The days of ringing in the new year with hundreds of overserved adults till well past midnight may be gone, but hosting a spectacular party does not have to be!
We’ve got you covered with dazzling decor ideas, food, and games for all ages, whether you’re entertaining a few close friends and family members or the whole neighborhood. Make this New Year’s Eve event family friendly and fun by using these festive and simple ideas.
Fun New Years Party Ideas
Families, particularly those with younger children, often prefer to spend New Year’s Eve at home. You can save money by foregoing high-priced entertainment and enjoy a more relaxing evening at your own speed – plus it’s easier to bundle the kids off to bed in your own home if they can’t keep their eyes open until midnight.
Throw a family gathering at home to ring in the new year. Find festive foods, drinks, and activities to keep both kids and adults occupied till midnight.
Party Decorations
Stay at home and organize the best family New Year’s party instead of facing the crowds. For the most festive party space, use confetti, balloons, and streamers in plenty. Make your own confetti with pieces of holiday wrapping paper, tissue paper, or even newspaper.
Balloons
If you think the kids won’t make it to midnight, a confetti balloon countdown is a fun way to ring in the new year without keeping them up too late! Make confetti with colorful tissue paper or gift wrap and a large craft hole punch.
To incorporate, have everyone write out their New Year’s resolutions on small pieces of paper. Then, like a “funnel,” insert all the confetti paper into the deflated balloons using a plastic bottle with the bottom half cut off.
Fill the balloons with air and hang them on a wall (one for each hour). Countdown the hours till midnight and pop one at each hour (or bedtime).
Hot Chocolate Bar
On a chilly New Year’s Eve, a bespoke hot chocolate bar is the perfect way to stay warm. Everyone enjoys a cup of hot cocoa, but adding extra treats elevates the experience. To begin, make a large quantity of hot cocoa and keep it warm in a thermos or on the stovetop.
Set up a station with cups, spoons, and tiny bowls of various toppings. Toppings include marshmallows, almonds, candy canes, micro chocolate chips, sprinkles, cinnamon sticks, fruit, and, of course, whipped cream. The kids will enjoy making their own cocoa, and adults can join in the fun with shots of peppermint Schnapps, vodka, or bourbon!
Pizza Making Station
It’s usually wonderful to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, but keeping the kids occupied and entertained until the ball drops may be difficult. Pizzas are both a meal and a recreational activity in this setting. The key is to keep things easy by allowing everyone to make their own pizza.
Set up a pizza-making station in your kitchen and order pizza dough from a nearby pizzeria (or create your own). Set out a variety of sauces, cheeses, and toppings for each person to make their own pizza combinations.
Photo Booth
Allow the kids to play photographer during your New Year’s party. Create a list of items to photograph and see who can collect the most photographs as a fun New Year’s Eve family game. Toasts, confetti tosses, and candids are all frequent party moments to try.
Party Games and Activities
If you want your guests to remain up until midnight, you’ll need some entertaining games to keep them occupied in the hours preceding up to the countdown.
Pinata
Is it truly New Year’s unless you see the ball drop? Make a piata in the shape of a ball to simulate the enormous ball that drops in New York City for your kid-friendly party. You can even get the kids to help you decorate it with paint, glitter, and glittering beads. Then let the youngsters open it at midnight to find candy and trinkets inside.
Drop Balloons
Balloon games are usually a hit at kids’ events, and a New Year’s Eve balloon drop is especially fun. Hang a number of balloons in a net above the attendees and let them go at midnight. Filling balloons with confetti before blowing them up and having the kids pop them at midnight is another option.
Slumber Party
Make your New Year’s Eve celebration a sleepover. You may even start the theme straight away by having visitors arrive in their jammies. Set up a tent or place sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows in your living room for everyone to crash. Make sure you have enough food for an enjoyable morning breakfast.
Game Marathon
Board games are an excellent option because they are fun for youngsters and normally take a long time to finish. Karaoke is another entertaining and entertaining method to pass the time. A dancing party will also keep everyone awake and active. Give out glow sticks and turn off the lights to play some glow-in-the-dark party games.
Movie Night
Nothing like ringing in the new year with a family movie night. We like to keep it short and nice for the little ones. This 24-minute Peanuts gang staple is ideal for kids who want to party but can’t make it through a full-length film.
Food Ideas
New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the previous year. Because kids change so much from year to year, why not have a night to honor their favorites?
Allow them to develop a supper menu: Sure, it’s macaroni and cheese and Oreos, but what a great way to start an annual ritual where you can fully immerse yourself in their favorites and observe how it evolves year after year. If you’re hosting friends over, make it a potluck where each child brings a dish to share.
New Years Party Invitations
With our assortment of invites for every type of New Year’s party, you can send your New Year’s invitations early and easily. Free templates can be downloaded below:
How to Download
- Right-Click your selection.
- Select “Save Image As”.
- Locate the destination folder, or for easy-to-access, you can put them on your desktop, or just leave it as it is.
- Click “Save”, and the download process will take a few seconds or less depending on how fast your internet access is.
Open the file through Microsoft Word or Paint (Beginner), or Adobe Photoshop (Advanced).
