18 Crafty Ideas for Celebrating New Year's with Kids

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Hoping to find some family-friendly ways to spend this New Year's Eve? From crafts to games to food, here are a host of ideas for making the evening special for you and your children.

For children, New Year's Eve has all the magic and appeal of a special occasion—the chance to stay up way past bedtime, toss confetti in the air, sport silly hats, and raise fruit-punch toasts. Whether you want to ring in the New Year with your young child at a family party or throw a sleepover bash for all her friends, here are some ideas for a fabulous New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve Craft Fun

Shakers: Purchase several strong cardboard paper bowls or small plates. Encourage your kids to decorate the plates with an assortment of art materials (felt and paper scraps, newspaper and magazine clippings, and so on). Write "Happy New Year!" on the outside of each plate or bowl. To assemble your noisemakers, place a handful of dried beans on a plate or bowl, and cover it with another plate or bowl, then staple shut. Now your child will have a homemade noisemaker.

Time-Capsule Noise Maker: Make a shaker, as described above, and hide a time capsule inside. Have your child draw a picture of the family, answer questions about themselves, and include dreams or goals for the New Year. Tuck the paper inside the noisemaker before you staple the plates shut. On New Year's Eve, let the children shake some noise into the midnight hour. Then, store the noisemakers away (for at least five years) and bring them out to enjoy in the future.

Rattles: Use two clear plastic cups and invite children to make rattles by placing a handful of dried beans, rice, clean fish tank gravel, shiny pennies, or colorful beads inside one glass. Place the other glass on top, then tape the two cups together (rim to rim) with colorful plastic tape. For decoration, you can also use this tape to make stripes around the rattle.

Recycling the Holiday Tree
Why not make a "New Year's Tree" with your holiday tree? Recycle the old and bring in the new! As a family, take off your holiday ornaments but leave the lights on your tree. Collect odds and ends—such as paper horns, party hats, ribbons, bows, and wrapped candy with ribbons (on higher branches, far from inquisitive toddlers)—and help your children make New Year's ornaments for the tree. This great project breathes new life into your holiday tree.