon drop? Kids are obsessed with party balloons, so the fun will last all night long! Simply grab a $1 table cloth from the Dollar Store and fill it with as many balloons as you can. Then tape lightly to the ceiling or ceiling fan! Tape a light rope or hefty pull string to it so that you can gently pull one side down when you’re ready for the big reveal! The moment may not last long, but the kids will love the room covered in balloons. I loved using party balloons of different shapes and colors for more variety.
Have an Indoor Snowball Fight
I purchased a bag of Toy Plush Snow Balls last year, and they have been a huge hit! The kids can set up barricades to hide behind (using pillows and cushions). They will literally have a ball trying to get each other! We even ended up playing “baseball” with our fake snowballs! We used some of the long balloons we had from the balloon drop! The toy plush snow balls are so lightweight that it worked great, but didn’t hit anything hard enough to knock stuff over. It’s super fun!
Make Some Kiddie Cocktails
Don’t forget to come up with a fancy mocktail for the kids to enjoy for the night, too! It’s even easier than you think. Kids love fancy glasses, so I bought some plastic champagne flutes so they wouldn’t have to worry about breaking them, yet they could still join in on the fancy fun. We bought some apple cider, but the garnishes are what make this kiddie cocktail so fun. I threw some gummy bears in the bottom of the flutes so they can eat them after the cider is gone, plus it’s fun to see the bears swim! Adding cotton candy as a topper for garnish was what really impressed my kids. You can really get creative here!
Watch a Themed Show for NYE
If you’re looking for a wind-down activity before the kids get ready to call it a night, then putting on a short show can be a good idea. We personally love Charlie Brown and all the Peanuts shows and movies, so we like to watch “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown”! It’s just as cute and festive as the others, and we loved watching it together! We watch it on Apple TV, but you may need to check different streaming services to see where it may be available to you.
Have a Fake Countdown to Midnight
If your kids are like mine and will never make it to actual midnight for the big countdown to the new year, then why not count down early? My 10 year old now knows that it’s not a real countdown. Honestly, she could care less, because all she wants is to be a part of the experience! We usually do our countdown at 9:00p.m. so that they can go straight to bed after if they like. Or they can have a little more time to play after if they’re up for it.
If you want a super festive countdown that feels totally legit, then search on Netflix for “NYE kids countdown” – they usually have some options that include a little dance party that last about a minute or two! YouTube also has many great options that you can stream to your TV to get the full effect.
Your kids will thank you for including them in a full night of festivities! There are so many other things you can include also – you can’t go wrong with playing classic board games or cards, making appetizers or a dessert bar, having a slumber party, a dance party, or even making homemade pizzas together! The possibilities are endless! One thing I can say for sure – the above unique ideas make great memories for the kids because you are a part of it and helping make their night special. They (and you) will treasure those memories always, so make the best of it!
Do you have any special ideas or traditions that involve your kiddos? Or are you considering trying out any of the above 5 ideas for New Year’s Eve with the kids?
Jill Cappaert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.amazon.com. For more information, please visit our disclaimer policy page.
Leave a Reply