New Year’s Eve Activities

Do Fondue
Cheese fondue is just plain fun. You'll need a heavy pot for the fondue, a hot plate or burner to keep the fondue warm on the table, some long forks, and a loaf of crusty bread. Cut bread into small pieces and share the fondue. If you lose your piece of bread in the pot, tradition says you either have to kiss the person on your left, kiss everyone at the table or pay a “ticket” devised by others at the table. You can also try chocolate fondue.

Have a Family Slumber Party
Cue up a family-friendly movie. Shop for snacks. Pick up a deck of cards and break out the board games. Spread pillows and sleeping bags or blankets on the floor and camp out for the night. Maybe build an indoor fort. Cook one of your favorite meals and eat it by candlelight in the living room. See who's still awake at midnight!

Celebrate International Style
If your kids are small, it's hard to keep them up for midnight festivities. So celebrate midnight in another country, when it's still early in your part of the world. Get in the spirit by playing music and serving food from that country. You could celebrate the New Year in Italy, Paris or even the middle of the Atlantic Ocean (with an underwater theme).

Start a Family Room Disco
Turn your family room into a ballroom with a disco ball, curtains and strings of lights. Gather lots of different kinds of dance music, from Big Band to Top 40, so everyone can have fun dancing. Dress code can be casual (pajamas encouraged) or formal.

Get Crafty
Make your own disco ball out of paper mâchéand glittery paper. Fill it with candy and small prizes (movie passes, kazoos, etc.), and let it drop and break open at midnight.

Raise a Family-Friendly Toast
Let the kids make Shirley Temples with some ginger ale and grenadine – or better yet, purchase some sparkling grape juice so the kids can get the full toasting experience!

Get Your Grub On
Cook a feast full of kid-friendly foods. Let each child choose a frozen appetizer or meal at the grocery store or treat them to a pizza or taco bar.

Craft a Blessing Jar or a Wishing Well
Grab a canning jar or something similar from the cupboard or get one from a dollar store. Cover it in construction paper and label it either Blessing Jar or Wishing Well. A Wishing Well or a Blessing Jar can give families something to look forward to all year long.

Blessing Jar
If it's a Blessing Jar, you and your child write the blessings you notice in your life over the coming year on a piece of paper, fold it and drop in the jar. Next New Year's Eve, you dump it out, read it and get to feel that warm, fuzzy feeling. 

Wishing Well
The Wishing Well works essentially the same way. Except instead of putting blessings in your jar, you put your wishes. At the end of 2020,you get to see how many wishes came true, how many you get to carry into 2021 or how many you're willing to discard for new wishes.  

Set Up a Photobooth
Hit your local art supply store and buy a roll of white or colorful craft paper This will be the backdrop for your photo booth and you and/or your kids can paint on it, draw on it, write out your resolutions—really, the possibilities are endless! Raid your house for silly props or buy a pack of coffee stirs and cut out moustaches, hats etc, to glue or tape onto the stick—now you’ve got props! Download a photo booth app like Pocketboothand just be silly with your family and friends!