All things related to New Year's Eve. They like everything, including the refreshments, staying up late, and the annual New Year's Eve countdown activities we conduct with them.
I'll tell the truth. I could accept or reject New Year's Eve as an adult. I'm pretty much always tired from having four kids, and I enjoy going to bed before 10:00 PM. However, I've made an effort to embrace it since the kids enjoy New Year's Eve and two of mine are old enough to stay up all night.
We completed all of the holiday activities here with the 2020 Hot Mess Express. With schools and activities closed, the kids had given up a lot, so I wanted to make the holidays especially memorable and enjoyable. We had previously done a lot of kid-friendly activities on New Year's Eve in previous years, but this year I wanted to make it even more exciting by creating a balloon clock with countdown games for my kids.
Read Also: What are the top New Year's resolutions for 2025?
How Do the Balloons for the New Year's Eve Countdown Activity Work?
Arrange your balloons in a circle that resembles a clock. Use a Sharpie to mark them. If you trust your children, let them pop a balloon with a safety pin or sharp object every hour on the hour. You can pop the hourly balloon yourself if you don't trust them.
- Every balloon has a unique countdown task for the children to complete. Repeat until midnight after popping the balloon and completing the task.
- Putting up your balloon countdown for New Year's Eve
Choose the start time for your New Year's Eve countdown events.
Since my kids often want me to keep them entertained, we agreed to start at noon. I reasoned that at least kicking off the countdown early could help reduce it.
- You may begin working later if you must. You can start later if you just don't want to be the entertainment circus maestro so soon. Of course, you might start it sooner if your children are already complaining, "I'm bored!" at ten in the morning. Here, the possibilities are endless.
- You will need a balloon for each hour until midnight, regardless of when you choose to begin. (Alternatively, you will need a balloon for each hour until your children go to bed if they are too little to remain up till midnight.
Must Know: What traditional symbols are commonly associated with New Year’s Eve?
Choose the countdown activities that you wish to incorporate.
On a sheet of paper, list the scheduled events. Then, before you inflate the balloon, slip the paper into it. The small activity paper will be inside the balloon when it has been inflated and tied off.
The activity paper will fly out when you pop the balloon at the hour mark. If your children are not yet readers, you can read it to them. You may watch your children battle it out to see who can get to the paper first if there are readers in your home. (Can you guess which one takes place in our home?)
In all seriousness, though, I advise sharing. While one child reads the exercise, the other gets to explode the balloon. Depending on how many children you have, switch and rotate as frequently as needed. Ringing in the new year with tears and a bloody nose is pointless.
Hang the countdown balloons for the new year.
Like the numbers on the clock, I prefer to complete my in a circle. Here, it looks like someone is always learning how to tell the time, thus it serves as a useful reminder.
If you're not doing twelve hours or don't care about the clock-like appearance, you might just as well arrange your countdown activities in a row.
If you enjoy taking risks, letting the kids play darts with the countdown balloons is a fun little variation. Simply hang up the required number instead of numbering them. After that, let the children toss darts until one of the balloons pops, or at least gets struck.
Ideas for Balloon-Based New Year's Eve Countdown Activities
As you count down to midnight (or pretend midnight for smaller children), you can engage in any activity you choose.
Here are some countdown activities we performed last year when my sons were 8, 6, 3, and 10 months old as a starting point:
- (The older two stayed up until midnight, while the younger two went to bed at approximately 8:00 PM.)
- Start the Harry Potter movie at 1:00 PM. (I made a mistake and it was really arbitrary. I had overlooked New Year's Eve. I assured the children on December 30 that "tomorrow" we would be able to see a Harry Potter film. They naturally saw that as a blood oath, so we began our countdown to New Year's Eve that way.
- 2:00 PM: Prepare popcorn and wrap up Harry Potter. This wasn't the most inventive countdown exercise, but because those films are lengthy, we had to do it.
- 3:00 PM: The children planned their resolutions using this New Year's Resolution printable (<–Please feel free to download the free printable that I made from that post. I preserve them because I'm a paper hoarder, and we do this every year.)
- 4:00 PM: BINGO for the New Year I have a $4 New Year's Activity Pack that includes this activity. It may be purchased straight here or obtained from the same article as the resolutions printable.
- 5:00 PM: Dinner at Chick-fil-A! Who was more thrilled about this one, I don't know. Most likely me. It's no joke to prepare all the meals for everyone.)
Read Also: What Are Some Traditional Lunar New Year Craft Techniques?
FAQs
Where can I go for the countdown to the new year?
One of the most well-liked locations to see the New Year's Eve fireworks is most likely the Marina Bay region. The Marina Bay Countdown, Singapore's largest countdown event, is held there each year. As part of the SG60 One Countdown 2025 events, there will be additional festivities during the countdown party this year.
Where can I see the countdown to the new year before it starts?
Visit the official Netflix website to view the New Year's Eve Countdown Collection.
Why do children celebrate the new year on January 1st?
Julius Caesar, the Roman tyrant who came to power, altered the calendar. The first day of the year was January 1st, partly in remembrance of the month's namesake, Janus, the Roman deity of beginnings whose two faces enabled him to gaze both ahead into the future and backward into the past.
Which app allows me to view the countdown to the New Year?
Live on New Year's Eve with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper: CNN's countdown will be co-hosted by Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper. The show, which airs on CNN at 8 p.m. ET and on CNNgo or the CNN app, will feature the two entertaining viewers at home.
Why does January 1st matter so much?
The date was selected in part to celebrate Janus, the month's namesake and the Roman deity of beginnings. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII approved a new calendar that formally recognized January 1 as New Year's Day, despite attempts by medieval Christians to substitute more religiously significant dates.
Luna Ella
All things related to New Year's Eve. They like everything, including the refreshments, staying up late, and the annual New Year's Eve countdown activities we conduct with them.
I'll tell the truth. I could accept or reject New Year's Eve as an adult. I'm pretty much always tired from having four kids, and I enjoy going to bed before 10:00 PM. However, I've made an effort to embrace it since the kids enjoy New Year's Eve and two of mine are old enough to stay up all night.
We completed all of the holiday activities here with the 2020 Hot Mess Express. With schools and activities closed, the kids had given up a lot, so I wanted to make the holidays especially memorable and enjoyable. We had previously done a lot of kid-friendly activities on New Year's Eve in previous years, but this year I wanted to make it even more exciting by creating a balloon clock with countdown games for my kids.
Read Also: What are the top New Year's resolutions for 2025?
How Do the Balloons for the New Year's Eve Countdown Activity Work?
Arrange your balloons in a circle that resembles a clock. Use a Sharpie to mark them. If you trust your children, let them pop a balloon with a safety pin or sharp object every hour on the hour. You can pop the hourly balloon yourself if you don't trust them.
Choose the start time for your New Year's Eve countdown events.
Since my kids often want me to keep them entertained, we agreed to start at noon. I reasoned that at least kicking off the countdown early could help reduce it.
Must Know: What traditional symbols are commonly associated with New Year’s Eve?
Choose the countdown activities that you wish to incorporate.
On a sheet of paper, list the scheduled events. Then, before you inflate the balloon, slip the paper into it. The small activity paper will be inside the balloon when it has been inflated and tied off.
The activity paper will fly out when you pop the balloon at the hour mark. If your children are not yet readers, you can read it to them. You may watch your children battle it out to see who can get to the paper first if there are readers in your home. (Can you guess which one takes place in our home?)
In all seriousness, though, I advise sharing. While one child reads the exercise, the other gets to explode the balloon. Depending on how many children you have, switch and rotate as frequently as needed. Ringing in the new year with tears and a bloody nose is pointless.
Hang the countdown balloons for the new year.
Like the numbers on the clock, I prefer to complete my in a circle. Here, it looks like someone is always learning how to tell the time, thus it serves as a useful reminder.
If you're not doing twelve hours or don't care about the clock-like appearance, you might just as well arrange your countdown activities in a row.
If you enjoy taking risks, letting the kids play darts with the countdown balloons is a fun little variation. Simply hang up the required number instead of numbering them. After that, let the children toss darts until one of the balloons pops, or at least gets struck.
Ideas for Balloon-Based New Year's Eve Countdown Activities
As you count down to midnight (or pretend midnight for smaller children), you can engage in any activity you choose.
Here are some countdown activities we performed last year when my sons were 8, 6, 3, and 10 months old as a starting point:
Read Also: What Are Some Traditional Lunar New Year Craft Techniques?
FAQs
Where can I go for the countdown to the new year?
One of the most well-liked locations to see the New Year's Eve fireworks is most likely the Marina Bay region. The Marina Bay Countdown, Singapore's largest countdown event, is held there each year. As part of the SG60 One Countdown 2025 events, there will be additional festivities during the countdown party this year.
Where can I see the countdown to the new year before it starts?
Visit the official Netflix website to view the New Year's Eve Countdown Collection.
Why do children celebrate the new year on January 1st?
Julius Caesar, the Roman tyrant who came to power, altered the calendar. The first day of the year was January 1st, partly in remembrance of the month's namesake, Janus, the Roman deity of beginnings whose two faces enabled him to gaze both ahead into the future and backward into the past.
Which app allows me to view the countdown to the New Year?
Live on New Year's Eve with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper: CNN's countdown will be co-hosted by Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper. The show, which airs on CNN at 8 p.m. ET and on CNNgo or the CNN app, will feature the two entertaining viewers at home.
Why does January 1st matter so much?
The date was selected in part to celebrate Janus, the month's namesake and the Roman deity of beginnings. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII approved a new calendar that formally recognized January 1 as New Year's Day, despite attempts by medieval Christians to substitute more religiously significant dates.