Maybe you just don’t want to go out for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Some of us like to spend time at home with the family, even on New Year’s Eve. You can have a good time and enjoy the time spent with your kids if you have a plan. There are a lot of great things you can do at home to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the family and create some memories.
What about a sleepover? No, I don’t mean a bunch of other kids running around all night. Have a family sleepover. Dress in your jammies and pull out some board games to play. Having a fire going, or using candles or flashlights gives you some comfy ambiance. Put a blanket on the floor and have a picnic-style dinner or snacks. You can let the kids lie around with their pillows and have sleeping bags ready for when they are falling asleep.
If your kids won’t make it until midnight, have an early celebration. Let the kids pick a country that will be celebrating New Year’s earlier than where you live. Maybe they can research that country and incorporate some food or customs at your own special party.
New Year’s Eve is a great time to reminisce. Find your old Videos or DVDs of the kids or vacations when they were little and make your own ‘movie’ night. Pop your own popcorn and maybe have different toppings for everyone to choose from.
If you and your family love music and dancing, then throw your own dance party. Get the CDS or Ipods out, or that karaoke machine you hardly ever use. Have little prizes for the best lip-syncing or a dance-off. Your evening will be full of smiles and laughter.
Don’t have time to plan? Check in your community to see if there are any family-style parties happening. Some churches or community centers offer these celebrations. Most of these end early enough to go home and watch the ball drop on TV.
Keep food simple. Have pizza, picnic food or just a selection of finger foods. This gives you less prep and clean up time, so you can just enjoy being together.
Staying home on New Year’s Eve does not have to be boring or dull. Be silly, laugh a lot and just make memories with your children. That is better than any fancy party.
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