10 Tips for Hosting a New Year’s Eve Party with Kids

We are hosting a New Year’s Eve party WITH KIDS. Here are some tips to make your new year ring in awesome, with little ones around.

New Year’s with Kids

Can you believe that Christmas has already come and gone and New Year’s is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER? ME neither. We had the most wonderful Christmas season this year, and I’m not letting it end just yet.

This year we decided to host a little New Year’s Eve party with kids.

We have a great group of friends, who all have kids that our kids are friends with – so rather than spending the night alone with just our family, or having to find a baby sitter (good luck with that) – we invited everyone over here to party.

In total, we are guesstimating there to be around 12 kids here and 8 adults. Not an overwhelming number, just perfect and since we are all friends – and it starts getting late, we totally GET when each others kids will start screaming out of exhaustion.

10 Tips for Hosting a New Year’s Eve Party With Kids

Hosting a New Year’s even party with kids requires a few extra steps – hopefully these tips will help you when you are planning your New Year’s Eve Party.

1. Don’t Forget the Sparkling Wine and Sparkling Grape Juice

Don’t forget the sparkling wine! Our friends at Gloria Ferrer have provided us with party supplies and sparkling wine for our New Year’s eve event. We already cracked into a bottle on Christmas.

Our favorite Gloria Ferrer (that we’ve tried – can’t wait to try the others! – is Blanc de Blancs. It has a zesty orange blossom taste mixed with granny smith apples and lemongrass.

2. Kids Activities

The kids at the party will range from 2 -11. We have an xBox and toys that we hope will keep them busy so the adults can chat. I

In a bedroom, we’ve setup an extra air mattress just in case any of the kids need to sleep (or adults – we don’t judge.)

3. Hire a Kid to Help Watch the Younger Kids

I’ve hired my 11-year-old to help watch the kids and keep the calm. The kids at the party are a few years younger than her so hoping this will help disseminate some of the riffs.

4. Food For All Ages

Since the party will go on until at least midnight, we have several appetizers that we are making, desserts and then will order pizza ahead of time (I love pizza places that let you schedule your pizza order in advance.)  I made sure to have plenty of kid food, like Goldfish, cookies and drink pouches to keep the little ones happy.

5. Label Your Glasses

Write your name on your wine glass.

Whether it be plastic cups or fancy wine glasses, keep markers next to the cups to let everyone label their glasses. (Thanks Gloria Ferrer for these fabulous wine glass markers!)

6. Find a Kid’s New Year Party Activity to Do

Keep the party hopping because midnight is several hours from when party guest typically arrive. I have a feeling that the boys will be playing xBox One and by boys I mean all of our husbands. We have Cards Against Humanity that we’ll crack out as well. That game mixed with this Gloria Ferrer should make for a fun night!

7. Decorate The House

Streamers, banners, new year – OH MY!

So, as much as I would love to go all Pinterest on this New Year’s party, it’s not going to happen. I’ll be running to Party City tomorrow and picking up a New Year’s Banner, so party hats and horns for both the kids and adults (don’t forget the kids!!!)

BONUS – our house is still Christmas. We keep our Christmas stuff up until Epiphany – sometimes longer so yay for lights everywhere!

8. Early Countdown for the Kids with Netflix

Don’t miss the Netflix New Years Countdown!

Netflix WINS with an ON-DEMAND countdown! Determine a good time for the kids to settle down – play the countdown on Netflix (if you have Netflix subscription, that link will take you directly to the video.)

The video features King Julien and is 3:05 minutes so get your kids’ sparkling grape juice ready and horns and do an early countdown on demand! BRILLIANT!

9. Friends Don’t Let Friend Drive Drunk Or Post On Social Media

What happens at the New Year’s Eve party should stay at the New Year’s Eve Party!

Make sure that your friends are sober before they drive home. Use UBER (use code:mollyt9 to save on a ride) if you need to get someone home. If all else fails, let them sleep on the couch or spare bed.

Watch What You Post On Social Media

For my “special friend” who thinks it’s so funny to threaten social media posts – what happens at the party, stays at the party. Not that our parties get all that wild – but things do tend to be taken out of context – like majorly. Circle of trust people.

10. Have FUN!

New Year’s Party means bring on the fun to start the next chapter.

Don’t stress the small stuff and just remember the purpose of the party — celebrating the New Year with your friends and loved ones — oh, and kids.  Pop the cork and celebrate.

View all of our New Year memes

Happy New Years Friends!

Thank you Gloria Ferrer for sending us the sparkling wine. We loved it at Christmas and will be enjoying the other bottles while hosting a New Year’s Eve party with kids!