This is the best list of New Year’s activities for kids.
Why? Because not only is this a New Year’s activities for kids list, but it is your entire New Year’s Eve party plan!
Take the guesswork out of what to do with your family this December 31st, and get ready to have some fun.
We call this NOON Year’s Eve, and here is how this all goes down.
RELATED: Looking for simple kid activities at home? These activity cards are the best.
How do you make New Year’s Eve fun for kids?
It’s simple! Keep the festivities during the time of day children are most enthusiastic.
We like to begin our New Year celebration at 10:30 AM and take the party right to just a little past noon. – No more dragging until midnight. The festivities are celebrated and finished before naptime!
We did this with my four children, ages three, four, five, and seven-years-old.
RELATED: Here are 40+ Christmas activities for your December.
Our New Year’s activities timeline:
Begin by putting each activity in a different balloon and blow it up.
Hang each balloon in order from 10:30-12:15.
Sources: Click on each activity below to see the write-ups that helped us make this collection of New Year’s ideas.
- 10:30 Minute to Win It Cup Stack – Kid-Friendly Things to Do
- 10:45 Party Blower Races – Fun-Squared
- 11:00 Fireworks Craft – A Little Pinch of Perfect
- 11:15 Pom Pom Toss – Peachy Party Games
- 11:30 New Year’s Scavenger Hunt – Toddler Approved
- 11:45 Snowball Shake – Kid-Friendly Things to Do
- 12:00 Mocktails
- 12:15 Make a Year of Pizza – Toddler Approved
Minute to Win It Cup Stack Game
Put the painter’s tape on the top cup. See who can be the fastest to move the cups from top to bottom, stacking one at a time until you circle back to the cup with tape.
Try playing in teams or race against time together to see who can beat the clock.
New Year’s Party Blower Races
Place painter’s tape on the floor to create a starting and endpoint.
Put a small paper cup on its side and use a party blower to roll the cup to the other side. If the party blowers don’t work, try blowing air without the party blower to move the cup across the floor.
Fireworks Craft for New Year’s Art
Improve cutting skills with this easy art activity. This is simple firework craft will take on unique designs and is also great for different ages and stages.
To make, flatten out the muffin liner and cut to the center circle. Glue each firework on the paper or add multiple layers for a creative look.
Pom Pom Toss
We love pom poms, and this activity did not disappoint!
The object is to stand behind your partner and toss it over their head into the New Year’s hat. This was difficult for our young children, so we ended up facing one another to toss each pom pom into the party hat.
Try it both ways for a fun time!
New Year’s Eve Scavenger Hunt
Cheers to Toddler Approved for this New Year’s movement activity!
To begin, head over to print out the scavenger sheets and cards from Toddler Approved.
- Hang the picture cards throughout your house.
- Invite your children to walk around to find each picture card hidden.
- When you find the picture card, cross it off!
My three-year-old went in his own direction and looked for the items listed in the house which is another exciting way to play!
RELATED: Love hunts? Try Color Hunt and this Outdoor Scavenger Hunt.
Snowball Shake
Here’s another racing game that will have everyone laughing.
Place a small amount of Vaseline on your child’s nose and attach a cotton ball.
The objective is to move the cotton ball from one end of the room to another and shake it off into a bowl on the other side of the room. See how many cotton balls you can transfer in one minute.
Mocktails (just before noon)
Make mocktails with drinks you already have in your fridge. We used a combination of soda water, orange juice, raspberries, blackberries, and limes.
For inspiration, take a look at this list of sweet treats and this collection of mocktails by some fantastic content creators.
After the mocktails are made, countdown from ten to celebrate the new (noon) year!
New Year’s Eve Pizza
Again, Toddler Approved comes in strong with this DIY pizza.
Here, we all rolled out the dough together and cut out the numbers. I like doing this activity last since things can get a little wild. Invite the kids to add pizza toppings and enjoy it after cooking.
PRO TIP: Next year we will roll the dough and cut the letters ahead of time for just a little less mess.
We love this list of New Year’s activities for kids!
Which will you add to your next family celebration?
