Give New Year’s Eve A Fairytale Ending to 2016…

...and they lived happily ever after.  Ringing in the New Year with small children isn't easy.  Even if you allow them to watch the ball drop, staying up that late can be very difficult.  If they do stay up, finding ways to entertain them in a child-friendly manner can be tricky.  Here are some ideas on celebrating the New Year with your kiddos.

• Make a time capsule.  If they are old enough, have the kids write down things they hope to do in the upcoming year.  Take a family photo of this New Year's Eve.  Close it up and open it next New Year's Eve.
• We have a memory jar.  We empty every January 1st.  There's paper next to it.  Whenever something funny, sad, happy...whatever...happens at home, you can write it on a piece of paper and add it to the jar.  Do this all year.  On New Year's Eve, go through the memories.  You will laugh at the things you forgot about.
• New Year's Eve goodie bags:  Make goodie bags that the kids can open each half an hour or hour.  You could be a little note in each one.  You can do this same idea using balloons.   Let the kids pop a balloon filled with confetti each half hour.
• For the younger kids who can not stay up late, ring in the New Year earlier in the evening.  Blow horns.  Have a toast, using milk and cookies.  Throw confetti.  For the older kids who make it to midnight, toast the evening with Shirley Temple's in champagne flutes.
• Play games!!  Who doesn't like a fun family game.  Some of our family favorites are: Apples to Apples.  Beat the Parents.  Mad Gab.  Monopoly.