6 Ways to Ring in the New Year with Kids

Blow up some balloons and use them to create your own New Year’s Eve countdown. Pick a time to start, say after dinner. Set aside a balloon for each hour until midnight. (Save your left-over balloons for later.) On a small slip of paper, write a simple activity: bake brownies, have a snack (hint: brownies!), play a game. Roll up the notes and insert one in each balloon. Blow up the balloons. Write a time on each balloon, like 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and so on. Pop one balloon each hour and do the “surprise” activity inside!

A New Year’s Eve celebration is tailor-made for a late night snack. But don’t just eat it - bake it! Choose your children’s favorite treat or go the easy route with a box mix of brownies, lemon squares or banana bread. You’ll earn quality time and “brownie points” with your kids.

You’ll need something to drink with your snack. Sparkling water and sparkling grape juice are kid-friendly drinks that feel fancy. Elevate your presentation by pouring the “bubbly” into a plastic wine glass. Before you sip, teach your kids how to give a toast. You can review some of the year’s high points and your kids’ accomplishments and then share your hopes for the New Year.

The anticipation of a New Year often inspires us to take steps toward improving our quality of life. Teach that optimism to your children by introducing them to the concept of New Year’s Resolutions. Tell them about your goals for the coming year, then ask them to think of positive changes they could make in their own lives. It could be something as simple as making an effort to read more books or eat more vegetables. How about a New Year resolution for the family, like spending more time volunteering or exercising together, or scheduling regular visits or video chats with Grandma? A goal often is more easily achieved if it’s tackled together.

New Year’s Eve celebrations deserve a little dancing. Let your kids pick out some dance tunes, then use their playlist to dance the night away! Teach each other dance moves or keep it freestyle. This will perk up their energy level (and yours! The night is still young) and sneak in some family-style exercise.

Party supply stores sell balls for you to host your own New Year’s Eve ball drop, but your kids might find a balloon drop more fun! Get ready by blowing up some balloons and stuffing them into a large plastic garbage bag. Another option is to cut open the garbage bag or use a net to suspend the balloons near the ceiling. At midnight, pull away the plastic or netting and let the balloons fall! Your kids will love the sensation of balloons raining down on them. For an even bigger impact, release the balloons from a balcony or the top of a staircase.

New Year’s Eve is a time to acknowledge the year that has just passed and look forward to the possibilities that the future holds. For families, there’s no better way to celebrate the coming of a New Year than to anticipate those possibilities together.

So get out the silly hats and noisemakers, hang up festive streamers and get ready to toss some confetti. Stay home, be safe, have fun and have a Happy New Year!