Even though New Years Eve is thought of as an adult party night, children can take part in ringing in the New Year! Plan an overnight New Years Eve Party for children. This party is simple and easy enough to plan at the last minute. Start with making a list of guests such as neighborhood children or classmates.

Next enlist the children in making invitations to send or give out to their friends. Make a simple invitation in the shape of a clock marked at midnight or one with lots of streamers and glitter decorated on it. List the important information such as time to arrive and time to be picked up in the morning. Most importantly, list items to bring to the overnight party such as toothbrush, pajamas, sleeping bag and pillow.

Decorations for this New Years Eve party for children can be as simple as using lots of streamers, confetti, and balloons. Use lots of balloons gathered into a net from the ceiling for a balloon drop at midnight. Pick up noisemakers and New Years Eve hats to add to the festivities.

After the children arrive serve finger-food snacks set up buffet style or have a baked potato bar with all the fixings. Serve fancy cupcakes sprinkled with candy confetti. Play group games such as Twister, Charades and Pictionary while waiting for the stroke of midnight. Children will enjoy watching the countdown to midnight and the New York Times Square ball drop on television.

In the morning, serve a breakfast buffet with simple foods such as sausage-in-a-blanket made with link sausage wrapped in a refrigerator biscuit. Bagels, muffins, scrambled eggs with cheese, cut-up fruit, juice and milk completes your buffet. If there is time after breakfast, discuss ideas for New Years resolutions that children can make such as:

• Wear a helmet when riding their bike.
• Completing and turning in homework on time.
• Help with chores without being reminded.
• Eat the required fruits and vegetables each day.

Give each child a 3” x 5” index card to write down their resolution to take home and post up in their room. Plus send each child home with a treat bag. Ideas for the treat bag could include little toys, cards, pencils and a small calendar for the New Year. Your New Years Eve party for children will be a hit!

As a mother, grandmother, and child development professional, Nancy Johnson, shares over 20 years experience working with children and planning activities on her website, Creative-Child-Activity-Notebook.com. Check it out for more school age child activity ideas including winter, holiday, learning, nature, and child party activity ideas.

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One of the most important elements of any kids birthday party is the time spent playing party games. If well planned, they can make great memories for the birthday child and guests alike, if not, they can be a minefield of problems.

Don’t despair - a little forethought and common sense are all that’s needed to make your game time a smashing success!

Follow these Ten Easy Steps to Great Kids Party Games:

1. Group together at least six to eight appropriate party games then adjust down according to
your party timetable. Remember it’s better to have more activities planned than not enough.

2. Run through each game to iron out any glitches that might arise. The party child will be only too happy to help with this and get a sneak preview of the party agenda in the process!

3. Enlist other adults as helpers so things will run smoothly and stress-free. You can promise to reciprocate when their child’s birthday rolls around! Ages and abilities of your party guests should be considered when choosing your party
activities. A five year old won’t be capable of playing charades, but he can probably pop a balloon with his bottom to get the prize inside!

4. Timing is everything! Start your party with an icebreaker game while guests are arriving and end with a quiet game to help kids wind down from all the party excitement.

5. Gather materials you’ll need for each party game in advance and place them in the pre-selected kid-safe location. Pin the Tail on the Donkey just isn’t the same when you’ve forgotten the blindfold!

6. Arbitrate - adult leaders should understand the rules of the games and gently enforce them. Kids have a strong sense of what’s fair and will look to the adults to keep everyone playing by the rules.

7. Make sure each child gets a prize for his or her efforts so everyone feels like a winner. Wrapped candy, stickers, erasers, pencils, coins, medals and other small tokens make great prize incentives.

8. Encouragement and enthusiasm keep guests motivated and happy. For a fun twist, change the rules of the game and give a prize not only to the first player, but to the last one, saying it was the secret plan of the game.

9. Success! Congratulate yourself on a job well done! When your pooped party guests go home to Mom and Dad, this is the part they’ll talk about the most!

10. By taking the first letter of each of the ten steps above, you can spell out what you will accomplish when you follow this guideline: GREAT GAMES!

Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog

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