Now that the safety around New Year's is in place, it's time to look at the really fun stuff: table decorations, sparkles, and kids' drinks!
Time for play and naps
Just like Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve can be a long day, and for the little ones, it can feel especially long without activities. Plan small activities and allow for play throughout the day. You can decorate safety glasses, play games, or get the kids started on some creative decorating.
Remember to allow time for a nap for the children. It's a long evening, and if the celebration is to go on until the town hall bells ring in the new year, it's a good idea to give the little ones a nap during the evening.
Decorate!
Let your children help decorate the home for New Year's. The little firecrackers love streamers, silly hats, and party horns, so why not take advantage of their enthusiasm and helping hands? Take your child along for New Year's shopping, and let them help choose from the shelves of glitter, sparkles, and colorful hats. Should dad wear a hotdog hat, mom big and cool glasses, and the child a giant cotton candy wig?
Loose frames
New Year's Eve is heavily influenced by the grand menu, and thus also very fixed at the dining table. Loosen the rules about how long one should stay seated at the table. The kids often have too much energy to sit at the table, and if there are several courses, it can easily lead to challenges and conflicts. Talk to the children about how tonight it is okay to leave the table during meals or skip a course.
You can easily have delicious adult food without the children needing to have red wine sauce and huge steaks. Consider making the evening's menu as finger foods for the little ones and add sliced fruit and vegetables with small umbrellas, so they also have a festive meal beyond the ordinary.
While the adults eat, the children can bring out their inner photographer with a stack of disposable cameras. It's both a fun activity that most children will find amusing in this digital world, and you can get entirely different pictures from the evening than those taken with a mobile phone.
New Year's bar at children's height
Is there anything better than colorful drinks that bubble and sparkle on a festive evening? No, right? It doesn't have to be just the adults who enjoy the beautiful drinks. Create a menu of child-friendly drinks made from juice and decorated with umbrellas or fun straws.
/ Mammashop
