My kids are still so young I can’t imagine them staying up until midnight without screaming or tantrums.
BUT I’M GOING TO GIVE IT A GO!
Even if they tire out early, I’d still like us all to ring in the New Year together and celebrate as a family. Or at least not let the holiday go by completely uncelebrated just because the kids seemed too young.
Life before kids looks different than life after kids, and I often find myself passing by holidays or activities of yesteryear because they don’t seem kid friendly. Instead, this next year I’d like to start incorporating the kids into the things I used to do. I think that would help with my stay-at-home-mom identity issue. Make them to choose happy new year wishes 2019 and apply these ideas.
Looking back and forward
Look through old photo albums or pictures of special events throughout the year
Remember favorite games and toys
Fill out a printable with prompts from the past year (like this or this)
Fill out a printable with goals and hopes for next year (like this or this)
Watch family videos and DVDs from months past
Make a yearly video and ask the same questions to each child every year to document changes
Put up a white board in the party room so people can write down memories or next year’s goals
Cooking and Eating
Have special “fizzy drinks” for the small ones, like sparkling grape juice
Get fancy cups and make fun drink labels (like this or this)
Have easy and accessible appetizers
Set up a chocolate fountain or hot chocolate station
Make food that can sit in crock pots so it’s warm all evening long
Have lots of chips and dip which are easy and not as full of sugar (big list here)
Countdowns
Write the time on balloons and pop one every 30 minutes or hour to build anticipation
For small kids, choose another time zone a few hours ahead of your own to countdown
Make simple goody bags to open at set intervals (like this or this)
Make some type of food and write the hour on it (with icing or condiments) to be eaten every hour on the hour
Every hour on the hour turn off the lights, turn on a song, and light glow sticks and dance
Traditions from Around the World
Eat black eyed peas on New Year’s Day (Southern tradition)
Eat 12 grapes at midnight – one at each bell strike – for the year’s prosperity (Spanish tradition)
Make little piggies out of Marzipan to give away (German tradition, see here)
At exactly midnight, step forward with your right foot to start the year off… right (Argentina)
Stand on a chair and jump down from it as the clock strikes midnight (Denmark tradition)
Source: https://amotherfarfromhome.com/kid-friendly-new-years-eve/