Help your child ring in the New Year by creating a New Year’s-themed craft. Creating handmade New Year’s crafts provide an opportunity for your child to learn about the holiday and have a hands-on part in the festivities. Since many New Year’s crafts can double as holiday decorations or party favors, plan to make your crafts a few days before your New Year’s celebration.

A New Year’s Ball

One of the most recognizable celebratory New Year’s events is the New Year’s ball drop in Times Square, Manhattan, N.Y. While your child may be too young to stay up and watch the ball begin its descent at 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, with a few simple craft supplies, your child can make a ball of her own to play with and “drop” before she heads to bed. The handcrafted New Year’s ball is created by covering a foam ball in multicolored sequins. Depending on the age of your child, you can use craft glue or stick pins to affix the sequins to the ball. Foam balls come in a variety of sizes. If your child is younger, you may wish to use a smaller 2-inch foam ball since she likely won’t have the patience or attention span to decorate a larger one. While younger children may randomly arrange the sequins, older children can create patterns with them. To complete the look of the ball, insert a pipe cleaner or chenille stem into the top of the ball a few inches to resemble the pole.

New Year’s Noisemaker

If you have ever been to a New Year’s Eve party, you are likely familiar with the noisemakers and shakers that are used to welcome in the New Year. You and your child can recycle old ribbon spools to make your own New Year’s noisemakers. Since the spools of ribbon have a hole in the center, when you cover one end with tape, you create a cylinder that can be filled with dried peas or beans. Once the cylinder is filled and the other hole is covered with tape, you can decorate your noisemaker. By painting your noisemaker with acrylic paint and adding embellishments like glitter, fake jewels and stickers, you can create a colorful noisemaker. You can even add ribbons to it. Once your decorated noisemaker is completely dry, you are ready to shake it and make some noise.

New Year’s Hat

Wearing a party hat during New Year’s celebrations is a tradition for many folks. Using a piece of heavyweight construction paper, your child can create and decorate his own party hat. Once the paper is rolled into a cone shape and glued or stapled together to hold its shape, it’s ready to be decorated. Plastic jewels, foam cut-outs, stickers and glitter can be used to decorate the hat. You may need to assist your child with painting or drawing the year you are celebrating on his hat. Once the hat is dry, it is ready to be worn to your celebration.