Fun Things to do in Minnesota with Kids to Celebrate New Year’s

We are all excited as the new year is closer and closer. With new year’s eve planning swirling our heads we tend to think about the parties to go to and the friends to see and chat with over champaign, but what about those of us with kids?

Here is a list of things to do with kids to celebrate the new year. From craft ideas to at-home activities, to kid-friendly events, I got a sample of a variety of things you can do to include your kids in on the celebration!

Kid-Friendly Events around Central Minnesota

Kare 11 has a wonderful article with a list of events happening around central Minnesota that you and your family can experience in the daytime. You can look at the article here, but here are the events:

• The City of Eagan is hosting a dance party at 9:00 a.m. with a countdown to noon. There will be games, prizes, snacks, and a ball drop. You can register online for $15 a person.
• The ROC Ice Arena (in St. Louis Park) will be celebrating from 12:15 to 2:15 p.m. with music and refreshments. Ice skate rentals are $3.
• The cotton candy cafe Spinning Wylde is throwing a New Year's Eve celebration in their new location at Union Depot in St. Paul. kids can dance at a hula hoop dance party starting at 6:00 p.m. and ending in a balloon drop at 8 p.m. This event is free!
• Como Park Zoo will be hosting a "Noon Year's Eve" party. There will be “crafts, face painting, a selfie station, and a biodegradable confetti drop. The events will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.” You can make a free reservation online.
• The M Health Fairview Sports center in Woodbury will be filled with many fun activities for both a matinee and an evening family celebration. The matinee event is from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is recommended for kids ages 3 to 8, accompanied by an adult. The evening event, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., is recommended for families with children under 12. If you register ahead of time, it costs $12 or $15 at the door, if available.
• Not included in the article, but there is a New Years Eve Candlelight Hike at Quarry Hill Nature Center in Rochester. Spend your New Years Eve in nature with a hike on a candlelit trail through the woods. Stop at the Prairie House to warm up by the bonfire and enjoy a cup of cocoa and popcorn. The cost is $6.00 per person (24mo and older). The ticket price includes one cocoa & popcorn.
• The Mayo Civic Center in Rochester is hosting a free New Years Eve Community event. The Family activities from 2:00-8:00 include: Roller skating with DJ, interactive games, and video games, an Igloo lounge with coffee, hot chocolate, and smores station, Winter Activities, an Interactive Ice Carving display and a live carving demonstration. And lastly, a "Kids Ball Drop" and bubble celebration at 5:00 p.m.

Craft Ideas For Kids

Balloon Countdown Clock

Doubling as a fun decoration, set up some balloons on your wall in a clock shape with one for each hour. Have kids POP each balloon as time passes. You can hide games or activity ideas in each balloon too.

Countdown Treat Bags

Fill treat bags with goodies or activities for the kids every hour. The kids can help decorate the paper bags but make sure to keep the insides a surprise. The bags can be filled with an array of things, like a new game to play or a book to read, special treats to eat, or even fun things to help celebrate.

DIY Party Poppers/Confetti and Noise Makers

You can make DIY confetti poppers or sticks, but if you don’t want a big mess you can also make these DIY pom poppers. You can also make your own noise makers.

New Year’s Fortune Cookie Messages

Kids will love making craft fortune cookies with fun-filled and nice messages for the new year. You can see if your kids can hand them out to everyone at school after the holiday break!

At-Home Activities for Kids

Have a Dance Party

Have a fun dance party with your kids. Find a kid-friendly playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. You can also find countdowns on Netflix or YouTube, and even have it end early to put your kids to bed.

Have a Slumber Party

Drag all the blankets and pillows into the living room and set up camp for the night. Rent movies to watch, play board games, and maybe let the kids pick out snacks that are normally off-limits.

Play New Year-Themed Games

This can include things like printing New Year’s Mad libs, word scrambles, word searches, bingo’s, coloring pages, or new year’s resolutions sheets (or even a bucket list).

Have a “Favorites” Night

Spend the last day and night of the year doing your family's favorite things! Eat your favorite foods, wear your favorite pajamas, and watch your favorite movies. Do a mix of everyone’s fav’s to keep it interesting!

Have a Fancy Dinner

Can’t go wrong with a classic fancy dinner. Get out the good dishes, dress up and have a fancy dinner. Make it a family affair by giving everyone a job from creating the menu to setting the table and pouring the drinks.

All information is credited to the articles from mommypoppins.com, theeverymom.com, thebestideasforkids.com, and kare11.com. Visit them to find more ideas.