50 Family Activities for New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past year and celebrate the arrival of a new one. What better way to usher in the new year than with your family? Welcome the arrival of a fresh start with New Year’s Eve activities for families that are fun and memorable. Get inspiration for your own family New Year’s Eve countdown with this list of 50 family activities for New Year’s Eve.

Add balloons to your countdown. Put a number on each balloon to represent an hour. At the top of each hour, everyone in the family can take turns popping a balloon.



Make your own new year’s confetti. This is a great project to keep little ones entertained. You’ll need an assortment of decorative paper, scissors, a hole puncher, and an assortment of shape punchers.



Cook a traditional meal together. Did you know that there are some traditional meals that are thought to be lucky when eaten on New Year’s Day? Celebrate the new year with a special meal that the entire family can cook together. You can learn more about those traditional New Year’s meals here.



Make a few New Year’s resolutions. New Year’s Eve is a great time to think about making a few resolutions. Have you ever wondered how this tradition began? You can learn more about the history of resolution making here.



Plan out the year. Start a digital family calendar. Start adding important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. Set up alerts to remind you and you’ll never forget a special day again.



Guess the resolution. Have your family members write down their resolutions on a slip of paper. Hang up all the resolutions on a wall and have your relatives try to guess who wrote each resolution. Give out a prize to the person who gets the most correct.



Stargaze. Ring in the New Year with a beautiful view of the night sky. Grab your telescope and check out the amazing view. Read more about all the upcoming celestial events you can expect to see here in an astronomy guide for families.



Make a family time capsule. Fill your family capsule with favorite photos, a newspaper, drawings, a copy of everyone’s new year resolutions, and anything else you’d like to put inside. Hide it until next year. Get inspiration for your capsule with Lalo's how to create a time capsule.



Host a New Year’s Eve countdown pizza party. Set out all the ingredients for everyone to create their own perfect pizza. Check out this easy dough recipe for cooking ideas for families



Orchestrate a balloon drop. At the stroke of midnight, pull the cord to release your balloons. Try one of these fun balloon drop kits.



Countdown like a gamer. Add some friendly competition to your New Year’s Eve celebration. Bring out your favorite game system and play your way into January 1st.



Play board games. Play a different one at the top of each hour as you countdown to the next year. Play your favorite classic game and try to play a game that you’ve never played before.



Set up a family-friendly drink station. Offer some thirst-quenching options to please everyone. Stock up your drink station with Italian cranberry soda, root beer, ginger ale, cider, sparkling juice, and assorted flavors of carbonated water. Don’t forget to set out special plastic cups and crazy straws. The little ones in your family will feel so fancy!



Host an outdoor movie marathon. If the weather is nice, head outside and host a family movie marathon. Set up a white screen and a projector. Sit by a cozy fire. Don’t forget to bring the movie snacks!



Watch home videos. While everyone is patiently waiting for the arrival of the new year, watch some old family videos or make some new ones.



Make a bucket list. A new year requires some new plans. What do you want to do in the new year? Is there a place you want to visit? Do you want to learn something new? Keep track of everything you want to do by writing it down on your bucket list.



Send out cards. Send a special “Happy New Year’s” card to your friends and distant family members. You can buy some pre-made cards or better yet, get the whole family involved in making cards.



Light some sparklers. Light them for fun or try to write in the air with your sparklers and have someone take a picture. Try writing “Happy New Year”. Check out Apple’s photo guide for fireworks on how to take the perfect sparkler picture.



Hang up a “Happy New Year” banner. Welcome the new year with a banner. Hang it over your mantle, doorway, in your window, or on a wall.



Set up a photo booth. Strike a pose because it’s time for a New Year’s Eve photoshoot! Set out some NYE themed props and let everyone have a turn in the photo booth.



Call a loved one. Catch up with an old friend or a relative. Check in on the people that you love that can’t celebrate New Year’s Eve with you. Share stories and make a plan to see each other again in the new year.



Watch the ball drop in Times Square. Up for a family trip? Make your way to NYC and experience America’s biggest NYE party. If you can’t get away for a trip, live stream all the excitement with Times Square NYC online.



Make a wish for the New Year. Is there anything special that’d you like to wish for? Whether it’s a goal or dream, submit your wish to be included with others on over a ton of confetti that will rain down at midnight over Times Square. Visit the Wishing Wall in Times Square or submit your wish digitally here submit a New Year's Wish.



Watch New Year’s celebrations from around the world. If it’s looking like the little ones won’t make it to midnight, tune into another country’s celebration. They won’t feel left out and they’ll still get to see how other countries celebrate. Stream all the excitement from across the globe on YouTube live stream for NYE.



Watch a fireworks show. Ring in the New Year with a BANG! Whether you watch one in person or on television, fireworks are the perfect way to ring in January.



Research how New Year’s Day is celebrated in different cultures. Have you ever wondered how New Year’s Day is celebrated around the world? Learn more about the origins and traditions with the History of New Year's Day.



Start a new book. Challenge yourself to read it by midnight. You could also read a book together as a family. Everyone can take turns reading pages or chapters out loud.



Make a New Year’s Eve brunch. Let the new year's festivities begin with a special brunch. Invite your family to fuel up for what's sure to be a busy and fun-filled day.



Watch the sunset one last time in 2022. Step outside with your family to catch the last sunset of the year.



Make a family-friendly toast at midnight. You finally made it to midnight. It’s time to “clink” glasses and say, “Cheers!” Toast to the new year with milk and cookies.



Host a New Year’s Eve glow-in-the-dark countdown party. Turn off the lights so that everyone can bask in the glow. Outfit everyone with their choice of glow sticks, glow bracelets, glow wands, and glow necklaces. Offer a variety of activities to keep your family going until midnight. Games like laser tag and mini glow golf will provide hours of fun and help pass the time.



Have a New Year’s Eve pajama party. No need to dress up for this party. Instead, the entire family can celebrate the arrival of the new year in pajamas. What could be more comfortable?



Write a letter to yourself. Review your year in an open letter to yourself. What did you accomplish this year? What was a great moment for you? What could you have done better? What are your hopes and dreams for you and your family? Save the letter and read it to yourself next year on New Year’s Eve.



Plan a family vacation. While everyone is gathered for the holiday, start thinking about where you’d like to go on a family vacation next year. Gather some ideas and put them in motion. It's never too early to plan a trip.



Listen to Spotify Wrapped. Are you streaming music on Spotify? Did you know that Spotify puts together an annual personalized playlist of all the songs you had on repeat called Spotify Wrapped? Your family can share and play each other’s Wrapped playlists on New Year’s Eve.



Have a snowball fight. If there’s snow where you are, bring your family out for a snowball fight! Going outside for some family fun is a great way to start the new year.



Look at your smartphone photos. Go through your smartphone and look at all the photos you took during the year. This would be a good time to clean out your photo roll by deleting any pictures that you don’t need. You’ve got to make room somehow for all the pictures you’re about to take in Lalo for the New Year!



Donate to a charity. Donating to a good cause and helping others is a great way to begin the new year. Whether you’re donating money, food, or your time, your donation will have a positive impact on someone’s life.



Host a New Year’s Eve dance party. Keep the countdown energy high! Hang up a disco ball and turn up the music. Everyone can show off their dance moves all night long.



Hang up a letter board. Start a family letter board traditio. Hang one up to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and accomplishments. Put on an inspiring quote or a motivational message. Everyone can take turns styling it.



41. Paint kindness rocks. Spread the good vibe one rock at a time! Spend New Year’s Eve with your family painting kindness rocks. Hide them for someone to find along a hiking trail, a public park, or a playground on New Year’s Day.



42. Put together a digital photo collage. Gather your favorite photos and turn them into a beautiful photo collage that you can share with your family.



Build a family vision wall. Designate a spot on a wall in your home to hang words, photos, or drawings that represent a family goal for the coming year. Your family vision wall will serve as a constant reminder of your family goals.



Participate in a virtual run or walk. Celebrate the new year with a virtual race that benefits a charity. No matter where you are, you can participate in a virtual race. Kick off the new year with a race that benefits Be The Match.



Learn the words to Auld Lang Syne. This popular new year anthem is sung all over the world during new year’s celebrations. Learn the words and discover the history of Auld Lang Syne.



Learn your Chinese zodiac sign. Did you know that 2023 is the year of the rabbit? What is your Chinese zodiac sign? Learn your Zodiac here.



Set out a delicious spread. If you and your relatives plan to make it to midnight, snacks are in order. Offer a variety of easy to eat options that will please anyone.



Tidy up your house. Going into the new year with a clean house is a good feeling. Give your family some individual tasks and watch your house get cleaned in flash. Turn on some music and make a competition out of it. Whoever completes their tasks first gets a prize.



Learn some New Year’s superstitions. Some people believe in rituals to ensure a prosperous new year. Read more about these fascinating NYE rituals from across the globe and maybe embrace one to add to your new year’s celebraton.



Turn your Christmas tree into a New Year tree. Start taking down your Christmas decorations but don’t put away your tree just yet. Transform it into a New Year tree and enjoy having it up a little bit longer. Decorate it with new year party hats, crowns, noise makers, lights, and tinsel.