Celebrating New Year’s Eve with Kids

Every year, my friend and her three small children (all under 7) huddle around the TV, noisemakers in hand, party hats on heads and watch the ball drop. Is she crazy? Yes, but in a fun way. The kids love the excitement of watching the ball drop as much as the big kids do, so every year their family tunes into CNN and celebrates the new year by watching the festivities—in London.

The time difference means the kids can have a party at the very reasonable hour of 7 p.m. EST instead of midnight and still get into the holiday spirit. This is also great for moms and dads who may not be able to make it to midnight, either!

A few fun things to make with the kids while you’re waiting for the stroke of 7pm:

Party hats. Grab some scrapbook paper, scissors, glitter and glue, and create your own fabulous way to get festive.

Noisemakers. Fold paper plates in half, fill with dried beans and staple shut—don’t forget to add shiny accents, ribbons and streamers to the outside. Cans with a few coins wrapped in pretty paper work well too.

Time capsule. Write a few holiday memories on a piece of paper and place them in a special box to be put away and brought out with the Christmas decorations next year. This is a great way to stroll down memory lane every year.