Ready to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home as a family? Children make holidays special, but New Year’s Eve can be tricky. I don’t want my kids staying up until midnight to celebrate because once they get too much off their schedule, they are NOT fun. And it can take several days to get back into a routine and feel good again. So, here are some of the ways we make New Year’s Eve special for our kids but also keep their bedtime at a decent hour.
Celebrate New Year’s Ever as a family at another time of day
Instead of midnight, try celebrating New Year’s Eve at noon or 5 pm. Explain that today is the last day of the year, and you’re counting down to a new year! There are a ton of great New Year’s Eve countdowns for Kids available on YouTube that you can use to help you.
Have fun with a balloon drop while celebrating New Year’s Eve with your family
When celebrating the new year, make sure you have fun ways to mark the change in time. We LOVE using a balloon drop. (In fact, we had one at our New Year’s Eve Wedding!!) They’re incredibly affordable, and balloons are as well. Grab your balloon drop here and your balloons here. I also recommend a simple balloon hand pump to save your lungs!
Share a glass of sparkling cider (or juice or soda or sparkling water) on New Year’s Eve with your family.
I grabbed these plastic champagne glasses and filled them with lemon-lime soda. We did our countdown and balloon drop, then each grabbed a glass and said “cheers” to the New Year! It was fun and made them feel extra special to drink something they usually wouldn’t have out of fun glasses. Were there spills? Yup! But can I clean them up? Also yup.
Wear fun New Year’s Eve hats to celebrate as a family
A ton of super fun New Year’s Eve hats are available on Amazon or Etsy! Or you can start the day coloring and creating DIY hats, which are available in my Free Resource Library. Nothing says festivities like matching hats!
Set goals as a family on New Year’s Eve
One way to encourage goal setting is to write down your goals and share them. My family did this growing up, which is still a massive part of my New Year. I love setting goals and then talking about them throughout the year. Encourage each family member to form one simple goal they can work on. Or arrange a family goal, like 1,000 Hours Outside. The most important part of goal setting is following through, reflecting on your goal each month, and knowing when to adapt or change when necessary.
Have fun celebrating New Year’s Eve with your family
Whatever you do to celebrate New Year’s Eve, make sure it works best for you and your family! There’s no need to stay up late when you could celebrate just as easily at 5 pm and get a good night’s sleep. Keep your celebrations focused on what’s important to you.
Ready for more?
Get an educational activity for every day of the year
Beginning at 2-years-old this curriculum is a simple way to support your child as they explore the world around them. While it’s recommended that you start at the beginning, you can absolutely “jump right in” wherever you and your child currently are to maximize the benefits of these toddler lessons and activities.
