Are you someone who typically makes big New Year’s Eve plans or spends the evening with family and friends? Or are you some one who is more of a homebody and would rather stay in to celebrate? The perks of staying home are endless and you can get the kids involved too! Below are some ideas to make NYE fun for you and the kids while staying home.
Put up festive decorations.
Get some balloons, garland, stars, and other 2024 décor. You can stick to the traditional black, white, and gold/silver color scheme or make up your own. Whatever you do, have fun with it!
Make mocktails!
Kids love nothing more than feeling included. Grab plastic champagne flutes, add your favorite fruit (or even candy if you’re feeling wild), and top it off with Sprinkling White Grape Juice (my personal favorite).
Have a kid-friendly charcuterie board.
Normally, charcuterie boards have fancy cheeses and deli meats but let’s leave that for next year’s adult NYE party. This year, stick with more kid-friendly options. Below are the goodies we add to ours:
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Turkey deli meat
- Cheese cubes
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Trail mix
- Gummy bears
Play your favorite 2023 jams!
Kidz Bop and other streaming services have all the songs that we’ve loved over the past year! You can just have the music playing during your celebration or make it more fun by having a dance competition or even karaoke! This is a great way to have some belly-hurting laughs and make amazing memories with your family.
Let the games begin!
Uno, Junior Monopoly, Simon Says, Charades, and Super Mario Bros. are some of our favorites. Try one of those or pull out your own family favorites. Is it really a party without some classic fun and competition?
Video chat with family & friends!
Even though we may not be able to be with family and friends for NYE, we can still spend time with them. You can plan to do any of the things on this list virtually or even just take a moment to say “hi” and let someone know how much you love them!
Reflect on 2023 and dream about 2024.
Talk with your kids about what were some of their favorite memories, movies, songs, and TV shows. Reminisce about the time they laughed the hardest and their biggest achievements over the year. Also, chat about what they are hoping for the new year: where they want to visit, who they want to see, and what they want to learn more about.
Have an early kids countdown.
If you are anything like me and don’t want to interrupt normal bedtime, then do your countdown at 8/9 p.m. instead of midnight. You can have a cool balloon drop by taping a plastic table cover, filled with balloons, to the ceiling. Don’t forget the noise makers and confetti!
I hope you have a Happy New Year! Let me know what some of your favorite NYE traditions are in the comments!
