12 New Year's Activities

Christmas is over! We had a wonderful day and we’re all a bit sad to say goodbye to Christmas for another year. However boxing day means New Year’s is fast approaching. Since we are saying goodbye to 2012 I thought 12 ideas for new year’s kids fun would be appropriate! Thanks so much for all the clever and fun ideas I have featured here from other bloggers.

1. Goodie Bags – something we will definitely be doing this year is this simple and brilliant idea from Liz at Hoosier Homemade : New Year’s Eve countdown goodie bags. Perfect for keeping the kids interested during the long hours til midnight! It has been a popular pin on pinterest – and rightly so!

2. So what to put in the New Year’s Eve countdown goodie bags? Well I found an adorable list of things to do on New Year’s with kids over at Hip Hip Hooray blog, including setting up camp indoors (if it’s cold outside), playing boardgames and letting the kids make their own confetti with hole punches. All great ideas – but my favourite (it’s been a favourite on a alot of blogs for a reason) was new year’s bingo! (I have linked to the free bingo printable and with some software magic you could change the years to 2012 and 2013 or create your own if you can find the time!).

3. Garland - every celebration could use a garland and new year’s is no exception. Amanda Formaro has a step-by-step post on how to make this gorgeous felt and sequinned new year’s garland at Kaboose.com. We have supplies of both so I am putting this on our to-do list.

4.Edible Party Horns - adorable, delicious and easy to make. What’s not to love about these edible party horns from Cooking With My Kid. Kids will love making (and eating) these!

5. Glitter Fireworks - last year we made some new year’s eve fireworks with black card/construction paper, glue sticks and glitter. It was before the blog got started so there is no link but if you would like some instructions enchanted learning have done the same thing.

6. Make crazy photos with sparklers! It’s so hard to get a good clear photo when kids are moving – so don’t! Hand the camera over to the kids and let them take pictures and marvel at all the COOL designs made when sparklers are swished around. Do it when it gets dark – it’s heaps more fun! This is one of our photos from last year:)

7. Puffy Fireworks – inspired by some amazing puffy paint over at Inner Child Fun we made our own shooting star art for new year’s last year. The photos are inspired by the amazing firework star displays over Sydney Harbour Bridge that takes place every new year’s eve.

8. Kids must have noise makers on new year’s and I love these over at Make and Takes. Using everyday items and allowing kids to be creative with decorating is such a great idea. We hope to make these too.

9. Collage - I love a boredom buster unplanned craft where you just pull everything out of the craft box and let the kids go for it. This new year’s collage from the activity village is just that. I love it and we will definately be doing it. My kids love these types of craft the most.

10. Counting down by popping balloons! This is a clever idea from the folks at HowDoesShe. Each balloon has the hour on it and inside are the activities planned for that hour. Here are some of the activities they had planned waaaaaay back in 2009:

‘Paint’ with shaving cream
Have a snowball fight
Eat a cookie
Ready a story in front of the fireplace
Have a thumb war
Sing a song
Clean the bedroom (ya have to have one chore in there)
Balloon Volleyball
Drink hot chocolate with marshmallows. YUM.
Call Grandma and wish her Happy New Years!
Turn on the music and dance like it’s 1999
Tell a favorite memory from 2010

11. Love this idea from the ladies at Hostess with the Mostess. A party hat decorating station. So cute – just another beautiful idea I want to try! The decorating station was set up for a birthday party but as I have seen elsewhere their post has inspired new years eve hat decorating fun as well! Thanks ladies

12. Party Poppers – we love Christmas crackers around here or party poppers/bon bons and why not extend that tradition to New Year’s Eve? Over at Little Birdie Secrets there is a gorgeous tutorial on how to make your party poppers which would be perfect for the big countdown.I hope you are inspired to incorporate some DIY craft fun in to your New Year’s Eve. I also have a huge round up of news year’s craft ideas over at pinterest. If are featured and would like to grab a Mudpies and Sunshine button you will find them here. I wish you all health, happiness and peace for the new year. Thank you very much for visiting and supporting my blog. Best new year’s wishes Nicole x