Looking for something fun and meaningful to do with your family this New Year’s? Check out our New Year’s Scripture Printables!
I’ll be honest. I’m one of those moms who puts her kids to bed at 8pm on New Year’s Eve and doesn’t even feel guilty about it. After all, in my 30-something years of life, I’ve probably rung in the New Year from under the covers at least 30 times.
I know. I’m a real party animal, huh?
It’s not that I don’t love the new year. I do love the idea of new beginnings. I genuinely enjoy thinking about the blessings of the previous year that have come to pass and the potential of the year before us. I’ve just never been one to get into the staying up all night celebration part. Until this year.
The kids are getting older and they’ve wondered what all the hype could be about, and I love simple traditions like staying up until midnight! So, this year I decided that it was time for a New Year’s Eve Celebration! I thought about all that I wanted my kids to get out of the event and, of course, I crafted up a plan.
The festivities will start at 7pm with the popping of balloon #1. I created some New Year’s Celebration Scripture Printables and rolled them up. (Don’t worry, I’m sharing them with you. Just scroll down to the bottom of this post.) Next, I placed them inside a deflated balloon. The kids helped me blow up the balloons and then I drew a time on each one. To keep it simple I did 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Then every half hour starting at 9:30pm. This made a total of 9 balloons.
I tied the balloons to the light fixture over the kitchen table. You could also tie them to the blinds of a large window or just hang up a string and create your own line of balloons. I thought the light fixture would be fun because we will have to search through them in order to find the next time!
Each time we pop a balloon, we will read the New Year’s scripture verse. It’s actually just a reference on the slip, so we can read them straight from the Bible. After we read the scripture, there is a question to discuss. They are simple and upbeat topics on things like favorite memories from the past year and things we hope will happen next year.
After our discussion, I have activities planned for each segment. I didn’t add these to the printable because I wanted you to be able to have the flexibility of deciding your own activities. Depending on the age of your kids, items you have at home, and budget, your activities might look a bit different.
(Scroll to the bottom of the post to get your free New Year’s Scripture printables!)
Our Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebration:
7:00 pm—> Play Minute-to-Win-It, one of our family’s favorite things to do together! The materials are simple and usually on hand. Plus it’s awesome fun for all ages. Click here for game ideas.
8:00 pm—> Have a year-in-review scavenger hunt. (Or you could make a time capsule.)
9:00 pm—> Make a vision board for the New Year. I use this idea for my goals and dreams in my business and I love the idea of making one for our family. I think we will make one all together instead of two separate ones, but you get the idea! Click here for instructions for the one pictured below.
9:30 pm—> Make party hats to wear when the clock strikes 12. They are super simple and you can make them with any craft supplies that you have on hand.
10:00 pm—> Cupcake Fondue time! I can not tell you how excited I am about this idea. Hop over and see all of the great ideas for dippers!
10:30 pm —> Photo booth time! I’ve never done a photo booth with my kids, but I think they will love it. Plus it’s a fun way to make a memory with these cute FREE printables. Don’t be thrown off by the 2014 images, there is a link for 2015 too!
11:00 pm —> Make our own noisemakers. I love this idea because it’s so simple. Just a paper plate, some filler, and ribbons. The kids can be super creative with these.
11:30 pm—> I want the last half hour of our celebration to be very special. We will spend this time looking at the fun things we did tonight like our photo memories scavenger hunt and our family vision board. We will then get all of our materials ready for the big countdown and then gather on the couch to ring the New Year in through song! Our family loves to sing. We usually read the story behind the hymn and then sing the song from Then Sings My Soul. It’s such a beautiful time!
12:00 pm—> Happy New Year! Have a balloon drop. I can’t wait to do this. At midnight, we will release the balloons for a moment of sheer delight! Another fun idea is to hand out Midnight kisses.
I pray that your family has an amazing celebration together this year! Don’t forget to download your free New Year’s Celebration Scripture Printables.
GET YOUR NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION SCRIPTURE PRINTABLES:
Get the New Year’s Scripture set and ALL of our most popular holiday favorites in one simple download collection. We’ve made it easy-peasy to keep your hearts focused on the real meaning of EVERY season through Scripture rich printables encouraging time in the Word, family enjoyment, and the service of others. Click the image below to learn more.
Laura says
Thank you! We were just talking about doing New Year’s Eve with only our children this year and they will love these simple but fun ideas 🙂 May you and your family be blessed in the coming year!
Kim Sorgius says
You’re so very welcome. May it be the sweetest time for you guys!
Sally says
Kim, this is so wonderful … Our church is doing a family fun game night on NYE, I think I will bring this idea too … My older girls are on the “decorating team” 🙂
Tasha says
Hi! Thank you for the printable New Years celebration and ideas!! I can’t get the link to the photo booth to work, am I doing something wrong?
Kim Sorgius says
Nope. Not your fault. It was my error. I fixed it. Thank you for letting me know!
Kelly says
Love this idea!!
Naomi@WhatJoyIsMine says
Love this! Your ideas are fabulous and fun. What a great way to ring in the new year!
Tamboliya says
What a great idea and edifying in the Lord too! You are a great mom! Be encouraged. 🙂
(It’s so nice to know that there are godly mothers out there. That can be encouraging to the rest of us). 🙂
Kim Sorgius says
Thank you for your sweet encouragement!
Mary says
You’re so wonderfully creative. Thank you so much for this — we will be doing this in our house!
June says
I was planning on doing fondue, but Cupcake Fondue – Oh Yeah! Thanks for the idea!!
Jennifer says
I want the scripture printables!!
Susan Evans says
I love the idea of focusing on Scripture to bring in the New Year. What a fun idea!
Lezlie says
I never leave comments but this idea is Awesome!! I have a 16 y/o teen & I thought this would be too childish for him, but he absolutely LOVED IT!! Every hour he got such a kick out of popping a balloon. He loved the scriptures & questions & even wanted to pray afterwards. Thank you for posting a spiritual New Year’s Eve idea. Our church has a night-watch, but I never want to go out that late especially on New Years & have always wanted to have a spiritual New Years with my son. And the scriptures were so appropriate!! I’m also a single mom & homeschooler, so I have pinned your website for future reference. Thanks!!!
Kim Sorgius says
I’m so glad that you had fun. And I’m glad to have you around. Welcome!!
Patricia says
Great idea
Kim says
Thank you so much for this resource! We used the printables and ideas and modified them for our family. The last several years we had a few families over for a New Year’s party, but due to health issues, I just could not do it this year. My children were a little bummed that it was going to be just our family for New Years, but your ideas gave me inspiration and everyone enjoyed our New Year’s celebration. Maybe a new tradition……..
Kim Sorgius says
Aww. Thank you for sharing your testimony. I love it when God provides little things like this in our time of need!
Tiffany F says
Thank you so much! I am right with you as far as our kids ages and this is the first year we were planning to let them stay up to celebrate as well. I was just about to look for fun ideas when I received your e-mail! So excited to use some of these ideas!
Kim Sorgius says
I love it when that happens. 🙂
Tina at mommynificent.com says
We are going to have a Noon Year’s Eve party this year! I’m excited to try many of your ideas, only in the day time!
Kim Sorgius says
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Nicoletta says
This is one of the best post ever. Thank you so much for this great ideas and happy new blessed year
Kim Sorgius says
You’re welcome. Happy New Year!
Donnesa says
❤This is amazing and I am so excited to do these things with my family! This sounds like a new tradition! I hope youg and your family have a wonderful new year filled with love, laughter and blessings! ❤
Elizabeth De Kam says
I can not find the link in order to download the bible verse. Do you no longer have that link available?
Kim Sorgius says
There isn’t a link. Click on the free printables image at the bottom of the post.
Karen White says
I would love a copy of the New Year’s craft for my Sunday School class
beverly toth says
This looks so great!
Deb says
Love this to use with my OWLS group – Older Wiser Lutherans!!!
Joyce says
I love your ideas and downloaded the printable, but I didn’t see the Scripture verses with the questions on the back. I would love to receive those somehow. Did I overlook the link?
Suzanne says
Hi Joyce, the scriptures references and questions are all on the same side of the page. That printable starts on page 6 of the Holiday Collection 🙂
Suzanne@Not Consumed
Sharon says
Great ideas! Want to try one or two…