How to make New Year’s Eve fun for kids?
Where has the year gone? It feels like we blinked and suddenly New Year’s is right around the corner!
With little ones in the mix, time seems to move twice as fast, but celebrating with them makes every moment even sweeter.
New Year’s Eve is the perfect chance to start fresh family traditions or try out some fun New Year’s activities for kids that get the excitement going long before the ball drops. And you’ve landed in the right place for all things kid-friendly and festive!
From easy crafts to hands-on countdown fun and family-friendly games, you’ll find plenty of ideas to help you make the most of the end-of-year magic. These New Year’s Eve activities are great for filling your day, creating meaningful memories, and even adding a little extra sparkle to your New Year’s decor.
So grab your kiddos, toss on some play clothes, and get ready to ring in the New Year with laughter, creativity, and a whole lot of fun!
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What is something fun to do on New Year’s Eve?
There are tons of kid-approved New Year’s activities out there, so you’re sure to find something fun to enjoy together. Or maybe something that will keep them busy while you prep for your New Year’s celebration.
There are coloring sheets, printable games, playdough mats, year-in-review questions, and loads of fun crafts for ringing in the new year! Check out all the ideas below.
New Year’s Worksheets for Kids
This 3D coloring page is a great way for younger kids to enjoy the New Year’s Eve celebration. In The Playroom offers two sets of coloring sheets: one for boys and one for girls.
This dot marker page from Two Pink Peonies is a great activity sheet for little kids to prepare for the upcoming year. It teaches numbers and fine motor skills that are so important for young kids.
Simple Everyday Mom has three dot-to-dot pages that double as coloring fun. They offer a simple way for little hands to learn numbers and fine motor skills while celebrating the end of the year.
These color-by-number sheets from The Artisan Life are fun activities for kids of all ages. Little kids can learn colors and numbers, while older kids can use crayons, colored pencils, or markers to create a beautiful design.
This letter activity from Mama Likes This is a great way to prepare kids for the year. Keep it with the time capsule sheet below to look back on as your kids grow.
This time capsule from Marley Doodle Digital allows your kiddo to reflect on the past year while coming up with New Year’s resolutions. Have your whole family complete a page each year to create a family time capsule as a fun New Year’s tradition.
New Year’s Games for Kids
Grab these bingo cards from Confessions of Parenting for a great time for the entire family. There are six different cards to get everyone in on the fun.
In The Playroom has created this cute I Spy game to celebrate this special occasion. It’s an excellent activity for young kids learning to count or use it for older kids as a race to see who finishes first.
Celebrate the holiday by searching for words related to New Year’s with this printable activity from Mama Likes This.
Use this Think Fast game from The Benson Street to spend quality time together as a family on New Year’s Eve.
Moms Who Save created this cute charades game to play as a family. The clues are easy enough for young kids to understand so that everyone can get in on the fun.
This party pack from Kiddy Charts offers five different activities for a day of fun. It’s a wonderful way to get ready for the next year.
Race to save the new year with this escape room from Her Seasons Printables. There are nine fun puzzles for older kids to complete in an hour, perfect for the hour before the New Year’s Eve countdown.
Use this pin-the-clock-hands as a game for the whole family or as a decorative countdown clock, where you do something special every hour.
New Year’s Activities for Kids
A Little Pinch of Perfect has created these festive playdough mats for your little one. They’re perfect for your New Year’s Eve party and again on New Year’s Day.
This New Year’s Eve scavenger hunt from The Benson Street is perfect if you’re attending a New Year’s Eve party or decorating your own home. See who can be the first to find all the items on the list for some fun family time.
This hide-and-seek scavenger hunt is perfect for staying in with little ones. Hide the pieces all over your home for a fun New Year’s Eve activity.
These reflection questions from Simplify Create Inspire are a great activity to spend some quality time with your family. Use them as a simple question and answer or set it up as a game where you guess the answers about each other.
Set up this balloon dart game as a fun competition between family members. Be the quickest to pop all the balloons in order from twelve to one.
New Year’s Crafts for Kids
These handprint crafts from The Artisan Life make a great memento as your little one grows. New Year’s is the perfect time to start a holiday handprint tradition.
Countdown clocks are a fun way for young children to celebrate the new year. Use this clock from Red Ted Art all day until midnight or just until bedtime for young children.
Can’t have a New Year’s celebration without the party hats! The Crafty Blog Stalker has created DIY party hats that your kids can color and wear all night.
Get your little ones in on the New Year’s celebration with these homemade party glasses from Rock Your Homeschool. Style these glasses made from pipe cleaners with the party hats above and some noisemakers found below, and your kiddos will be ready for the start of a new year.
These noisemakers from Rock Your Homeschool are perfect for your kid’s New Year’s celebration. The best thing about them is that they’re made with a Christmas bell, so they’re not that noisy.
These bubble wands from Red Ted Art are great ideas for younger children who might not like fireworks. It’s a fun kid’s craft that is a great way to say Happy New Year.
Create this pull-string party cracker before your New Year’s Eve party. Decorate your room with this craft from Ruffles and Rain Boots, and at midnight, have your little one pull the string for a big surprise.
These party poppers from Red Ted Art offer hours of fun. Use it as a noise maker or add pom poms or confetti for a mess-free (no glitter) New Year’s Eve activity.
This ball drop craft from The Soccer Mom Blog recreates the excitement of Times Square right in your living room. Decorate a paper plate to resemble the giant ball in New York City and drop it at midnight or during your Noon Year’s Eve activities for little ones. (Keep reading to find out more about Noon Year’s Eve.)
Have fun creating fireworks art with broccoli – yep, broccoli! The Soccer Mom Blog finally found a use for broccoli. Use yellow and white paint to create a beautiful New Year’s Eve craft.
Red Ted Art created this optical illusion using paper plates and a string. Create a New Year’s design on a paper plate, add the string, and twist for so much fun.
What is Noon Year’s Eve?
You may have heard me talk about Noon Year’s Eve in one of the activities above, and maybe you’re thinking Oops, she misspelled New Year’s Eve.
Nope, it’s not a misspelling. It’s an actual thing, and here’s why you’ll love it – especially if you have toddlers or preschoolers!
Noon Year’s Eve is the perfect kid-friendly twist on ringing in the New Year, without waiting until midnight. Instead of staying up late, little ones get to enjoy all the excitement earlier in the day. Think countdowns, confetti, balloon drops, noise makers, and sparkly fun all happening at noon on New Year’s Eve instead of midnight.
It’s a playful way to let little kids join the celebration, burn off some energy, and feel like they’re part of the big moment – minus the sleepy meltdowns. Whether you’re hosting at home, at school, or with friends, Noon Year’s Eve is all about fun, giggles, and kicking off the new year bright and early.
Conclusion
There you have it: some of the best New Year’s activities for kids. With printable worksheets and games, engaging activities, and hands-on crafts, I hope you were able to find something to keep your kids busy during the celebration or create a new tradition for years to come.
Which one of these New Year’s activities was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Related Articles for New Year’s Activities for Kids:
- Best New Year’s Traditions to Start with Kids
- Delicious Kid-Friendly Drinks for New Year’s Eve
- Fun Winter Activities for the Whole Family
30 Fun New Year’s Activities for Kids
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