All too often, children are left out of new year celebrations. Blame the late nights and raucous celebrations. But, what if you threw a family party that the kids can get involved in this new year? Including the kids in your plan doesn’t mean that the adults can’t have fun. In fact, it means your friends with children can attend without struggling to find child care! All it takes is a little planning. Here are some ways you can throw a party appropriate for all ages.
THINK FOOD AND DRINK
Children like to eat different foods than adults. You could opt to have two tables to cater for everyone. Set one table up for the children with mini pizzas and sweets galore. Another table could host more adult catering. Or, you could have fun and mix the two together. Get creative. There’s no reason adults can’t enjoy ice cream and jelly. If you want to keep your party sophisticated, present the food in the most mature ways you can think. There’s no reason you can’t serve that jelly and ice-cream in cocktail glasses. The kids will love this, too, as it’ll make them feel mature.To make things easier for yourself, order snacks online for party fun. When considering drinks, ensure the alcohol is away from the kids. Either present it on a side little hands can’t reach, or keep it locked away. You could offer your guests drinks as they need them.
GAMES
No kids party is complete without a few party games. Have fun with this by getting adults involved too. Fancy playing pass the parcel? Set up one gift for the children to pass around, and a separate one for the adults. Musical statues is a fun one everyone can get involved with, too. You could include a few games the children can play among themselves when the adults are busy. That way, you can rest easy knowing they’re amusing themselves. Setting up a game station is a fantastic idea. Adorn the station with kid-friendly items such as balls and bubbles. Just make sure those balls don’t end up anywhere near the alcohol!
DON’T STAY UP TOO LATE
The kids will love being involved in the celebrations, but they’ll still want to get to bed at a decent hour. You don’t want children falling asleep on the floor. Setting midnight as the end point for your party can be a good idea. New year parties start unwinding then anyway. Midnight is the main event, after all. State on the invite the times the party runs. Fellow parents will appreciate the fact that they can get away guilt free. Setting an earlier end time will mean that you still get to enjoy the new year with the people you love. If you think festivities will still be in full swing at that time, why not invest in some sleeping bags? That way, the children can go off to bed when they’re ready. Just remember to keep the noise down!