Spend the last moments of 2012 and ring in the New Year with your kids at home. Invite other families over and make it a party or keep it simple. Either way, here are some tips to make your family party a lasting memory.
Have fun celebrating with the kids
Plan your New Year's Eve party the way you would a birthday party. If you are inviting other families, turn the invitations making process into a craft project with your kids... don't forget the glitter!
If you're running low on time or craft supplies, use a popular website to create and send an easy or "green"New Year's Eve party invitation.
New Year's Eve party food
Fortunately kids aren't that picky when it comes to food. So you don't have to spend a lot of time or money on elaborate dishes.
![Pizza party]()
Pizza
PizzaMake your own pizza or make a note to order pizza hours -- or a day -- before your party. You don't want to get stuck with a two-hour delivery quote an hour before dinnertime with a bunch of hungry kids running around.
How to make pizza at home>>
Bite-sized foods
Kids and adults love bite-sized party foods. Make or buy these easy party favorites to satisfy all guests.
- Mini pigs in a blanket
- Mac 'n cheese balls
- Spanakopita
- Pita and hummus
- Chips and dip
- Party meatballs
- Mini triangle sandwiches
- Fruit and vegetable trays
Kid-friendly holiday drinks
Let the kids toast just like the adults by supplying plastic champagne glasses and sparkling apple cider or other fizzy kid-friendly drinks. Your kids will love toasting to a prosperous 2013 with these delicious holiday beverages for kids.
New Year's Eve party themes and ideas for kids
You can simply break out the party hats and horns, or plan a themed party for your kids on New Year's Eve.
![Pajama party]()
Pajama party
Pajama partySkip the fancy dresses and dapper suits and instead ask that the kids come in their comfortable and warm pajamas. The other parents will love this idea, especially when they are carrying their sleepy children to their bed after returning home from your party. Or, if you are hosting just a few kids, make it a sleepover. It doesn't matter if the little ones drift off before midnight, because they'll already be in their sleeping bags.
Dance party
Make a playlist or mix CD of kid-friendly tunes, like the song from Kidz Bop. If you have a gaming system, purchase the Just Dance Kids video games to keep the kids entertained and take the pressure off of you -- teaching them how to dance.
Karaoke party
Rent or buy a karaoke machine and let the kids be as loud as they want while singing their favorite songs. Many karaoke machines hook up to your TV and DVD player so that you can watch the kids "singing" live, and also record it to watch for years to come.
Movie marathon
Most kids won't want to sit around watching the New Year's Eve specials on TV. So instead, rent a few movies. Depending on the age of the party guests, consider renting movies that have two or more sequels: Toy Story, Kung Fu Panda, Cars, Harry Potter, The Twilight Saga, etc.
Craft party
In between the eating, dancing, singing and movie watching, you can keep the kids busy with fun New Year's Eve crafts. Set up different craft stations with age appropriate crafts. Remember that little ones shouldn't be unsupervised around things that can be easily swallowed, such as beads, sequins, etc. Pipe cleaner fireworks are an easy craft that children love making on New Year's Eve. Learn how to make them and other New Year's crafts for kids.
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