✦ THREE, TWO, ONE... ✦
Midnight is a magnificent concept until you’re spending January 1 with a four-year-old who went to sleep at 12:17am.
Luckily, children do not require the actual stroke of midnight to have a proper New Year’s Eve.
They require a countdown.
The clock can be negotiable. ✨
🎉 An early countdown for little kids
Choose your own midnight.
Put on music, count backwards from ten and celebrate as though fireworks are exploding outside the window.
Small children are unlikely to request documentary evidence.
Make a year-in-review page
Ask:
A FEW LITTLE REFLECTIONS
What made you laugh this year?
What did you learn?
What was your favourite adventure?
Who did you love spending time with?
What do you want to do next year?
Let younger children draw their answers.
Keep the pages.
They become increasingly lovely over time.
New Year crafts
Try:
- paper crowns
- homemade party hats
- drawing fireworks
- decorating the new year number
- making a family time capsule
- creating tiny party hats for the toys
And yes, the Dinkums may require party hats too.
✦ MORE LITTLE ADVENTURES ✦
A resolution jar children actually understand
Skip “self improvement”.
Ask everyone to choose something they’d like more of next year.
Those sound like resolutions worth keeping.
New Year’s Eve games for kids
Try:
- family charades
- a dance-off
- musical statues
- a treasure hunt
- “best moment of the year”
- family trivia
- dressing the toys for their own New Year’s party, with a change of doll clothes for the occasion
A quiet New Year’s Eve
Not every New Year needs to resemble a nightclub.
Build a blanket fort. Watch a film. Have an indoor picnic. Dress the dolls for a party. Make dessert together.
Then conduct a highly dramatic countdown at 7:42pm.
New Year’s Day
Start something small.
Traditions don’t have to announce themselves when they begin.
Sometimes you just do something lovely twice.
New Year activities FAQs
What can kids do on New Year's Eve at home?
Try a family countdown, dance party, craft activity, movie night, treasure hunt or year-in-review. A celebration at home can feel every bit as exciting as going out.
How do you celebrate New Year's Eve with toddlers?
Keep it simple and consider an early countdown before bedtime. Add music, dancing, party hats and a special family activity.
What are easy New Year crafts for kids?
Paper crowns, party hats, firework drawings, time capsules and year-in-review pages are all lovely options. The Dinkums may require party hats too.
What are good New Year's resolutions for children?
Keep them positive and achievable. Instead of focusing on self-improvement, ask what they'd like more of next year: adventures, reading, creativity, kindness or time together.
