If (like us) you're spending New Year's Eve at home with the kids, then you're in the right place! We've got heaps of ideas for how to make it a night to remember. Here is a round-up of our favourite New Year’s Eve activities to do with the family. We hope this gives you some inspiration!

New Year's Eve at Home with the Kids | Reading Rocks 

Activities & Games

Indoor Treasure Hunt – Label envelopes with a countdown, put clues inside the envelopes and let the kids open the envelopes when the clock strikes the time on the envelope.

New Years Crafts - We love these craft ideas from muminthemadhouse.com - including DIY decorations, accessories, and printables!

Photo Memory Game – Print out photos of your best 2024 memories and play a simple match game with your kids.

Create a Time Capsule - Reflect on what a year it's been by creating a time capsule of world events, family happenings, and popular trends. You'll then open it next New Year’s Eve to see how things have changed!

Board Game Competition - Gather your favourite board games for a night of friendly (or not so friendly) competition! The winner gets bragging rights for the whole year or until the next competition!

Party Games - Kids love traditional games such as Pass the Parcel, Musical Statues, and Pin the Tail on the Donkey!

Family Olympics - Re-create the Olympics in your own home! Tweak some traditional games to adapt them to play at home and hand out “medals” for the winners.

2024 Wish Jar – Get each member of the family to write down something they would like to do or a place they would like to visit in 2024. Put them in a jar, and throughout the year take it in turns to pick one out.

Party Time

Dance party – Grab your glow sticks, and every hour turn off the lights, play your favourite song and dance!

Dress Up – Staying in doesn’t mean you can’t all put on your best party clothes. You could even create your own photo booth and take fun photos.

Have a Luau - It may be freezing outside, so crank up the heating and celebrate Hawaiian style! Grass skirts, sunglasses, flower garlands, inflatable flamingos and fruity mocktails... this is such a fun idea for kids and parents alike! There are some great ideas here.

Slumber Party – Or if dressing-up isn’t your thing, how about a slumber party? Put your pyjamas on, grab some snacks and your sleeping bags, and have a sleepover in the lounge.

Countdown

Mock Midnight – If you have little ones that won’t be able to stay up until midnight, do your countdown a little earlier – they’ll never know! If you have Netflix, you can also search for ‘Countdown’ and characters from different shows will help ring in the new year early for you.

Balloon Clock - Write the time on balloons and pop one every hour to build anticipation. This one looks great!

Celebrate Around the World – Follow the celebrations as they happen around the world, and find out about different traditions too – did you know that in Spain it is tradition to eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight?

Sparklers - Great for for kids of all ages, wrap up warm and step outside for some sparkler fun!

Have a balloon drop at midnight – Make your own balloon drop with two large pieces of lightweight fabric, some masking tape and lots of balloons. Then at midnight release all of the balloons!

Food & Drink

Afternoon Tea - Get all the family involved in making a tasty Afternoon Tea! There are some lovely ideas here.

Mocktails – Make some fun drinks that the whole family can enjoy, and top them off with a cocktail umbrella and fun straw to make them extra special. Simply add lemonade to anything to make it sparkling, or take a look at some of these recipes.

Snack Bar – Set-up a table with all of the family’s favourite snacks and treats on. Include lots of crisps and dips, veggie sticks, and things that are easy for kids to eat. We love the look of this canape hedgehog.

Hot Chocolate Station – Create a little display with hot chocolate, and lots of fun toppings such as mini marshmallows, sprinkles and squirty cream.

Cookie Countdown – Decorate cookies, cupcakes or biscuits with numbers, and then enjoy tucking into one every hour!

Once the Kids are in Bed

Romantic Dinner - Once the kids are in bed, why not order your favourite takeaway, open a bottle of bubbly, and cosy up on the sofa.

Spa at Home - Mark the end of a stressful year with a pamper session! Put on a face mask, paint your nails, and ask your partner for a massage. Aaaand relax!

Get an Early Night - There's no pressure to stay up till midnight, and we wouldn't blame you for getting an early night! You'll also be super smug when you wake up fresh faced and ready for 2024...

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this guide and it's given you some ideas for how to spend New Years Eve 2024! Whatever you get up to, we hope you have fun, and we wish you and your family all the best for 2025.

Don't forget to visit Reading Rocks for things to do in Reading - from Parks and Walks, to Kids Groups and Local Attractions. You can find your fun at Reading Rocks!