Top 16 New Year's Eve Games And Activities For Kids

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If you thought that the celebrations of the holiday season were not enough, there is a lot more cheer coming your way soon! New Year’s Eve games for kids can help you have a great time to enjoy with your family and friends. It can even become part of your family traditions, so include some music, dance, and snacks for a long fun night.

If you would like to keep your kids entertained during the New Year’s Eve party, make sure you check out our recommendations of games, activities and some interesting craft making ideas for kids below.

Fun New Year Games And Activities For Kids

Here are some new years eve party games for kids that will provide hours of entertainment and laughter.

Image: Created with Dall·E

1. Guess the resolutions

You Will Need:

• Paper and pen for each kid
• Bowl

How To:

1. Ask all kids to write down a resolution on their piece of paper.
2. Tear out the part with the resolution from the paper and place it all in the bowl.
3. Now, take out one piece from the bowl at a time and ask the kids to write down who they think made that resolution on the remaining piece of paper.
4. The kid who gets the highest correct answers will win. A wonderful new years party games for children.

Point to consider

This game will help kids better understand each other’s dreams and aspirations and inspire them to dream big.

2. New year’s eve scramble

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• Paper
• Pen
• A pair of scissors

How To:

1. Write out different New Year themed words on big pieces of paper.
2. Now cut up the paper in such a way that it forms various jumbled words.
3. Mix up the words and put them all in a bowl.
4. Ask all the kids to sit together around the bowl and take out the pieces of paper to form the words.

3. Balloon wish

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• Balloons
• Piece of paper
• HeliumⁱA gas that is lighter than air, used to fill balloons

How To:

1. Tell each kid to write a wish or resolution for the New Year’s Eve on a strip of paper.
2. Now you fold the paper and place it inside the balloon. Fill the balloon with helium and tie with a ribbon.
3. Take your kids to the garden or yard before the clock strikes 12.
4. Tell the children to release the balloons when the clock hits 12. This is a fun and memorable family game for new year’s parties.

4. New year’s eve balloon countdown

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• 10 to 12 balloons
• Pieces of paper
• Permanent marker
• Things that are needed for the activities
• Pin

How To:

1. Write down a few activities on each piece of paper. Include fun activities such as making cupcakes, playing with sparklers, playing a board game and so on.
2. Put one such piece of paper in each balloon and blow them up.
3. Write out a time on each of the balloons, for instance, start at 6 pm if you have 12 balloons, leading up to midnight.
4. At each designated time, your kid will have to burst the respective balloon and carry out the activity inside.

An anonymous mother going by the username Craftibilities reveals an entertaining experience involving the balloon countdown game on New Year’s Eve. She blew up a bunch of balloons and wrote the time on each, randomly increasing the intervals by 35, 40, or 45 minutes. She writes, “Last year I started this balloon countdown and it was a huge hit. The kids loved it so much so we are making it an annual tradition. Doing this countdown makes the evening fly by so fast. Definitely no chance of anyone falling asleep or even speaking of sleep. The boys didn’t even get in bed until 1:30am (i)!”

Quick tip

If your child is learning to read time, draw that time on every balloon. It will help children practice their clock reading skills.

5. Marble race

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• Marbles
• Empty paper rolls – 1 for 2 players
• Knife

How To:

1. Cut the rolls in half to make troughs.
2. Hand a trough to each player and ask them to sit in a line.
3. Place a big marble in the first trough.
4. The player has to transfer the marble to the next player, using the paper roll, till it reaches the end.
5. The player who drops the marble will be out of the game.

6. Find the cherry

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• Disposable bowls – 1 for each player
• Cherries
• Whipped cream
• Paper Towels

How To:

1. Place a cherry in each bowl and cover it completely with the cream.
2. Hand one bowl to each player and ask them to find the cherry without touching the cream with their hands.
3. The player who finds the cherry first is the winner.

7. Pick the prize

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• Small prizes

How To:

1. Ask all the kids to make a circle facing outwards and link their arms.
2. Place the prizes in the middle of the circle.
3. The kids have to try and grab the prizes, with or without using their hands, but without getting unlinked.
4. The kid who unlinks the arms will be out for the round.
5. The kid who can grab the prize can keep it.

8. Fun photo vote

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• A digital camera

How To:

1. Ask all the kids to make funny faces and take their picture.
2. Upload it on your computer and ask the kids to laugh when they see the funny pictures.
3. The image that gets the loudest laugh will be the winning image.

9. Indoor treasure hunt

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• A white board and marker
• Items to hide

How To:

1. Write out the names of the hidden objects on the whiteboard.
2. Tell the kids to find all the items that you have hidden in advance inside the house.
3. The kid who finds the most items will be the winner.

10. New Year’s Eve charades

You Will Need:

• Prompts
• Timer

How To:

1. Create New Year’s Eve-themed prompts such as Sparkler, Countdown, Confetti, Clock, Midnight, London, Resolution, etc.
2. Divide the children into two teams.
3. Ask the children to act out the prompts within a specific time limit.
4. Let other members of the team guess the prompt.
5. The team that rightly guesses most prompts will be the winner.

New Year Crafts For Kids

Now that your children have decided to stay up all night to ring in the changes, you have to arrange a few activities too. You can’t have them flopping off to sleep before midnight. So, here are some fun New Year craft ideas that will guarantee a fun time for you and your preschoolers and school going kids.

1. Shimmering new year streamers

Image: Created with Dall·E

You Will Need:

• CardstockⁱPaper that is thicker than ordinary paper and is used to make invitations or business cards
• Wrapping paper
• Adjustable circle cutter
• Spray adhesive
• Hole punch
• Monofilament
• Jump rings
• ThumbtacksⁱA small, pointed pin with a round tip used to post notifications to display boards

How To:

1. Spray the card stock pieces with adhesive on both the sides and cover with the wrapping paper.
2. Cut different-sized circles from the wrapped card stock using a circle cutter.
3. Punch a hole at the top and bottom of the circle, except for the smallest circle. In the small circle, make a hole at the top edge.
4. Connect the circles using the jump rings. Place the largest circle at the top and smallest at the bottom. Repeat the process to make some more streamers.
5. Use the thumbtack and monofilamentⁱAn single untwisted synthetic nylon strand to hang the Streamer from the ceiling.

2. Matchbox countdown

Image: www.carolynshomework.com

You Will Need:

• Wrapping paper or foil paper
• 10 Matchboxes
• Yarn
• Confetti
• Countdown numbers
• Micro paper punches

How To:

1. Tell your kid to wrap the matchbox in wrapping paper or foil paper. Make a hole on one end of the matchbox using the micro paper punch.
2. Cut the yarn into 12-inch long pieces and thread the countdown numbers through it.
3. Fill the matchboxes with confetti and wrap around with the yarn. The confetti box is ready to toss at midnight.

It’s one of the coolest New Year’s Eve crafts you can make with your kid.

3. New year eve’s wishing tree

Image: www.notimeforflashcards.com

You Will Need:

• Metallic paint
• Cardstock
• Star shaped cookie cutter
• Hole punch
• Scissors
• Glitter
• A small sized tree
• Shallow dish

How To:

1. In a shallow dish, pour some metallic paint. Press the cookie cutter into it and put on the card. Your kid can give a wiggle if he wants a thicker outline. Make sure your kid lifts the cookie cutter carefully.
2. When the paint is still wet, sprinkle some glitter on it. Leave it dry overnight.
3. When the paint dries, cut it out around the star shape and punch a hole in the top.
4. Tell your kid to thread a ribbon or yarn through the hole and write, “I wish…” on the glitter side.
5. When your kid has written his wish on the star, he can hang it on the wishing tree.

4. Tropical colors noise maker

Image: classic-play.com

You Will Need:

• Empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls
• Aluminum foil
• Noisy bits like pebbles, and bells
• Decorative tape

How To:

1. Close the end of the toilet paper roll with layers of aluminum foil attached with tape.
2. Fill 1/3 of the roll with the noisy bits. Tell your kid to close the other end also with the foil and tape.
3. Allow your kid to decorate the tube with yellow, blue and green tape. Now shake, shake, and shake!

5. New year pompom hat

Image: willowday.net

You Will Need:

• Party hat template – Download
• Wrapping paper
• Ribbon scissors

How To:

1. Cut the strips of wrapping paper put through a shredder.
2. Tie the paper strips in the middle using a yarn or ribbon.
3. Tell your kid to trim the paper strips to form a pompom.
4. For the hat, download and cut out the template.
5. Form a cone and secure it with hot glue.
6. Dot the point of the hat and affix the pompom on the top of the hat.

6. New year’s resolution craft

Image: messforless.net

You Will Need:

• Colored Popsicle sticks
• Felt
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paper with resolution written on it
• Ribbon
• Decorations for the frame

How To:

1. Tell your kid to select four Popsicle sticks and assemble to make the frame using a hot glue gun. Leave it to dry for a few minutes.
2. Now tell your kid to decorate the frame using buttons, jewels, paper cut out or anything they like. Again, leave it to dry for a few hours.
3. When it dries, cut out a piece of felt about the size of the frame and stick it on the back of the frame.
4. You can either print out your kid’s resolution or write it on a card stock.
5. Tell your kid to stick the paper in the middle of the felt. You will enjoy making this new years craft ideas.

Infographic: Exciting New Year Games And Activities For Children

New Year’s eve is a time for celebration and creating memories with loved ones. Why not make this New Year’s Eve memorable by incorporating fun games and activities with children? Check out the infographic below for some cool games to play with your children on New Year’s eve.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Ring in the New Year with these fun and exciting party ideas for kids! Get creative with decorations, games, and activities for a memorable night.

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Deepa ThomasMA (English)

Deepa Rachel Thomas holds a master’s degree in English from the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. She has done a certification course in Child Development and worked as a mentor for young children at an NGO that focuses on helping children develop their language and soft skills.

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