Celebrating New Year's with Kids Roundup with Crafts, Activities & More for Different Ages

 

New Year's Eve is almost here. To celebrate New Year's Eve one things about a countdown, fireworks and noisemakers, as well as a toast and special food and activities to keep everyone awake and entertained until the ball drops. New Year's Day is full of rest, brunch, resolutions and visiting. How do you celebrate with your kids? Over the years we have found some fun age-appropriate ways to celebrate with Hazel. New Year's is a special holiday for us because of her birthday. But even without her birthday around New Year's, I feel the start of a new year as a special restart for everyone. There are so many different ways it is celebrated around the world and even some different times of the year. Between the many countries that celebrate the lunar new year (this year it begins February 17, 2026) and the Jewish culture that celebrates Rosh Hashanah and of course the teachers who "celebrate" with a new school year. For this New Year's Eve I pulled together old posts, features from Sharing Saturday and asked fellow bloggers for ideas for you! 

Timing:

Hazel's first New Year's Eve celebration happened at twelve o'clock when she was five. Twelve o'clock p.m. that is. Our local library's children's department had a special celebration counting down to noon for the little ones. They decorated crowns and made noisemakers: egg shakers and kazoos. Then they counted down to noon and at noon jumped on bubble wrap shaking their noisemakers and watched fireworks videos. 

This was the first time I thought about the fact that we could count down to a different time besides midnight. Noon was fun for the younger kids, or their bedtime would also work. We did this in following years. 

The Countdown:

Many blogs share various countdown activities. People countdown the hours until the celebration or even time intervals and have something planned for each "hour." There seem to be a few main types and here are some examples and tutorials for you!

1. Balloon Countdown (with more activities) from Toddler Approved 

2. New Year's Eve Countdown Plate Craft (with countdown activities) from Natural Beach Living

3. JDaniel4's Mom also shares a New Year's Eve Countdown Plate and a printable plus more activities. 

4. Red Ted Art shares Twelve Different Countdowns

5. Days with Grey shares a tutorial to make a Countdown Punch Clock

6. Adults have the Times Square Ball Drop to Countdown, and we shared some fun facts about it. 

Hats:

Now every New Year's Eve party kit includes hats or crowns. These are a must and can be fun to make with kids or have them decorate their own! At the library celebration the kids decorated Grinch crowns but here are some more New Year's Eve appropriate hats to try.

1) Red Ted Art shares these fun Star Crowns

2) Red Ted Art also shares free printable party hats to color and make adjusted for 2026!

3) Artsy Fartsy Mama also shares free printable hats to color and make!

4) The Gingerbread House shares these fun crowns to make!

5) Meaningful Mama shares how to make these sparkly hats with a free printable

6) Fireworks are often let off on New Year's Eve so the kids could also make these fun fireworks crowns we made a long time ago for Independence Day. New Year's Eve can have more color!!

Games, Crafts, and Activities

Now with the countdown on you need some activities and games to keep little ones busy!! One of the countdown activities almost always is making pizza in the shape of the year!

Games & Activities

1) Red Ted Art shares a free printable for photo booth props. There are more around that you can print as well. 

2) Living Montessori Now shares various Montessori themed activities

3) Artsy Fartsy Mama shares a free New Year's Eve BINGO game to play

4) Rock Your Homeschool also shares a free New Year's Eve BINGO game!

5) Fun with Mama shares a New Year's Eve Sensory Bin perfect for little ones!

6) We had a New Year's Eve Birthday Bash and shared our ideas and more!

7) Days with Grey share twenty New Year's Eve Activities

8) Charades Game and Relay Race both using traditions from around the world

9) Hands On Teaching Ideas shares a New Year's Eve Escape Room Activity with different levels of puzzles for different ages!

10) Kingdom First Motherhood by Forest Rose shares a roundup of 100 different activities for New Year's Eve

Crafts

I always find kids like making things no matter the age. Here are different craft ideas for different ages.

1) Red Ted Art shares a Paper Plate Star Twirler for Preschoolers (remember stars are often used to decorate for New Year's Eve)

2) Rock Your Homeschool shares a fun New Year's Eve Glasses Craft to help celebrate

3) Red Ted Art shares a roundup of 30 New Year's Eve Crafts

4) Natural Beach Living shares a New Year's Eve Slime Tutorial

5) Little Bins for Little Hands shares another New Year's Eve Slime Tutorial

6) We shared a New Year's Eve Craft & Activity Roundup several years ago

7) Red Ted Art shares an Easy Family Time Capsule to make together

8) The Gingerbread House shares an Easy Origami Bell for kids to make and think about the ringing bells at midnight!

Resolutions and Paper Activities

At New Year's people think about wishes, dreams and resolutions! I like to do a word for the year to focus on some positives.  It can be done with kids as well. 

1) Fun with Mama shares free printable Resolution for Kids Activity

2) Buggy and Buddy share this wonderful Wishing Wall Activity for kids and adults

3) Messy Little Monster shares a Shooting Star Wish Printable

4) Mommy Evolution shares a New Year's Eve Activity Mat

5) Artsy Fartsy Mama shares a fun New Year Activity Page 

6) I made this form to help tweens and teens make resolutions or pick a word of the year

Not Pictured: Teach Beside Me has free printable New Year's Themed Mad Libs

Want even more ideas check out this snazzy roundup at Artsy Craftsy Mom. It has sparkly decorations, crafts and more!

Noisemakers and Poppers

The countdown is over, and it is time to celebrate!! How are you going to bring in the new year? We have used noisemakers, balloon drops, and jumping on bubble wrap for a loud celebration. Don't want so much noise? Red Ted Art shares fun star shaped bubble wands to make with toddlers.  There are also some great noisemakers and other popper tutorials around. Then finish the celebration with a toast of something sparkly in fun glasses. Consider the champagne flutes from Dollar Tree for the kids and they can toast with sparkling cider or grape juice or ginger ale (like I did when I was a child). 

1) Messy Little Monster shares these fun Noisemaker Add-Ons that will have kids laughing and loving

2) An easy DIY kazoo

3) JDaniel4's Mom shares this fun New Year's Eve Shaker Craft

4) A DIY egg shaker perfect for little hands

5) Repeat Crafter Me shares a tutorial to make New Year's Crackers (kids of all ages will love these)

6) Teaching Mama shares these fun New Year's Eve Paper Plate Noisemaker

7) DIY Confetti Poppers

8) Red Ted Art shares these Easy Paper Cup Pom Pom Poppers (what a great idea to use pom poms instead of confetti)

Once the noise and fun is over, it is time for bed! Don't forget the goodnight kiss as you put them to bed! Oh, and want something fun for New Year's Day? Be sure to check out this New Year's Breakfast over at JDaniel4's Mom.