'They can increase self esteem, help you prioritize where to spend your efforts and keep you grounded in times of uncertainty and change.' 'Resolutions give us a sense of purpose,' Patel says. So is having your kids make New Year's resolutions is even a good idea? According to Reena Patel, a licensed educational psychologist and author of Winnie and her Worries, it is. in Indianapolis, for example, it’s midnight in Australia and they are already celebrating.' How can kids make New Year's Resolutions they'll actually keep?įrom dropping extra pounds to taking on less at work, most adults have made resolutions we didn't keep. 'We've also done an activity based on time zones to demonstrate how people celebrate the new year at different times,' Trumpey says. 'We have them take a photo in front of our 'Happy New Year' banner and put that on the front of their capsule.'Īt home, you can use a recent family photo or take one in front of a festive homemade backdrop, then use a small canister, paper bag or envelope as the 'capsule.'Īnother popular activity at the museum is learning to say 'Happy New Year' in a variety of languages then locating the country where that language is spoken on a map. 'Families can make a paper time capsule by writing down their favorite movies or books from the past year, any special trips they took and family memories on slips of paper,' Trumpey says. In addition to countdowns at noon and 1 p.m., live music, crafts and loads of confetti, Melissa Trumpey, the museum's director of public events and family programs, says some of the museum's celebratory activities can be done at home. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis has been hosting a 'Countdown to Noon' event for more than a decade. No matter what time of day you choose to celebrate, there are lots of party activities you can incorporate into your celebration that don't involve drinking champagne or kissing complete strangers. 'If you are having a party in your own home, place it near their bedroom door to block out noise from the hallway.' Help! We need suggestions for fun New Year's Eve kids' activities 'If you live on a busy street, put the white noise machine near the window,' she explains. Stevens recommends placing your white noise machine near the noise you are trying to block out rather than close to your child. 'The best thing you can do is place a white noise machine in your child's room to muffle some of the sounds,' she advises. Stevens shares solutions for helping kids sleep through a noisy night. You may be able to control your kids' bedtime, but you can't control fireworks, loud parties or neighbors banging pots and pans in the street. 'You can watch the ball drop at four or five in the afternoon instead of keeping them up.' We got them to sleep, but the neighbors are partying: What do we do? 'The countdowns available on streaming services are great for this,' Stevens says regarding the variety of New Year's Eve countdowns available on-demand through services like Netflix and YouTube. 'Have a little bit of rest time and encourage them to take a short nap if they're tired.' 'The best thing to do the next day is have a little bit of a down day,' she says. If you do keep your kids up, Stevens recommends keeping New Year's Day plans to a minimum, letting kids relax at home instead.

Should you make up for lost sleep the next day? Every kid is different, but if they are good sleepers and typically handle changes to their sleep schedule without a major meltdown, they're probably ready.

How do you know if they're ready? Stevens says while there's no specific age where kids can handle one late night, somewhere in the range of 7 or 8 years old is a good place to start. 'It's one night a year,' she says, 'and it's a fun thing to do when you know they're ready for it.' Is it OK for kids to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve?Ĭhristine Stevens, a Washington, D.C.-based sleep consultant and owner of Sleep Solutions by Christine doesn't think it's that big of a deal for kids to stay up past their bedtime on New Year's Eve.

Nye countdowns for kids