10 Activities and Games to Ring in the New Year

Throwing a New Year’s Eve party with the kids this year? Then check out these 10 family-friendly activities and games!

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Counting Down the New Year as a Family

Finding a way to occupy the kids to stay sane and stay up until midnight can be a challenge. 2020 was the first time we all successfully stayed up — in the past we watched a countdown on Netflix at 8:00 and toast with some Sprite. Then my husband and I put them to bed and watch a movie or play a game to stay awake — a much different change of pace than before we had kiddos.

For those of you who want to start this new tradition with your kids in a way that doesn’t involve traveling to someone’s house or a late night ending with everyone irritated with one another…I’ve got a few fun ideas to add intentionality to ending your year with a bang!

10 Countdown Activities for the Kids on New Year’s Eve

Here’s how to plan out your night ahead of time:

Label 10 brown paper bags with activity times 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 9:00, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, and 12:00.
Fill each bag with the items described below.
When it’s time, open up the bag and do the activity as a family together!

5:00 MAKE HOMEMADE PIZZAS

Put a jar of pizza sauce in the bag. Then spend the next hour making homemade pizzas and eating them together as a family. Get creative with a toppings bar!

6:00 PLAY A CARD GAME

Put some playing cards in a bag. My kids love this set of card games we received for Christmas last year. These easy games are great for even your littlest learners especially when you use this egg carton trick to hold a lot of cards for small hands.

7:00 MAKE A DESSERT

Put a recipe or cookie mix in the next bag. Spend some time baking together. Maybe you want to start from scratch with a family recipe or pop a few ready-bake cookies in the oven.

7:30 LOOK OVER THE PAST YEAR

Stick a photo in the bag. While your dessert is cooking, browse your photos from the year and talk about your favorite memories. Apple Photos will even create a slideshow with music to a preselected album within seconds for you to watch!

8:00 PLAY A BOARD GAME

Put a game piece in a bag. Break out an old favorite and see who comes in first place! For little ones, we love the Junior versions of all the classics.

9:00 QUIZ EACH OTHER ON SOME TRIVIA FOR THE PAST YEAR

Place a phone in the next bag. Google pop culture events for the past year and see who knows the most trivia! Best out of 10 wins a prize!

9:30 WATCH A MOVIE

Place a new movie in a bag. Last year I chose Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Other favorites include Jumanji, Dennis the Menace, and Harry Potter.

10:30 POP SOME POPCORN

Put a popcorn bag in the next bag. To make it more interactive, make a popcorn bar where the kids can add goodies to their bowls.

11:30 GET READY!

Put plastic champagne flutes in a bag. Have everyone do some stretches, take a bathroom break, and then get your TV tuned to the ball drop. Need to wake up? Play some active games such as hide and seek, charades, or Pictionary. Fill up your glasses with some sparkling cider so everyone can enjoy it!

12:00 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Put some poppers in a bag. After you toast the New Year, then shoot your poppers outside for easy clean-up. Then give hugs and tell the kids that the first one asleep in bed is the winner!