Ringing in the New Year… With Kids

New Year’s Eve – always a bit of a dicey holiday coming on the heels of all the other holidays at the end of the year. It can be either fantastic or a letdown, and priorities for this holiday in particular can shift after having kids. Our family will be keeping things very low-key this year with a New Year’s Eve at home. But that doesn’t mean we won’t celebrate!

There are definitely family-friendly activities around Cincinnati if you’d prefer to get your brood out of the house to ring in the New Year in a magical and memorable way. The U.S. Bank Ice Rink at Fountain Square features a New Year’s Eve Blast with free ice skating, a countdown to midnight, and fireworks. There’s something special about being downtown for the holidays – seeing the lights and decorations, getting a cup of hot cocoa and a snack to warm little fingers, and watching mom and dad try to stay up on ice skates are all memories that can make a big impression.

The Cincinnati Zoo PNC Festival of Lights will be also be open New Year’s Eve and has activities particularly targeted toward young children. Happy Zoo Year offers an early countdown (can I get an “Amen” to that?!?) as well as performances by the Madcap Puppet Theater (my kids loved this silly, glow-in-the-dark show), visit with Father Time and Baby Zoo Year, and Rozzi’s fireworks. Countdown begins at 8:55pm with everything wrapping up around 9. That leaves plenty of time to get home, get the kids bundled off to bed and share a sparkling countdown with your partner before midnight. Or to nod off by 11:15 after a pint of ice cream. I won’t judge.

If you’re planning to stay home with your little ones on December 31, here are some things I’m thinking of trying for our kid-friendly celebration- maybe one of these will spark an idea that becomes your family’s unique tradition.

• Confetti balloons – this is super-easy but does involve popping balloons so is best for children who won’t be spooked by the noise. Fill some balloons – you could do one per child or perhaps 10 to do a countdown (depending on how much confetti you want to clean up) – with glittery confetti. Pop the balloons for a big effect and shower of confetti. Turn down the lights and break out some glow sticks to enhance the festive feeling.
• Liven up bath time New Year’s style by combining shaving cream and food coloring to make bath-friendly “paint.” Add confetti balloons (or just regular balloons) to the bath? Why not? Everyone is already in the bath for easy clean-up.
• Froggy Hopdown – this is good for younger kids and anyone who needs to expend some energy. Using construction paper or whatever you have on hand, cut out 10 “lily pads” and number them. Place the lily pads on the ground; for pre-schoolers who can recognize numbers have them hop in order counting down from 10 to 1. For smaller hoppers, you can show them where to hop. At 1, the froggies have hopped into the New Year and can make a wish for something they hope to see or do in 2015 (might be nice to stipulate that this cannot be a toy or something to buy, but rather something to see or do with Mom, Dad, siblings, etc., or instead you could offer a small favor or edible treat).
• You might have a baby doll laying around the house somewhere, no? Strip that doll down to a diaper and get ready to hide Baby New Year!  Write on one slip of paper for each child a promise for the New Year. Again, I’d be thinking more of experiences or time you will spend together rather than a toy or game or something to buy (because I’m cheap and don’t need any more tiny plastic stuff). You’ll also want to tailor this to your child or children’s ages and interests. For a younger child who doesn’t have as much concept of time (and thus may not appreciate the joys of lengthy anticipation), it could be “we’ll read a favorite book together” or “take a piggy back ride” or “build a snowman” (insert obligatory Frozen joke here). For an older child who can wait for something they want, perhaps a visit to a favorite place or a project to work on together. Once your Baby New Year’s pants are loaded with good wishes for 2015, hide the baby somewhere in the house. You can leave clues or arrows to help your little ones search, depending again on their ages and tenacity for seeking. The child who finds the baby gets to read/listen to his or her wish first.

I’m looking forward to snuggling up with E and J this New Year’s Eve, trying to slow down time for that one evening with some of the above activities to help talk about where their hopes and dreams are leading them next year.

What are your New Year’s traditions with your family?