I am always trying to come up with activities that everyone in our family would enjoy. Our kids range from almost 2 to 11, so finding one specific activity that appeals to all of them is difficult.

New Year’s Eve is no exception. We like to let our kids stay up late to bring in the New Year with us. We watch the ball drop on TV, but we also like to throw in some activities to make it a full-on celebration and create memories that our family will cherish for years to come.

Here are a few ideas that we’ve enjoyed over the years and hopefully you’ll enjoy along with your family too!!

1-Fortune Balloons! All you need is some balloons, a few strips of paper, and a few activity ideas (think board games, conversation starts, and crafts). Write out each activity or craft on a strip of paper and gently slip them into a deflated balloon. Blow the balloon up and write a time of day on it. When that time rolls around, POP it! And do that activity! Tip: Blow up all of the balloons before writing the time on them, this way you don’t know which is which.

2-Make your own New Year’s Eve Ball! You will need a large Styrofoam ball, small craft mirrors, a thin piece of wire, and glue. Before you glue the mirrors onto the Styrofoam, gently press them into it to create an indentation. Then add some glue into that indentation and add the mirror. Next gently push the wire right through the center Styrofoam ball until it comes out the other side. Make a small loop at one end of the wire, and secure the other end so that it holds the ball on the wire. Grab a push pin or thumb tack and hang from the ceiling. When midnight rolls in, drop the ball! Tip: You should be able to find all of these materials at your local dollar store.

3- Make your own noise makers! All you need is a few small gift boxes, something probably smaller than the length of your hand (you should be able to find these at the dollar store). Fill them up with rice, dry pasta, dry beans, or anything small and hard. Close the boxes up, decorate them, and tape the tip of a popsicle stick on the bottom. You now have your very own, homemade noise makers!

4-Create a time capsule jar. Choose any jar or container that you have in the house. A mason jar will do. Fill it up with memories from the year, even if it’s notes written by all of you of what you loved most from this past year. We like to keep movie ticket stubs, so this would be something that we would put in our time capsule. Was your kiddo obsessed with silly bands, or collecting rocks this year? Throw something in the time capsule that represents that, or one of the items from their collection. Open the jar next year and enjoy the memories.

5-Family Interview! The first year we did this, we put all of our answers inside of our Time Capsule Jar. The next year, it was SO much fun reading over our responses, and especially seeing what the kids handwriting was like, or when the answered questions with drawings. You can create your own family questions, but I’ve put together some really simple questions that everyone can answer. You can download the PDF printable HERE.

6-Don’t underestimate simple! New Year’s Eve activities don’t have to be filled with glitter, sparkles, noise, and crafts. Playing a few board games with your family, while watching a few family favorite movies is a great option if you are looking to keep things simple this year.

What are some of your favorite family activities for New Year’s Eve?