New Years Eve party activities - families invited

[shawthorne44]

 

While temporarily insane, I decided to throw a New Years Eve party and invite some families.   
Hive, can you give me some ideas on kid's activities?    DD has a summer birthday so I only know warm weather summer activities.   We live in North Texas, but a slip-n-slide still won't be a good idea.   
 

[Acadie]

When our kids were younger, we'd celebrate "French New Year," doing our countdown, opening the champagne and ringing in the New Year early. Then everyone would leave and we could get to bed before midnight, lol.

Giant poster on the wall with markers for people to write their resolutions. Decorating masks with feathers, gems etc. Twister or dance party wearing masks? Telestrations or other age-appropriate board games.

Amy

[Bambam]

I'd have a selection of games out and ask people to bring their own favorite. 

 

[Pink and Green Mom]

I second games.  At younger ages my kids always loved finger foods - mini quiches, pigs in a blanket, etc.  In our old neighborhood when the kids were all elementary aged we'd start celebrating around 4, and end around 9 pm with fireworks.  Definitely sparkling cider for the kids to do their own toast - they always loved that...

[rebcoola]

Our family friendly NYE party always includes a dance party in the garage music, glowsticks its a huge hit with kids and adults.  

[medawyn]

We frequently do a "Noon Year's Eve" bc ours are wee still, but we invite many ages.  Decorating masks/top hats, a balloon drop at the appropriate moment, decorating cupcakes or cookies, writing or drawing a postcard/letter to yourself for next year, puzzles/board games, sparklers or fireworks...

[katilac]

Decide ahead of time if fireworks are allowed and recruit supervisors. 

[shawthorne44]

I hadn't even given fireworks consideration.   Eeek.   Not a fan.

I bought some bottles of sparkling grape juice at Sam's today. 

[Moncha]

You could plan minute to win it games... maybe one every hour or half hour leading up to the countdown. If kids are staying up late definitely have a schedule... 6 pm this game, then food and free play, 7 pm this game and then make party hats or masks, 8pm this game and watch this show, etc. 

We did a kid focused party with our neighbors last year and it was fun, but as the night drew toward a close I think we should have had some more stuff planned... although the adults were dragging more than the kids. We did do sparklers I'd saved from 4th of July... that's a tradition we grew up with. We went outside and banged on pots and pans at midnight 🙂 

A pinata would be fun. Goodie bags at a certain time. Silly string. Caffeine, just kidding 😉 Charade type games are a hit with my crowd. 

[shawthorne44]

In case anyone is interested, this is what we ended up doing.   

The idea came from a young relative that is in Paraguay with the Peace Corp.   Then you add in younger kids that might not make it to midnight.   So, we looked up some NYE traditions from there, and other places to the East of us and celebrated every hour.   The big hit was burning_the_guy.    At first, my reaction was "We are going to burn a guy?"  with the tone of that is creepy and scary.   But, then it grew on me.  The other moms had the same reaction.  DH found some clothes that needed to go and couldn't be donated (stained) then bought some straw.  The kids made the scarecrow.  We have a giant firepit that is built to specs that allow us to burn even during a burn-ban.  Then I'd bought fireworks including these pink sparkler swords.  The girls used their swords to light the guy on fire.  Then the next hour we did the rest of the fireworks I'd gotten.   I'm normally not a fan of backyard fireworks.   But, we've had so much rain that our backyard is basically a lake.  We just had the type for kids.  

I'd recently bought a quantity of nerf gun ammunition.  That kept the kids entertained for a long time.  One funny was one of the girls saying "I can't go in there, I am unarmed".    

Pinata was a good idea.  But we do that for her birthday parties.  After her party this summer she insisted on keeping the unicorn.   The beheaded unicorn that takes up lots of room.   (sigh)  So no more pinatas until that unicorn is tossed.  
 

[vonfirmath]

I sponsor with Manna 4 Lempira and the primary correspondence contacts just moved to Honduras, just in time to participate in their New Year's Eve celebrations -- they also burn a giant doll!

 

[shawthorne44]

The kids were awake at 11 pm (central), so we turned on the TV and watched the ball drop.   The kids said things like, "Is that it?"   It was super boring after the burning guy.   
I'd also bought some NYE tiaras and the plan was for the girls to decorate them with feathers and stuff.   But, they had so much fun with the Nerf guns I forgot.