How will you ring the New Year this year? If you are at home with children, there is nothing stopping you from having a grand New Year's Eve experience that they will never forget.
Having a party with your children, big or small, can still be wonderful and memorable. Below are some ideas on activities that you can do to keep New Year's Eve alive with kids in the house. Go on, why not add a little New Year's flair to your night!
Before you pack your Christmas trees away, you might want to leave the tree up for a little bit longer. First start off by removing all the Christmas ornaments to give it a quick makeover. Next fill balloons with either money, New Years wishes, or jokes, before tying them to the undecorated Christmas tree. You can also add other touches such as pictures from your favourite memory from the past year, noise-makers, "2017" decorations, party crackers, and even party hats.
And when the clock strikes midnight, the family can celebrate by popping the balloons to reveal the surprises. Kids will enjoy helping with this fun activity and who knows it can even become an annual tradition!
2. Easy Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fondue Recipe
Kids and chocolate make a wonderful match. So this recipe will sure keep the kids busy for a while! All you need is 1 jar of Hershey's spread, and 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter. First put the Hershey's spread in a bowl followed by the peanut butter, heat in the microwave for 1 minute, pull it out and stir an you're done.
Now start dipping! You can choose from brownies to bananas, all the way to marshmallows. The list is unending. Make sure an adult is supervising at all times.
3.Clock Hats for New Year's Eve (Make Your Own)
What better way to keep the kids busy and have fun than with these creative clock hats. You can either buy the party hats or if you have any birthday party hats, flip it inside out. First start by cutting circles from extra party hats to make clocks, then apply sticker numbers and clock hands (which can be made by also using the extra party hats).
Finally, attach the clock to the party hat by using a hot glue. You can also add a pom pom to the top of the hat also using the glue.
4. New Year's Confetti Clock Cookies
The kids will love these fun treats, especially the little surprises inside the cookie. Begin by using a large circle cookie cutter to cut out circles from rolled sugar dough. Then with a smaller cookiecutter, cut out the middle of a couple of the circles. Bake according to sugar cookie directions. Once cooled, ice the top cookie.
The red icing that is piped around the edges can be bought from the store. You can add the red piping before or after you ice the cookie. To make the compartment to store the sprinkles, you will need to stack three cookies so the cookie with a hole in it is in the middle. Use the icing to connect the cookies.
You will need to let the icing completely harden before writing on the clock numbers.To write the numbers you can use any food colour pens.
5. Surprise Balls For New Year's Eve
If this is the first time you have heard about surprise balls, it will not be the last. They are easy to make and a lot of fun! All you need is a roll of crepe paper party streamers, foil confetti (or other type of glitter), white glue, paint brush and tape (optional), small NYE treats of your choice. Begin by getting a spherical object and wrapping it in crepe paper until it's just covered. Next add a treat on top of the ball and then continue wrapping, add another treat, and continue wrapping.
When all the treats have been added, secure the loose end of the crepe paper with a dab of glue or tape. For the final and most fun part, squeeze some white glue on the ball's surface and spread it around before dunking it into the glitter or confetti. Repeat this process until it's completely covered in glittery goodness.
6. Match the country with how they say, "Happy New Year".
This game is a fun way to bring the kids and family together. Download the free printable game from HowDoesShe to match the country with how they say "Happy New Year." The countries include Russia, China, and Indonesia. The person who gets the most right can win a prize.
Who said eggs are only for Easter? To get cracking (literally), begin by tapping the top of your egg with a blade knife, and gently chip a hole away. Next, empty the egg contents into a bowl and continue doing this for the rest of the eggs. Gently wash the eggshells and place the shells back in the carton somewhere warm (like a windowsill). In the meantime you can begin to make confetti
Once the eggs are completely dry you can use paint, dye, glitter etc. to decorate the egg shell and then fill the inside of the egg with confetti. Next grab some tissue paper and glue and run a thin line of glue around the hole in the eggshell, press the tissue paper down around the hole and let the eggs dry in the carton.
Kids love making noise so why not let the little ones have fun by making these noisemakers. All you need are some paper bowls, string, a few beads and your imagination to make a loud and fun noisemaker to help ring in the new year. Begin by turning the paper bowl on the table upside-down, then decorate the bottom using markers to write Happy New Year! Repeat this for the other bowl.
Next, place the bowls on the right side up on the table like it's waiting for cereal, and add a handful of dried pasta or dried beans. Then glue the edge of the rim to the the other bowl and hold until it dries. Staple the bowls together to leave about an inch around the outside. Then make a hole on the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock.
Tie a bead to the end of a four-inch piece of ribbon and do it again with another ribbon. Then tie each ribbon to each hole. For more decorating, punch more holes around the bowl and tie ribbons (without beads) all around it.
To teach your kids how different objects create different noises, try making one using something different inside, such as coins or buttons. See if they can guess what's inside!
These firework cookies are kid-friendly and easy to make with the kids. Begin by making a batch of gingerbreads using this recipe. Then mix a palette of icing paints by just sifting icing sugar mixed with a little water, with food colouring added. Next the magic and fun begins! Place a blob of icing in the middle of the cooking and use a spoon to blast it outwards to make a firework shape. To finish off you can ad some sprinkles for some extra touch.
10. Easy New Year's Memory Game
This homemade memory game is made with pictures of some your favourite memories of 2016. Not only is it easy to make, but it will get the kids involved by retelling stories about each picture and the memory that went with it. You will need some card stock, double stick tape, digital photos , scissors and a marker.
Next, choose 6 or more photos of your favourite memories from 2016.Make sure you print 2 copies of each picture. Then tape the picture to the card stock and cut out. Now you are ready to go. ll you have to do is lay out the cards (not on the picture side), and let the kids begin trying to find the matching picture whilst also sharing the story behind it.
This idea will sure keep the night fun and comes with full of surprises! All you need is paper, a marker, and some balloons. Begin by either printing or writing on strips of paper different activities during the night. Some ideas include time to make cupcakes, or time for snacks etc.
Next, using the marker write "It's 6:30" and continue writing on each balloon going up by 30 mins till you reach "It's 12:00." Then, insert a different activity that you wrote on the strips in each balloon. Now blow up the balloons and tie them up.
Now hang them on a piece of string in a line. When the clock hits each time, you can pop the balloons with your kids to reveal what activity they must do. The night is sure to go off with a bang!
12. New Year's Eve Tradition- 12 Grapes from Spain
How about looking for some inspiration from around the world? This tradition happens on New Year's Eve in Spain, and is sure to get everyone involved.
Here are the 12 Grapes from Spain:Everyone gets a bowl or skewer of 12 grapes just before midnight. On each stroke of the midnight clock you eat one grape. 1 for the first stroke, your second on the second stroke etc. If you manage all 12 you will have a lucky year.
**NOTE** as we all know grapes can be a choking hazard especially for young children. If in doubt, please cut your grapes in half lengthwise.
Staying up late can really work up an appetite. So how about having the kids make their own snack bags to open up and enjoy at midnight?All they need to do is fill brown paper lunch bags with treats such as New Year's cookies or winter trail mix. Then, have them draw their own countdown clocks on circles cut out of card stock or sheets of foam, and paste them to the bags.
More ideas include writing messages on the bags, and decorating them with glitter, stickers and ribbon. This a fun way to celebrate the midnight theme while feeding hungry kids, or a cute way to pack a treat for later.
14. New Year's Resolutions for Kids
If you thought a New Year's Resolution was only reserved for adults, think again! Kids can have one's too. And to make sure the kids don't forget what they promised, here is a simple craft idea that they can make to write their promises. All you need is coloured popsicle sticks, glue, felt, scissors, decorations for the frame, paper with their resolution written on it, and some ribbon.
First, have the kids choose 4 popsicle sticks for their frame and then assemble the frame using some glue at the end of the sticks. Let them dry for a few minutes. The kids can now glue the decorations onto the frame. You can use buttons or jewels for this, or whatever you prefer. Now let the frames dry.
When dry, cut a piece of felt to fit over the back of the frame and glue it on. Print out the resolutions, cut them, and glue them to the felt. Attach some ribbon to the back for hanging (you can use some hot hot glue for this step). And now you can hang them so the kids don't forget their resolutions!
This may sound dangerous but it's totally safe, very easy, and looks just like a firework without the bang and sparkle. All you need is a tall glass and a smaller glass, warm water, oil, and food colouring.
Begin by filling the tall glass with warm water almost to the top. Pour a couple ot tablespoons of oil into another glass and add a few drops of food colouring. Next, mix up the oil and food colouring. Then, pour the food colouring and water mixture into the warm water. Now watch the fireworks!