Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

One of the great pleasures of working on the internet is faking the holidays so I can post about them in time for the actual event. I have enough trouble planning real celebrations, so thankfully, my friends at Little Miss Party do all the work.

After all, planning fake celebrations is their full-time job!

Are you ready for New Year’s Eve???

Me neither. But there I was, counting down to 2016 with my kids and sweeping up confetti.

In all honesty, the kids had a blast at this “Project Playdate” and seem pretty familiar with our “holiday before the actual holiday” shtick at this point. 

Here are some simple ideas for a New Year’s Eve themed play date, to use on the big day or leading up to it. We’ve incorporated a bunch of items from Little Miss Party’s New Year’s Eve in a Box, which I am giving away in the comments below.

THE DECOR:

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

1. New Year’s is most fun when you’re feeling festive. We laid out top hats and shutter shades on the table for the kids to get in the mood.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

2. Create some 2016 signage.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

3. We put a big balloon in the center with confetti inside for the kids to pop at the end.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

4. Set the table with placemats for each child to craft on. This will make for easy clean up! We found gold letter stickers at the craft store and put each child’s name on their own place mat.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

the Craft: DEcorate your blow horn

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

What you’ll need:

Gold Blow Horns
Dixie cups filled with rhinestones, jewels and sequins
Glitter!
Glue

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

1. Set each place mat with the items they need for crafting. This way each child has their own craft station and there is no fighting.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

2. Let the kids have at it. They can decorate their blow horn, glitter their place mat, spruce up their New Year’s accessories.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

Yes, it’s a mess BUT c’mon…it’s New Year’s!

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

The SNACK: Cupcakes and Hot Cocoa

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

Sure you can put out some healthy snacks like cheese and cucumber slices, but it’s not really a celebration unless there’s some sweets.

1. Give each kid a mini cupcake (pre-bought will do just fine!) and mini cups of M&Ms to decorate them with.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

2. Give each child a festive 2016 cupcake topper to stick on the top for the finishing touch.

3. Set out mini marshmallows for each child to thread onto star swizzle sticks.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

4. Set out cups of hot cocoa and let the kids stir and sip with their marshmallow sticks.

Don’t forget some champagne punch for the parents!

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

Happy Fake New Year’s Eve!

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

Giveaway: Little Miss New Year’s Eve in a Box

Today, I’m giving away a Little Miss New Year’s Eve Party in a Box ($69 + tax and ship) which is the perfect way to have your New Year’s Eve delivered straight to your door with no babysitter required.

Spending New Years Eve with kids and need some New Years Eve party ideas? Click through for everything from decor to crafts!

You’ll get everything you need for a festive party for 12 (cups, balloons, napkins, party horns, cupcake toppers, etc.) with party blueprints to make sure you ring in the year in style.

To purchase a NYE in a box, click here.

To enter to win a box, you must be a Mommy Shorts subscriber. Then leave a comment below telling me about how you celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids.

“Leave them at home” is a perfectly acceptable answer.