New Year's Games and Party Ideas for Kids

The New Year has been celebrated since 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon with the first new moon after the vernal equinox which was the first day of spring. Celebrating the New Year around this time was the logical thing to do as it was the season of rebirth for the planting of new crops. Since that time celebrations have become synonymous with New Years as people make resolutions for a fresh start with promises of breaking bad habits, getting a better job, dieting, and improving their life in general.

Many people traditionally ring in the New Year with a party or some type of festivity that includes friends and loved ones. Parties that include food, games, and champagne for toasting the New Year are pretty standard and have set the tone for New Year's Eve for many decades, and these parties often last well into the middle of the night after the ringing in of the New Year. Since babysitters can be in short supply on New Years Eve, why not include them along in the yearly tradition? Adding some festive decorations and setting up a few party games to the evening will ensure that the children are included in the celebration and that they will stay busy while the adults are socializing. Make sure to purchase inexpensive prizes for the games as this will only add to the fun of playing, and it will keep the kids entertained for hours.

New Years Games For Kids

Guess the Month: Cut out pictures from old magazines or newspapers of events that took place over the past year. Put a letter on each picture. Have the kids number a piece of paper from 1 to 10. Have the kids write their answers on a piece of paper for each picture shown by writing the letter that goes with the picture. The child with the most correct answers wins a prize.

Smarty Pants: Every half an hour call out a question that relates to guests at the party, such as "Who's the youngest here?" "Who brought the deviled eggs to the party?" "Who is sitting next to the hostess"? You can set a timer for the kids so that they know exactly when the next question is going to be asked. The first one to answer correctly wins a prize.

Pass the New Years Present: Wrap an unbreakable gift, in a layer of tissue paper. Now wrap it in another layer and repeat until you have about 10 layers. Finally wrap the gift in wrapping paper. Sit everyone in a circle and play music. When the music stops the person holding the present removes "one" layer of tissue paper. Repeat until the last layer of tissue paper has been removed. The child who removes the last layer wrapping paper wins the present.

Stop and Go: Place New Years party favors on the floor in a circle, spaced about 2 feet from each other. Make sure that there is one less party favor then there are children. The children walk around the circle while listening to music. If the music is loud the children walk fast, and when the music is turned down the children walk slower. If the music stops, the children stop on the shape next to them in the circle. The last child standing next to a favor receives a prize.

New Years Balloon Pop: Place notes inside un-inflated balloons. On one of the notes place a star, indicating a winner. Inflate the balloons and hang them around. Let each child pick a balloon then pop it to see if their note is a winner.

Treasure Hunt: Hide New Years party favors and coins. The children have to collect a set number of party favors and coins, like a hat, four pieces of confetti, a streamer, and a quarter. The first child to find everything on the list wins a prize.

Food for the Kids

Set up a sundae bar for the kids. Include toppings, sprinkles, whipped cream and cherries.

Sparkling cider with plastic champagne glasses so that they can ring in the New Year as well.

A vegetable tray with ranch dip

A tray of pepperoni and cheese cut into cubes.

Chips

Bagel bite pizza's or pizza on an english muffin is perfect for smaller hands.

Tater tots

Goldfish crackers

Finger sandwiches cut into fun shapes.