New Year's Eve games for kids and families: 10 fun ideas
Kids want to stay up until midnight, but most are fading by nine. These 10 family games spread the night out so the little ones get their countdown too.
A family New Year's Eve is different from a party with friends: kids look forward to midnight as much as the adults, but most of them are barely awake by nine. These New Year's Eve games for kids and families are built so that something happens every hour, and the little ones get to be part of a countdown, even if it comes before the real one.
New Year's Eve games for kids: 10 ideas
1. Balloon countdown
Blow up one balloon for every hour left until midnight and put a slip of paper with a challenge inside each one. On the hour you pop one and do what it says: dance to one song, share the funniest moment of the year, do ten jumping jacks.
2. An early midnight for little ones
At 8 or 9pm, hold a proper countdown for the kids: count down from ten, toast with sparkling juice and throw the confetti. Younger kids get their midnight, older ones can still stay up for the real one.
3. Year in review drawing
Everyone draws their favorite moment of the year and the others guess what it is. You quickly find out that kids remember a completely different year than the adults do.
4. This or That: New Year's edition
- Fireworks or sparklers?
- Party hats or noisemakers?
- Stay up until midnight or wake up early?
- Confetti or balloons?
- Best day this year: summer or winter?
- Next year: a new hobby or a new friend?
- Sledding or ice skating on New Year’s Day?
- Pizza or pancakes for the first meal of the year?
5. Hot and cold lucky charm hunt
Hide a few lucky charms around the house: a four leaf clover, a horseshoe, a coin. The kids search while everyone else gives hot and cold hints. Whoever finds one is lucky all year, at least according to the game.
6. Who knows who best? Family quiz
Play in pairs: the kid guesses what the parent would answer, then you swap. What is your favorite food? What are you most afraid of? Where would you travel next year? Every match is a point.
7. Wish jar
Everyone writes down three things they hope for next year and puts them in a jar. Open it next New Year’s Eve and see what came true. Younger kids can draw their wishes.
8. Freeze dance
The music plays, everyone dances, and when it stops everyone has to freeze like a statue. Anyone who moves is out. Great for burning off energy before bedtime.
9. Wax fortune telling with an adult
A safe version of an old European tradition: an adult melts a little candle wax in a spoon and pours it into cold water. The kids decide what the shape looks like and what it means for next year.
10. Most Likely To: family edition
- Who is most likely to fall asleep first tonight?
- Who is most likely to eat the most snacks before midnight?
- Who is most likely to laugh the loudest?
- Who is most likely to learn something totally new next year?
- Who is most likely to be up first on New Year’s Day?
- Who is most likely to win next year’s family quiz?
How to plan a family New Year’s Eve
- 6pm: This or That over dinner.
- 7pm: first balloon, year in review drawing.
- 8pm: early midnight for little ones, confetti and sparkling juice.
- 9pm: lucky charm hunt and freeze dance.
- 10pm: family quiz and wish jar.
- 11pm: wax fortune telling and Most Likely To, then the countdown.
The takeaway
The best family New Year's Eve is the one the kids feel is theirs too. If the adults want to keep going after bedtime, here are our New Year's Eve games for adults, or download Party Games by Guessy for free: it has family friendly categories and works offline.
