Happy New Year

Throw a New Year's party that the kids will never forget. Instead of going out for New Year's this year, why not celebrate as a family and begin the year together :-)

Decorations

1.streamers
2.balloons (children LOVE helium balloons)
3.hats

Games/Activities

1.Make New Years Crackers - decorate tubes with tin foil and decorate with sequins, glitter, etc... put aside to dry - when dry fill with treats, hat, joke, and small toy
2. Make noise makers:
*make drums out of margarine containers
*make shakers out of paper plates filled with rice or popcorn, fold in half, tape and staple, decorate
*tape streamser to pots or stainless steel bowls and decorate tablespoons with ribbon banging on at Midnight
3. Watch home movies
4. Fill balloons with treats and confetti to be broken at Midnight

Food

A buffet works best for this kind of party. Children love to be able to nibble and pick and choose a bit of each item for their plate. Serve a light dinner and then have the buffet later in the evening... if you are putting the clocks ahead to celebrate with young ones, have a late afternoon snack and serve the buffet as a late dinner.

1. Buffet:
*cheese and cracker tray
*meat tray with buns and butter pats
*vegetables and dip
*hot dog wraps - cut a hot dog into 4, wrap with bacon (partially cooked) and secure with a toothpick, grill
*pigs in a blanket
*pierogies
*lasagna roll-ups - cook lasagna noodles. spread meat sauce on noodle, sprinkle with motzerella cheese, roll jelly-roll fashion, spread sauce in bottom of pan and place roll-ups in pan seam side down, place sauce and cheese on the roll-up and bake until heated through and cheese is melted

2. Dessert tray:

Make an assortment of your family's favourite desserts for their enjoyment. Here are a few suggestions from "my family's faves!"

*variety of cookies (shortbread, gingerbread, chocolate-chocolate chunk, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin)
*rice krispie squares
*butter tart squares
*fudge
*macaroons
*date squares
*nanaimo bars (ok, I cheat - I buy mine at M&M's Meatshop- but I do make the rest!)

The Midnight Hour

If your children are too young to stay up this late, move your clock ahead 3 or 4 hours and celebrate the New Year a little early!

1.Don't forget the countdown... at the stroke of Midnight - be ready with the noisemakers
2.Have sparkling juice to toast in the New Year
3.Crack the New Year's Crackers you made earlier in the evening and pop the balloons!

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