New Year’s Eve for Families

Ring in the New Year with your closest loved ones and plan a New Year’s Eve for families. Take everyone’s likes and dislikes into consideration and also plan age appropriate activities. Consider ideas such as a party at home, a party at a venue, going out to dinner and a fireworks show, enjoying a town event, or venturing to a vacation destination.

Take advantage of these fabulous New Year’s Eve ideas for families:

• Party at Home: Enjoy New Year’s Eve from the comfort of your own home. Invite your loved ones over to help celebrate with a family New Year’s Eve party. Decorate the house with Happy New Year signs and banners, and put confetti on the dining room table. Order Chinese food or Italian takeout from a local restaurant and eat it on Happy New Year plates. After dinner, prepare a special New Year arts and crafts project for the kids such as decorating New Year’s hats. Keep the adults busy by scratching scratch tickets. Take up the remaining time before midnight with a family movie or watch a New Year’s celebration on TV. Pass out noisemakers before the ball drops and ring in the New Year.

• Venue: Throw a family New Year’s Eve party at a local restaurant or venue. Hire a professional lighting crew, a local DJ or band, photographer, decorator, and party planner to help prepare for the event. Set up tables for the adults and separate tables for the kids. Have the photographer reserve a small section of the room for picture taking. Encourage the adults and kids to pose with a New Year’s Eve theme set-up, and have the photographer snap family photos. Have the DJ or band announce a special countdown for midnight and have the party planner arrange for balloons and confetti to fall from the ceiling. At the end of the evening, pass out favors such as cellophane bags filled with candy.

• Out to Dinner: Take the family out for a special New Year’s dinner at a local restaurant. Make reservations in advance to avoid New Year’s crowds. Check for fireworks displays near your city or town, and plan your dinner reservation around the fireworks show. To prepare for the show, bring chairs or a blanket and warm clothing for chilly weather. Make it an extra special evening and hire a car service or local limo company to drive your group to the family New Year’s Eve events.

• Town Event: Check with your town or a nearby city to ask about events planned for New Year’s Eve. Ask for specific details about the events to ensure they are family friendly. Depending on the climate of your hometown, enjoy ice sculptures, ice skating, and maybe even a live performance. Buy tickets in advance, if possible, to reserve a spot. Invite other friends and families to attend as well.

• Trip: Plan a family trip to visit out-of-town friends, family, or a get-a-way destination. Consider ideas such as a tropical island, a theme park for the kids, or a cruise. Pack New Year’s props such as noisemakers in your bag to enjoy the celebration away from home.

Plan New Year’s Eve family events based on your particular family situation. Mix some of these ideas together. Pull one idea, such as throwing a party at a venue, and then hire a bus to bring all of the guests to see a fireworks show. Try one of our free New Year’s Eve invitations for your celebration!