New Years Eve is upon us, one of my favorite things to do is watching the ball drop from time square on TV.  My kiddos are still too young to stay up to countdown till midnight.  The past couple of years my oldest boys have "tried" to stay up but everyone ends up falling asleep, which is okay with me. 

 Kids just like adults love a good party though.  In lieu of staying up till midnight having a Noon Years Eve Countdown with the kids is a great idea.  You can have a simple and fun party from 11 AM to Noon counting down to welcome the New Year!  

 Let's talk food and drinks first.  Since your party is at Noon, right at the lunch hour, they will need to eat.  I don't know about your kids but my kiddos would rather snack than have an actual sit down meal.  They love finger foods and snack foods, a charcuterie board is a dream come true for them!

 Make your own DIY Kid Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie Boards are very popular right now and kids love to snack so this is the perfect easy way to entertain.  You can use butcher paper on the table or a cutting board.  Gather your favorite kid friendly snacks and arrange on the board.
Here is a list of what we used: Grapes, Apple Slices, Goldfish, Crackers, Salami, Cubed Cheese, Yogurt Covered Pretzels, Mini Cookies, Tortilla Pinwheels, Pretzel Sticks, and some candy.
Charcuterie Boards are beautiful and are the perfect centerpiece for any table. 


Cotton Candy Kid Spritzer
Have cotton candy in a glass and either use 7-Up, Sprite or Sparkling Cider. You can find plastic flutes at your local Dollar Store.  My kiddos love pouring over the cotton candy and watching it disappear, it turns your drink into a pretty sweet sparkling pink drink.  

Now let us talk activities.  The kiddos are home for Christmas break anyway and you need to keep them busy here are some ideas to have fun counting down to the New Year with your kiddos while keeping them active, off their electronic devices and hopefully so busy having fun they forget to fight with their siblings.  

 DIY Craft Countdown Clock
Keep little hands buys and have them create their very own clock countdown. 
Use a paper plate, pipe cleaners, stickers, buttons or any other craft items you have on hand.  You will need a punch hole, paper plates and craft supplies.
You could make this a real working clock and practice time, or just have your kids glue the clock hands made from construction paper, totally up to you. 
DIY Noise Makers
You can purchase noise makers at the Dollar Store, or you can make your own.  Use empty water bottles and rice, beans, pebbles, or beads whatever you have on hand.  
We have made these before to attend sporting events and we have died the rice with a drop of food coloring.  
Word for 2020
Choosing a word for the New Year is a great way to have your kids think about goals and what they envision the New Year to be for them.  With each New Year I endeavor to have my kids come up with goals in different areas (Social, Physical, Spiritual, Educational).  Depending on their age a great simple way to introduce them to goal setting is simply choosing a Word to focus on.  
This can be one of your countdown activities, have them write their word on a 3x5 index card.  You can decorate your card with markers, stickers, and even frame it or have them pin it on a bulletin board in their room.  
Here is a link for a free printable I made of Word Ideas to help prompt them.  
http://bit.ly/356YPV3

Photo Booth Fun
We love having fun taking pictures, you can buy a photo booth backdrop at the Dollar Store or make your own with streamers, a table cloth or blanket.  At the Dollar Store you can also find photo booth props or have your kiddos find some props from around the house.  
DIY Party Hats
I purchased party hats at the Dollar Store you could make your own with construction paper.  I am going to have my kiddos spruce up our party hats with some leftover Christmas tinsel garland I have had for years.  My kiddos love using the hot glue gun, so they will enjoy adding on to the party hats I bought.  
Looking for more ways to keep little hands busy?  I found some cookie decorating kits on clearance at my local grocery store, that is another great activity, have them decorate their own cookie or cupcake.  

 Make a time capsule.
Use a shoe box, have them decorate the outside and then they can add in things that remind them of this past year.  They could add in a ticket stub from an event, they could add in a picture of themselves, they could write out on paper a list of their favorite things.  

 Make a gratitude jar.
Have your kids get started on a gratitude jar.  Then each week have them write on a strip of paper what they are grateful for, then at the end of the year you can rehears all of the amazing things that happened throughout the year.  

 Scavenger Hunt
This is always a fun way to have them use up all that energy they have.  Especially if the weather is nice have them go into the backyard and find things such as a smooth rock, a leaf, something yellow, something green, pine-cone, flower, bark.  You could have them find three different types of leaves and three different types of rocks.  

 Sensory Bin
Depending on the ages of your children.  My toddler loves sensory bins.  You can make your own using rice, popcorn kernels, slime, water and more.  Toss in mini figurines, plastic toys from the Dollar Store and you'll have your own DIY Sensory Bin.  

 I hope some of these ideas help you have fun ringing in the new year with your kids. We wish you a safe and Happy New Year. Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends. www.BlogAboutItAll.com.