Want to celebrate New Year's Eve at home with kids? A kid-friendly New Year's celebration doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Try these simple ideas to ring in 2023 at home with your kids:
1. Don't wait for midnight
If you know your kids will struggle to stay up until midnight — or you will — then hold a Noon Year's Eve! Have that countdown early and the kids can go to bed happy ... and you can too!
2. Start a memory jar
It's easy to do, just decorate a jar or vase and keep it in an open space that everyone has access to. Have slips of paper and a writing utensil nearby. When you have a moment you want to remember drop pieces of paper about them in the jar. Things to write down include any special moments, memories, experiences, and laughs — those moments that are so special but you forget so quickly.
Next New Year you can spend some time together reading all that was shared throughout 2023. You'll love the memories they bring!
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3. Plan a balloon drop
Suspend a bunch of balloons in a net or sheet above the kids to release at the end of your countdown! An alternative? Fill balloons with confetti before you blow them up, and then have the kids pop them at midnight — make sure your vacuum can handle the confetti so it's an easy cleanup!
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4. Let the kids toast each other
Give kids cups of a special drink, like sparkling cider, and let them toast each other. Some will be silly, some will be sweet ... you'll definitely want your video camera rolling for this one!
5. Make a prize ball
Wrap small gifts, like candy or small toys, in two or three rolls of cling wrap, then let kids take turns unwrapping the ball. Kids love this game because the anticipation builds and builds. How to do it: Wrap 2 or 3 prizes in the middle, wrap in a ball with a few layers of wrap, then add another prize, and wrap again. Keep adding more prizes until you have all your prizes wrapped! Have kids sit in a circle and give them a set time (like 15 seconds) to unwrap the ball before passing it to their neighbor.
6. Dress up ... or dress silly
Take off those sweatpants you've been living in during holiday break and have everyone get dressed up in their favorite finery. Alternatively, dress as silly as you can! Put on a modeling show and have a photo shoot once everyone is ready. You can also stock up on things like crowns, silly mustaches, and feather boas for an at-home photo booth — where everyone can show off their look.
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7. Play fun games
Play games that everyone — no matter their age — will enjoy:
- Interactive games like Twister, Charades, or Pictionary are always great choices. Let the kids team up against the adults for some extra laughs.
- Have kids and adults write down their wishes and resolutions for 2023 and add them to a bowl. Later, pick at random and guess who wrote what. Give prizes for the funniest, most unique, or most wishful.
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🎉 Happy new year, Macaroni KID families! 🎉
