While the ball drops and fireworks begin decorating the wee hours of the new year, people around the world will cheer the arrival of 2009. Following all the hubbub of the holidays, New Year’s Eve can be a perfect opportunity to bring your friends together for one last ’08-style hurrah before you have to buckle down and work on those pesky resolutions. Although many such celebrations are decidedly adult-only, with a little careful planning, your New Year’s Eve party will thrill guests of all ages, ensuring fun for the whole family.
Few parents would be shocked by a New Year’s party invitation that excludes their young children %u23AF after all, many adults like to ring in January 1st with plenty of champagne and midnight kisses. Just because you want the adults to play, however, doesn’t mean that you should automatically ask parents to track down a babysitter. On the contrary, deciding to make your celebration family-friendly often means that more of your invitees will choose to attend. To eliminate any confusion, make sure that your invitations clearly state that children are welcome to celebrate, too.
Choosing an appropriate theme for your NYE party will help guide your planning efforts to entertain parents and kids alike. The key word here is appropriate, but don’t let that discourage you: Even if, say, you want to offer casino-style games for your adult guests, there are plenty of kid-friendly games available to keep the under-18 crowd playing all night, too. Don’t forget that everyone loves to dance on New Year’s Eve, too, especially the kids. A great party band or DJ should be able to get all your guests up on the dance floor %u23AF and keep them there!
Depending on the size of your guest list and the number of children expected to attend, you may want to design a kids’ entertainment area to give your young guests a chance to burn off energy while their parents relax. Even though it’s going to be a late night, don’t hesitate to include kids in the toasting festivities. One way to involve those with early bedtimes is to count down the arrival of the New Year in Great Britain (five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time), and show off London’s spectacular fireworks display on a big-screen LCD display. If the youngsters will still be awake when midnight hits Times Square, think about following the fun Spanish tradition: Give each child a glass or champagne flute filled with 12 grapes to be eaten on each chime of the clock for year-long good luck. And kids %2B noisemakers? Enough said.
Including children in your New Year’s Eve celebration does more than just give parents a night on the town. Even guests without kids usually enjoy themselves more when they see the magic of New Year’s Eve reflected in the eyes of an enchanted child. When the confetti has settled and the bubbly has lost its fizz, you’ll have given every one of your guests a New Year’s to remember for years to come.
