How to Throw the Best NYE Party with Kids

NYE use to mean high cover charges, fancy clothes, and lots of drinks with friends.

But our NYE has changed a lot since having kids. We love celebrating with our little ones. Honestly, I feel like I have more fun with them because they definitely know how to get hyped.

Here are a few tips on how to have an amazing NYE party at home with kids.

First, you must have decorations. They really set the mood and get kids excited. We usually choose a theme and get decorations to match the theme

This year, we went with Great Gasby and it was amazing! We had all the kids dress up in black and red clothes. The girls had some sparkle. And we went Party City to get hats, glasses, and the most important part, ballooons! It was really fun and the fanciness of it all was a hit with the kids. What’s cool about Party City is that you can order balloons in advance for pickup or get them delivered.

Next, you have to have the right food. I do a combination of savory and sweet. Some years we’ve done hot dogs and French fries. Other years, we’ve have shrimp and burgers. I stick to finger foods for easy access and quick clean up. I also keep it simple because after all of the holiday cooking and baking, I like to take it easy in the kitchen during this time. I also pick up a dessert from one of our favorite local bakeries. We usually have either cookies or cupcakes because after Christmas, I don’t even want to slice cake.

Also, don’t forget some tasty to toast to. We always get sparkling apple cider. The kids love it and when we put them in plastic wine glasses, the kids feel super grown up.

And finally, make sure there’s entertainment. We usually start the night making vision boards. The kids can use poster boards, markers, paint, and stickers to make their vision boards. I play music in the background while we’re creating. I’ll also ask the kids questions like, “what would you be the most excited about if it happened last year?” and “what dreams do you want to come true next year?”

I also get noise makers. now, get these at your own risk. But the kids love them and it helps them really get excited about the new year. They typically use them while we’re having a dance party, waiting for 12 to come.

We also like to watch fireworks from our balcony and some of the NYE shows from around the world. We find these online and with local news channels.

It’s totally up to you if you want to let the kids stay up until midnight or do a noon year’s eve celebration. We’ve done both. If you have a special person you want to have an adult celebration with, it might be worth it to put the kids to bed early so you can pull out the wine and the candlelight.

Matt and I try to have alone time together every NYE, but it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes the kids stay up late or one of us fall asleep. When that happens, we ring in the new year adult style, first thing in the morning while the kids are sleeping in.

And that’s it! It’s easy