Happy New Year! If you still have young kids like I do, here are ten ideas to ring in the New Year with fun and celebration!
I look forward to sharing lovely things in the New Year. And I want to thank YOU for being part of the Bellissima Kids community.
Much love,
jeanne xoxo
Here they are:
1. Dress up. Even though you are still at home, now is a good time to break out the fancy clothes. I mean, when else do you get to wear them? Put on your fancy dress, dress the baby up in frills or a bow tie, and have a celebration. Even if you only celebrate for an hour, the kids love it.
2. Decorate the house or the wall or one tiny spot! Babies and toddlers love shine and sparkle. Christmas lights, glittery paper shapes and silver and gold streamers will make your at-home celebration stylish and small-child friendly.
3. Make party hats. Doesn’t have be too complicated. Anything will do! Here are some nice ones!
4. Make or buy noisemakers. You can easily make a few of these by putting pennies in rinsed soda cans wrapped in colorful paper or by putting beads in empty water bottles. Babies will love this more than any fancy party.
5. Kid cocktails! With infants, you may only be able to say “cheers” with milk bottles, but toddlers and young kids will enjoy any fizzy drink or anything with fruit or color. Here are some great “Mocktails”
6. Celebratory snacks. For toddlers, party food on New Year’s can be whatever you usually serve them made to look special. Present it nicely and they love it. Or make some simple party food…One of my faves ‘cuz I grew up in Australia is Fairy Bread! Here’s the recipe. (And that’s the what the image at the top is!).
7. Have a kiddie dance party. My girls love dancing more than anything else. And if they are wearing their fancy threads, even fifteen minutes of partying seems like a real occasion for kids. Get a real-time playlist of faves going.
8. Have a sing-along. Young kids love singing as much as dancing, and a few New Year’s Eve songs will make it special with no fuss.
9. Record the year. Take a minute on New Year’s Eve to record a few of your child’s memories. Write their favorite color, food, toy and anything special that happened that year and put it away with your holiday decorations to take out and read the next holiday season.
10. Ring in the New Year early. While you may be up for night wakings, your party doesn’t have to happen at the stroke of twelve. Party well before your children’s bedtime and just pretend it’s midnight!
So, you see, no need to not celebrate when the New Year is totally a kid-friendly occasion. Include them. They are after all, the focus of our whole year. Right? And if you have any other ideas, we would love to hear about them. Just comment below!