Little ones shouldn’t be left out when welcoming the new year. And since they love all things fun, noisy and sparkly, organising a kid-friendly get-together at home should be easy. From decorating to lots of snacking, here are a few party ideas for kids that are perfect for a memorable New Year’s Eve!

Redecorate Your Christmas Tree

After opening all your presents, don’t pack your Christmas tree away just yet. Instead, start your New Year’s Eve activities with a quick tree makeover. Remove its Christmas ornaments then decorate it with glittery tinsel, crepe paper party streamers and a top-hat topper. You can also make a garland using family photos you’ve taken throughout the year.

Next, replace the baubles with balloons filled with snacks, money or small toys. Come New Year’s Eve, let the kids have fun popping balloons to get all sorts of prizes. You don’t have to wait for midnight, though. You can do this fun activity in advance, just in time before the kids hit the hay.

Make Homemade Noisemakers

DIY party ideas for kids are always a hit. They love activities that involve making things with their hands, not to mention creating a mess! So, bring out your craft boxes. Help the kids get ready for the party by making colourful masks and sparkly crowns to wear. You can use shiny pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks to make matching wishing wands, too.

If you have old plastic bottles at home, have the kids fill them with some pebbles, beans or beads, anything that will jingle. Put the cap back on then decorate the outside with ribbon or craft paper. These makeshift maracas are not only eco-friendly but also super noisy!

Oh, and don’t forget to set up a photo booth corner at home. Use it as a backdrop when taking snapshots of your silly selves with your DIY photo props!

Simply Mumma_Party Ideas for Kids Writing New Year's Resolutions

Write New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are not only for grown-ups. Even little ones can make plans to do better! So, prepare a piece of paper or card stock then let them list down their resolutions or wishes for the new year. Place their written goals in a frame or stick them to the fridge door, so they don’t forget!

Party with Fondue

What’s a New Year’s Eve party without the party food? And impressing young guests doesn’t take much. All you need is a fondue pot or chocolate fountain and yummy dippers like fruits, brownies and marshmallows. You can make a kid-friendly grazing platter or food board, too. Alternatively, you can serve cheese fondue with chips, bread and veggie sticks for dipping.

Set Up a DIY Snack Bar

After your delightful appetiser, time for some DIY main course! With lots of menu choices and party ideas for kids, you’ll never run out of options. For instance, you can have a pizza-making station, complete with rolled out dough and your family’s favourite toppings. A DIY taco or burger station is just as delightful.

If you have older kids that can handle a little cooking, set up a tabletop grill then enjoy grilling meat and vegetables in mini skewers. For dessert, you can wrap things up with DIY ice cream or dress-up-you-cupcake bar (with sparkler candles, of course!).

Simply Mumma_Party Ideas for Kids This New Year with Fondue

Toast with Milk and Fortune Cookies

Now, we can’t toast with cocktails with the kids around. But we can still ring in the New Year with milk in plastic champagne glasses! To make your “party drinks” more festive, dip the rims in melted chocolate then cover them with rainbow sprinkles.

Make sure to pair them with plates of fortune cookies. For older kids, you can serve them party drinks by making mocktails. Just mix any fruit juice with clear soda to make grape or lemon fizz. After the toast, turn the music up and start your New Year’s Eve dance party!

Prepare Countdown Loot Bags

While waiting for the clock to strike 12, you can spend time playing board games or karaoke singing! If you have a backyard, a scavenger hunt or relay games are fun activities for kids to past time, too. Better yet, grab a few brown paper lunch bags then fill each with treats or small gift items.

These can be glow sticks, party poppers, confetti wands, glitter glue, pop rocks, whistles or rock candy sticks. Give these bags for kids to open every hour until midnight (or their bedtime). Make sure to reserve the best treats for the final-hour bags. The little ones will surely enjoy the build-up and have no trouble staying up!

Here’s to another happy year with our families and kids!