12 Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Your Kids

New Year’s Eve…a day to reflect on the past year, set goals for the coming one and CELEBRATE the beginning of a new year.

Although I love the start of a new year and all the hope that it holds, I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s Eve itself. It always seems to be somewhat of a let down, probably because there’s too much pressure to have an absolutely-amazing-decked-out-partying-all-night evening.  I’ve done the whole getting dressed up and paying way too much money to spend NYE with a bunch of strangers.  The few times I did it in my twenties, it was fun and I’m glad I did it, but I don’t prefer it.  Some of my best memories of NYE have been those years when we’ve camped indoors, made a great meal with friends, played games and watched the coverage of New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world.

As Em is getting older, I’m starting to think about ways we can include her in the fun that is New Year’s Eve.  I have wonderful childhood memories of celebrating New Year’s Eve in my hometown, with my sister and our best friend, Brooke (whose birthday just happens to be New Year’s Day!). I got to thinking about how we could start some traditions with Em so that she too has wonderful memories of this fun day.

Here are 12 ways to ring in the New Year with your kids!

Celebrate the New Year at 12:00…noon! 

This is a great idea for little ones who just can’t make it to midnight, but still want to celebrate this fun day.  Get dressed up, make a celebratory lunch meal, don a party hat, and countdown til the clock strikes 12:00 (noon)!

Make your own New Year’s Eve ball drop  

New York City is nearly synonymous with New Year’s Eve. And the “ball drop” is at the center of it all. If you can’t be in New York City for the ball drop, bring the ball drop to your house!  Using a craft ball, some sequins and small push pins (or glue), you can create your own glittery ball drop at home for your own countdown.

Eat twelve grapes

At midnight on New Year’s Eve in Spain, it is tradition to eat twelve grapes, one for each month of the coming year.  Each grape you eat is meant to signify good luck for one month of the year.  Some people say the grapes should all be all white (green grapes), others say six red and six white. Prepare them in a fun way (like on a skewer) and eat them as fast as you can at the stroke of twelve.  Watch out for sour grapes, those may signify a sour month in the year ahead.

Create a family calendar for the coming year

There are so many ways to create your own family calendar. Groupon is currently running a great deal for a 8×11 custom 12-month wall calendar from Shutterfly for under $10!  They also have coupons on their site for places like Shutterfly, Target and Walgreens for buy one, get one free calendars or other percentages off of custom calendars.  Upload some of your favorite photos from 2015 for your own family calendar to hang on the wall. Or you could simply staple together some construction paper and print out the 2016 months of the year on your computer.  Let your kids decorate the calendar pages, or add your own photo prints.  Don’t forget to label birthdays and other important occasions on your new calendar.

Celebrate by practicing chair jumping! 

Em LOVES this one…she’s a jumper. In Denmark, people stand on chairs and jump off them together at midnight.  Leaping into January is meant to bring good luck.

Wear festive underwear

In Central and South America, people wear brightly colored underwear on New Year’s to bring luck for the coming year.  Red and yellow are the most common colors; red is for love and yellow is for prosperity and good fortune.

Bring in the New Year with a bang!

Banging pots and pans, that is. This one may sound weird, but this is how my sister, Brooke and I celebrated at midnight when we were younger.  With our parents at a nearby neighbor’s party, the three of us would watch the TV coverage with our pots and pans ready.  At the stroke of midnight, we would run outside, banging our pots and pans as loudly as we could.  We thought it was the best!  And what kid doesn’t love making noise?!

Make your own noise makers  

Along the same lines of banging pots and pans, you can gather some materials to make your own noise makers.  There are thousands of fun ideas out there for making your own noise makers using everyday household items like recycled toilet paper rolls, dried beans, rice and straws.  At our house, we have several recycled empty water bottles that we’ve filled with small stones and plastic beads for making noise. Momtastic has a great idea for making noisemakers that double as personalized piñatas that kids can break open after midnight.

Make a fun festive meal

Of course, I had to suggest that you get in the kitchen with your kids!  It could be a traditional New Year’s Eve dish, or you could try a new dish using one of these seven lucky New Year’s foods, such as lentils, black-eyed peas or greens.  You could also choose to make one of your family’s favorite dishes, like homemade pizza or spaghetti and meatballs. It doesn’t matter what it is…choose a fun recipe and then make it together as a family.

Write your annual family story  

Take some time on New Year’s Eve day to write down your family’s story from the year that is ending. You can start a written journal or simply type it up on your computer.  What did you do together as a family this year? Did you take any trips? What were your favorite memories? How did you celebrate birthdays and holidays?  What do you hope for in the coming year?  Next year, you’ll be able to read your story from the previous year and write a new one for the year that is ending.  How neat to have this running record of what happened each year in your lives, written by your own family!

Take a pre-and post-midnight family photo  

Take one last photo from the year that’s ending and one first photo from the year that’s just beginning. Print them and keep them in a photo book showing how your family has changed over the course of the year.  Better yet, keep them with your family story.

Have a dance party!

This is probably the most fun of them all…crank your favorite dance tunes and get the party started! There’s no better time to let loose and just enjoying dancing around with your kiddos.  Bonus points for breaking out the karaoke machine!

 

However you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Eve…and a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2016!