Waiting with the kids for the clock to strike midnight on New Year’s Eve calls for some engaging entertainment. And even if the kids aren’t still awake for the singing of "Auld Lang Syne," the holiday should be a memorable occasion for however long they make it. Choose games that are challenging and different from those the family is used to playing, symbolic of the newness of the coming year.
Clock-Face Pinata
A kid-friendly alternative to the champagne toast at midnight is the bashing of a clock-faced piñata, a suggestion from Family Fun. You could actually build the pinata by creating a drum-shaped cardboard container, which you would fill with confetti and candy before gluing on the top; this could then be covered with papier-mâché and painted to look like a clock face. Alternatively, you could purchase a ready-made pinata with a rounded-shape and attach a clock-face made from poster board to each side. Of course, both hands will be pointing toward midnight.
Board Game Mix-Up
Instead of pulling out a familiar board game, pull out a half-dozen. In honor of the coming new year, Amazing Moms suggests Board Game Mix-up, which celebrates the new and different. Let kids use their imagination to combine, for example, the Monopoly game’s money, the Chutes and Ladders board, checkers and the Scrabble letters to create their own special game with its own special rules.
New Year’s Eve Trivia
Families can play a game of trivia about New Year’s and New Year’s Eve. Divide up into teams, so that there will be one adult on each side to help with the more difficult questions. Find ready-made trivia games websites, such as Celebrations, or you could make up your own trivia list. Another kind of New Year’s Eve trivia game would be to ask each family member to write up trivia questions about events from the past year, either those involving the family or family interests, and then challenging each other. For example, players might need to name the restaurant where Dad went for his birthday party or the name of the team that won the World Series.
Guessing the Resolutions
The Holiday Spot website suggests a New Year’s Eve game in which each family member writes down five resolutions for the New Year, each on its own slip of paper. Put the slips of paper in a basket and pass it around, giving each player the chance to read a resolution aloud and guess who made it. You might have family members type these up and print them out so that handwriting is not a clue. Encourage everyone to make some resolutions that are just silly to make the game more interesting.
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