I still remember the first time I was allowed to stay up late with the grown-ups for New Year’s. I was ten years old and thrilled to join my parents, aunt and uncle, grandparents, and older cousins. We made newspaper hats and snacked on adult foods like olives and herring, and I listened to their frequent comments about the “racy” entertainment on the major TV networks.
Then I vaguely recall my mother shaking me to wake up so I could see the ball drop and count down with everyone. There was kissing, hugging, dancing and more eating, and I remember being so grateful to get into my bed to finally fall asleep while listening to it all from beneath my covers.
New Year’s Eve can be made more fun for kids who are ready to stay up long enough to celebrate. With a mix of ages and abilities to make it to midnight, as in my own home, it can be a challenge to adjust New Year’s party planning accordingly. While I’m not sure I’ll be sending out my own New Year’s holiday party invitations, I am likely responding to some. So I’d like to be ready with my own ideas for making our New Year’s celebration with the kids extra special this year.
Kid-friendly New Year’s Party Strategies
There are lots of ideas floating around about how to make New Year’s a special occasion for the kids (sorry, Herring!). We loved some of the ideas from this guide by GrowingAJeweledRose.com. Here are our favorites:
- DIY Balloon Drop – Fill a drawstring garbage back with blown-up balloons and then release them on the kids at midnight. Easy, inexpensive, way fun.
- Dress Up Dance Party – Glitter, boas, capes and hats. Let them interpret formal dress and see what happens. Or, get extra mileage out of little Timmy’s ring bearer suit or little Cindy’s holiday dress.
- Time Capsules – Make it meaningful by filling a coffee can with photos and notes about special things from the year. Start a tradition by marking the can with a future New Year’s Eve date to open and enjoy.
How do you plan to celebrate with your kids? For fabulous holiday party invitations for all ages, shop the collection at www.LookLoveSend.com and personalize your favorite design. It’s easy, fast, and you can always count on flawless printing on premium quality papers.
