New Years Eve Party:

When the kids were young we still wanted to stay home and have a news years party with them. Being young and they couldn't stay up til midnight, so this party started at 6:00. As they have gotten older I have waited til later to start.
After we eat pizza and hot wings here is what I do:
New Years Party: Each hour open a bag and do the activity inside, then it's outside for fireworks. We have 4 bags to open.

 ~1st hour/1st bag: Watch and glowsticks(lots). Put on our watches for the countdown. Make the glowsticks into a limbo bar. and play in the dark.(then go outside for a few fireworks til next hour)


 ~2nd hour/2nd bag:  Pipe cleaners (or construction paper)- make  the new years # glasses. ex: 2009 shape out of pipe cleaners. New years game* (then go outdside for fireworks til next hour)

 ~3rd hour/3rd bag: Napkin and spoon- Make confetti hats out of sugar ice cream cones, icing, and sprinkles, m&ms,etc. (then go outside for fireworks til next hour)

 
 ~4th hour/4th bag: Balloons and noisemakers. Play balloon volleyball and other balloon games like keeping it up with your nose,etc. Then let them pop the balloon and read the Blessing.(already written on piece of paper my 2 prayers for them for the next year).(Then go outside for fireworks and the big bang at "midnight")


 I had every white lunch sack pre-made, marked with kids names, and filled before the party. When prepared then it only takes about 15-30 minutes. I don't let the kids help b/c I want them to be surprised.
  I keep all the new years activities in a plastic shoe box in the attic until the next year. 


New Year Games and Fun:

1.  It Happened the Year of....: Write down a year on an index card. On the back write what happened in your family on that year.  Shuffle and put cards  year side up. Take turns drawing a card from the pile and the family has to remember or guess what happened on the year they picked. Talk about that year in more detail. Great for building memories.

Example:

 On the front-                    on the back:

 ~1997                               "The Year Ryan was born."

~ 2005                              "The year we moved to our new house"

~ 2007                              "The year the boys got dirtbikes for Christmas"



2.  Same game but with history facts. Great for the older ones.

 I love parties And I love my kids . So I made this party. And we have so much fun and they are worn out by the end of the night!
I hope you use this and have fun next year....or the end of this year!


3. 5 Years from Now: Write a letter to yourself five years from now. Talk about what you are doing now and where you hope to be in life in five years. Open and read 5 years from the date. We have done this and get lots of laughs!


4.  Blessing balloons: Write a prayer or blessing to each child for the new year. Fold it up, put in balloon, and tie. Play with balloon all night, then pop it and read at midnight.  Pay balloon volleyball.


5. Make treats: Confetti hats- sugar cone with icing and m&m's/ Ball Drop cupcakes- make cupcakes. Add a donut hole on a candy stick in middle of cupcake. 


6. Play a board game or cards


7. Sit around the bonfire talking about the last years and favorite memories. 


8. Make New Years Glasses- use pipe cleaners or construction paper 


9. Glow Tag and Glow Limbo- and other fun games with glow sticks


10. Any Minute To Win It style games- snow ball toss through wreath/ Stack the Nuts with a candy cane in mouth/ Eat the cookie- get cookie from forehead to mouth without using hands/ Blow cotton ball across table to land in cup taped to the side of table/ Rudolph- tie string to toothpick and pompom ball and Vaseline to nose; and with toothpick in mouth try to swing the ball to get on nose.