Create your own NYE Decorations

The Christmas decorations might still be up but when is more decorations ever a bad thing?

Give your party a theme with your own designs of bunting! There is a great free bunting template which you can download here. Grab your glitter, paints, crayons, pens and crafting materials and get busy! We love the idea of mixing lights & natural elements with the bunting (see image) and it will give you an excuse to get out of the house for a walk to burn off those excess Christmas calories and to collect your chosen objects! Once the designs are complete simple cut the flags and attach together with ribbon or string!

Make your own party hat’s

This one will have to be done in advance.

Grab some old newspaper, PVA glue, some balloons and some paint and create your own party hat from Papier-mache!! For a top hat try using a flower pot covered in cling film for your mould!

• blow up the balloons to slightly bigger than head size
• cover the top of the balloon in the newspaper and PVA glue. Add 2 -3 layers. This will take around 2 days to dry.
• Once the hat is dry pop the balloon or remove it from the cling film.
• To add a brim to your hat simple take your dry moulded hat and place on a surface covered in cling film. Set the hat at the centre so you can papier mache around it. First, add long paper strips around the hat to fix it in place on the brim. Build the brim with 3 layers of papier-mache.
• The brim doesn’t need to be flat, it can be moulded into any shape you wish!
  Make a bonnet brim by placing 4 cans underneath the rim.
  Make a Cowboy hat brim by using something to hold up the edges as the papier-mache dries.
  Use a tray covered in cling film as your surface to and papier-mache up the rims of the tray to create a  lip around your brim.
• Paint your hat or you could use crepe paper or wrapping paper to cover it!
• Add feathers, ribbons, flowers or even stickers to your hat!

Fancy something a bit more simple? There are some great paper party hat templates here

Host your own New Years Eve Family Dinner Party

• Let the children help decide on the menu & have them create menus for the table.
• Decorate the table and get out the “best” crockery – just because we are at home doesn’t mean it can’t be a fancy affair!
• Help the kids to prepare a special dessert
• Finish off those leftover Christmas crackers
• Enjoy!

Get Dressed Up – The new “Going out-out” is the “Staying In-In”!

We all know how kids love to dress up at any occasion and I love any excuse to get dressed up to the 9’s so why not have the kids don their Sunday best, party dresses or even set a theme such sparkles and all dress accordingly!

Make your own 2021 Playlist

Create a playlist of the families favourite songs from 2020 and dance in the New Year! My daughter was given some disco lights for her birthday last year and we love having a kitchen disco!

Schedule some Facetime/ Zoom Calls with your Family and Friends

Make sure that you plan some times in advance- you don’t want to ring people when they’re in the middle of dinner! If you have other friends and family with children, use the time to play some games. One of the best ones if shouting out an object that you have in the house, and the first person to return to the screen with that object gets a point. My daughter LOVES playing this!! Dust off all those quiz skills that you gained during the full lockdown and do a HUGE family quiz! For more ways to connect with friends and families, see this post.

Get the drinks flowing

Raise a glass to the New Year with a great selection of drinks! Read the BBC Good Food’s List of Cocktails and Mocktails (yes, get the kids involved too)…. and you could even get them to help mix their own mocktails!

Have an early countdown and set off some Fireworks before the kid’s bedtime

Much as my kids would love to make it to Midnight that is never going to happen! Once it is dark have an early countdown and say goodbye to 2021 with some family fireworks or sparklers in the garden.

Party Games

Put a spin on the traditional party games with these 5 fun ideas!

• Pin the gas mask on the child – a take on pin the tail on the donkey
• Pass the parcel – have the parcel wrapped in newspaper or parcel paper for an authentic take
• Guess the resolution. Each family member writes down their resolution and they are read out and the children have to guess who each belongs to. As there will be limited people you could add one resolution and one fake resolution and they kids have to decide whether the resolution is true or false!
• New Years Eve Charades – rather than acting out films or books act out things related to NYE such as Big Ben, Confetti, The Countdown, Party etc
• MIdnight Musical chairs – use a clock chime rather than music and when the clock stops the kids have to sit down