New Year’s Eve seems like an adult-only celebration, but there are fun ways to get the kids involved. The best way to make fun New Year’s crafts for kids and New Year’s food for kids too! If they can’t stay up until midnight, think about having an early New Year’s Celebration! Do the countdown at 6 p.m. or even at noon! Before then, make a few (or all) of these New Year’s Crafts for Kids!
New Year’s Hat for Kids
Kids should have a festive hat to celebrate the New Year! Whether you have a toddler, preschooler, or pre-teen, they can all be involved. Just change the supplies so that they are age-appropriate.
What You Need:
- 1 sheet of yellow craft foam for each child (it’s better than paper because it is softer and more moldable for a hat.)
- Wide ribbon (or leftover garland from the Christmas tree)
- Hot glue gun (or a glue stick for the younger kids)
- Scissors that are age appropriate (or do it for them)
- A variety of fun craft supplies like faux jewels, feathers, stickers, markers, etc. Maybe even left over tinsel from the Christmas tree. This Art Jar, from Alex Toys, is my favorite.
How to Make It:
Roll the foam into a cone shape. For the younger kids, they can draw on it beforehand. Manipulate to fit child’s head. Glue and trim where needed. Glue ribbon/garland around the bottom section of the hat. Glue craft supplies all over the foam hat, decorating however they’d like!
New Year’s Noise Maker for Kids
Kids should have a festive noise maker to shake when the New Year begins! (This is also a fun, year-round craft idea too!)
What You Need:
- Two heavy duty paper plates (Try to avoid the plastic kind)
- Staples/Stapler
- Dried peas or beans
- Hot Glue Gun (or glue stick)
- Acrylic paint
- Colorful stickers
- Markers
- Faux Jewels
- Feathers
- Other craft supplies
How to Make It:
Have the kids decorate the plates on the outside (not the side that you would eat on). Once the kids are done decorating, and everything is dry, flip the plate over so the eating side is upright. Pour some of the dried peas or beans onto the plate. Then take the other plate and put it on top of the other plate (the two eating sides should be facing together and the two decorated sides are on the outside.) Then staple the edges together or use a glue gun (or both). You want them to stick together well, so when the kids shake it, it stays together. Voila! Kids can shake their special noise makers!
Happy New Year to all!
Charlene DeLoach is a senior member of the Toy Insider Parent Advisory Panel. For other fun New Year’s Ideas for Kids, visit her blog at Metrowest-Mamas.com
