New Year's Eve is on the way. Let your kids join in the fun of ringing in the New Year. There are family-friendly events planned at FunQuest and Amazement Square for kids of all ages. You'll find all of the best family-friendly events in the area on the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid event calendar. Younger kids can ring in the New Year early and still have fun.
Although many adults go out to a club or nightspot to ring in the New Year, families with younger kids often prefer to stay home for New Year's Eve. Party hats, streamers, and noisemakers are all things that kids love to use. Add some kid-friendly snacks and you have a great family New Year's Eve celebration.
Some snacks to prepare include: pigs in blankets (hot dogs rolled up in biscuit dough), pizza bagels, peanut butter roll-ups, cheese quesadillas, chips and dip, fruit salad, carrot sticks, cheese squares, and celery filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins (also known as ants on a log).
Don't forget the dessert. Fix cupcakes with sprinkles and 2019 written on the tops. Another option is to make a New Year's cake with an outline of a clock showing the hands of the clock nearing midnight.
Make super easy confetti using a paper shredder and colored construction paper or scrapbooking paper or just let the kids tear fancy paper into pieces. Give each of the kids a baggie full of confetti so that they will be ready to celebrate. You can also Make These Easy Poppers for New Year's Eve for simple holiday fun.
Use a computer program to make a '2019' sign for each child or draw freestyle on a sheet of card stock. Let the kids use paint, makers, or crayons to decorate their signs and hang on the walls.
It's a lot of fun to invite several families over to see in the New Year together. If you have younger kids and don't want them up so late, you can choose to make your celebration end earlier, celebrating the New Year at 8:00 or 9:00 pm instead of midnight. Let the kids crash after their New Year's celebration while the adults ring in the New Year.
Sparkling cider is a treat that kids don't get the opportunity to drink often, but many kids enjoy. Sparkling cider tastes enough like apple juice that usually even young kids will try it. Keep some regular apple juice on hand just in case.
Special party cups, plates, and napkins will make your celebration more festive. You can usually find these in discount stores for less than full price, You can buy a special tablecloth or let the kids make one. Use a plain white paper tablecloth and let the kids decorate with markers. Sprinkle confetti around on the edges of the tablecloth and the kids will really enjoy their New Year's table.
After the snacks, you can play an active game like Twister, a board game like Monopoly, a card game like Go Fish, or a group game like Charades together for a while. The kids will enjoy playing in teams or playing kids against adults.
If you plan to stay up late, you can watch the festivities on TV. But if you plan to make it an early night, make your own New Year's Eve ball. Use a plastic play ball or beach ball and write 2019 on it with brightly colored markers. As you count down to midnight, let the ball slowly come down from up high and drop it at the end as you reach Happy New Year! If you use a beach ball, you can pass it around the room without letting it touch the ground.
Whether you attend an event or party at home, let the kids write down their wishes and resolutions for 2019. Talk about special family memories from 2018 and make plans for family fun in 2019. Many families ring in the New Year at home with special foods, noisemakers and Rocking New Year's Eve on TV. Start a Memory Jar for the New Year to fill with memories all year long to hold onto your family's favorite moments of the new year.
Plan ahead to fill the new year with lots of family fun. It's FREE to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter, delivered to your email inbox every week. You'll find the Lynchburg area's top family-friendly events as well as articles and guides to make your parenting job easier.
However you celebrate, enjoy the last few days of December with your family. The kids are out of school and there's lots to do. Make memories together. Let Lynchburg Macaroni Kid help you Find Your Family Fun® in Central Virginia in 2019!
