Inexpensive Family New Year’s Celebration

One of the wonderful things about having a family is the chance to begin creating your traditions. The New Year is upon us, and there is no better time to start than now! Set the tone for the rest of the year with an in-home family New Year’s party. After the holiday season, money is probably a little tight, but that is okay. You can plan a family party on a budget without having to waffle out on the fun factor.

Party Theme

Since the party is at home, you can pick any theme you want. You can dress up if you want — or dress down. Kids will love the idea of a pajama party that mom and dad can participate in, too. You won’t have to buy any special clothes, just pull out your favorite set of PJs. The bonus: if the little ones can’t quite make it to the midnight mark and drift off, they’re already dressed for bed.

Decorations

Making your own New Year’s decorations is a creative and fun experience, especially for the kids! In fact, you may want to let them take the lead on this one. The odds are that you have a stash of construction paper, glue and glitter somewhere around the house. Take construction paper, fashion a cone and staple it together to make festive hats for everyone to wear. Also, if an old bouncy ball is lying around the house, pick it up and wash it off. Cover it with some glow-in-the-dark stickers and glitter glue to create your very own family New Year’s ball.

Food

By this point, the stretch of heavy holiday cooking has passed. Keep it that way by making yummy dips that taste good with finger foods. You don’t have to bypass on the kid’s nutrition; you just have to let them think you did. Let them think the bean and cheese dip is junk food, instead of a healthy low-sodium combination of legumes and calcium-rich cheese. Looking for protein for them to munch on? Make a party plate of food that kids can’t turn down — chicken tenders. Round it off with some cookies and sparkling cider to bring in the New Year.

Games

In this age of video games, it’s hard to yank the kids away from the gaming console or their portable playing systems. It is important to keep a cohesive family theme going if you want the tradition to stick. So, if your kids refuse to leave the gaming alone and you just can’t beat ‘em — join ‘em! The chances are good that there is more than one controller for the gaming console. Jump right into it and show your kids that mom and dad have skills, too. On the other hand, you could just be a gracious loser if you have no idea of what you’re doing. The point is to have fun as a family and bring the New Year in together.