How to Have a Fun New Year's Party with Kids

We admit it, we tend not to really do much on New Year’s Eve. We usually make some party appetizers for our kids and get fun glasses and hats. However, my kids think that they can stay up until Midnight. While we are getting used to them staying up a little later, we wished we could have an earlier countdown.

Netflix totally solved our problem last year with their King Julian Countdown, which we streamed at 7:45 this past New Year’s Eve. It was such a success that I’m happy to announce that this year, there’s a whole new set New Year’s Eve countdowns, available only on Netflix, designed for preschoolers, tweens and everyone in between. We can choose when to say goodnight, and kids choose how to celebrate with their favorite characters.

How to Have a Fun New Year’s Party with Kids (And End Things Way Before Midnight)

5. Have fun appetizers – you can go for the classic ones like franks in a blanket, mini quiches, potato puffs or make your own! Pinterest can be a great inspiration.

4. Have activities for the kids like board games, coloring, etc.. Kids aren’t going to sit there are just eat and drink mocktails, right?

3. Serve mocktails – you can make the classic Shirley Temple or go even bolder. Here’s a link to the Pinterest search I did – https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=mocktails&rs=typed&term_meta%5B%5D=mocktails%7Ctyped

2. Have a dance party! Turn on pandora and dance around the room with your kidlets.

1. Make you you end things at the time YOU want, so you can still have time for a parents-only party! Do a Netflix countdown when YOU want. According to a recent survey from Netflix, 9 is the new midnight for parents in the U.S., with nearly half of parents (48%) saying they’d ring in the new year by 9 p.m.

So grab your party hats, noisemakers and 2016 glasses — and celebrate those famous 10 seconds, whether the ball has dropped or not. I won’t tell your kids it’s not midnight if you don’t.

Kids can pick their favorite character or ring in the new year again and again with countdowns featuring Oona and Baba of Puffin Rock, Care Bears & Cousins, Inspector Gadget, the Project Mc2 girls, King Julien, or Mr. Peabody & Sherman and all their DreamWorks Animation friends. Find it by typing in “New Year” into the search bar. This is what should come up.