How to Celebrate New Year with Kids

lifeatthezoo | December 12, 2018 | Christmas | No Comments

After all the excitement of Christmas and the Christmas festivities.. how to celebrate new year’s eve with kids?! Do you let them stay up late? Do the kids understand what the new year means? Do you do something special on New Year’s Day? Do you bother at all?

Well the answer (for me) really is about how old your child is. Very young children won’t understand the concept of time and what a “new year is”. Older children will love any excuse to stay up late and have a New Year’s Eve party. Personally, I do think it is important to recognise the new year in some way or another. Without putting TOO much emphasis on the event. After all, there is nothing quite like the guilty conscience of broken new year’s resolutions!!!

This is what we like to do…

New Year’s Eve With Young Children

If you have very young children (toddlers and preschoolers etc)… for very young children, we like to focus on New Year’s DAY instead of New Year’s Eve. You can talk about concept of the new year (though they are less likely to understand it). You can make some New Year’s Bubble Wands – what child doesn’t love bubbles?! Maybe see if you can count to “19” bubbles (for 2019… and then next year 20..).

Or decorate with some Paper STAR Twirlers – these can stay up for a few weeks and will look adorable in anyone’s bedroom. Again you can incorporate “”2019” and add reminders that a new year has begun.

We particularly adore making DIY Time Capsules. They are a wonderful way to reflect the year gone by!

New Year’s Eve with 5 – 9yrs olds

For this medium age range of kids, I think it is great to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but a little earlier. Maybe let them stay up until 10 o’clock? The best way to count down to your “own” New Year’s Eve is with this Countdown Clock , as well as Count Down Activities for Kids (designed to be nice and easy for you to set up, as well as keeping the kids busy!).

New year’s Eve with older kids

There is nothing you can do, except have a party with the older kids!! Here are all our New Year’s Eve Ideas and Decorations that are suitable for all ages groups – ie kids and grown ups alike! Embrace it.. and enjoy!

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