Happy New Year’s Eve!

Charlie and Olive are still way too young to stay up until midnight, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t participate in some kid-friendly New Year’s Eve activities! Here are some ideas for you to try with your youngest ones!

– Throw a party at noon instead of midnight, or celebrate midnight in another country. For instance, the Philippines where Mr. Bee’s parents live is 12 hours ahead, so we could celebrate at noon on New Year’s Eve instead of midnight!

– Celebrate New Year’s traditions from other countries. In Korea, we dress up in traditional attire called hanboks, bow to our elders and ancestors, children receive envelopes filled with money, eat rice cake soup called dduk gook, and play games like yutnori. It’s a huge holiday in Korea, and I’d love to be able to pass on those traditions to my own children because I grew up celebrating them every year.

– Toast with sparkling apple or grape juice, whip up some mocktails, or serve milk shots with rainbow sprinkles on the rim!


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– Memory Jar – Throughout the year write down happy memories on pieces of paper or save ticket stubs from places you’ve been and place them in a jar. Open the jar up on New Year’s Eve and read them together as a family. You could start this tradition in the new year!

– Make Countdown Bags or Balloons (love these printable clocks you can attach to the balloons)- Fill each bag or balloon with an activity to do each hour before midnight. For younger kids, you could have the countdown end before their bedtime rather than midnight.

– Make paper clocks and these adorable countdown corks. Here’s a free printable template for an easy clock face here. It’s a great chance to teach your kids about numbers and telling time!

– Fill out a New Year printable. Interview each member of the family and see how their answers change year to year, do one family interview, or just do it for the kids. (I did this on Charlie’s third birthday and just recently did it for his fourth as well, but you could do a different interview for New Years.). If your child is too young to answer questions, you could also do this with drawings instead.

– Create a Time Capsule to be opened the next year, or at some point in the future. Include pictures, questionnaires, the newspaper, handprints, anything that might be fun to look at! I love this idea of a time capsule ornament!

– Set up a balloon drop. You can DIY or buy a kit here.

– Buy or DIY party poppers (make your own here, love these easy push pop ones for kids, or make confetti poppers with strings that kids can pull), wear party hats, blow party horns, and make noisemakers, paper plate shakers or raisin box shakers.

– Decorate your own New Year’s Eve party hats and headbands, or print out a free crown.

– Print some New Year’s Eve themed photo props and take pictures.

– Play New Year’s Eve themed games like scavenger hunts (one with photo memories or New Year’s Eve themed items) and bingo.

– Make Confetti Clock Cookies or Countdown Cupcakes and eat one every hour!

How are you spending New Year’s Eve with your little ones?