NYE Traditions When Staying Home?

Reminds me of my kids begging to stay up to watch the ball drop, and they'd be out like a light on the couch and miss the whole thing.

Do the fun stuff before 10. Then put on a movie and wait and see if they can make it to midnight...

Games, popcorn, sparkling cider for my daughter. Bang pots and pans outside at midnight. Yep, we're wild and crazy ;o)

when our kids were small we just let them stay up and we'd watch movies or play games or read stories to each other. around 11:30 or so we'd tune into the NYC and watch the ball drop.
the boys made it to midnight most of the time.
it's a hard row to hoe for the ol' man and me any more. we MIGHT get wild and go to a party this year, but we'll be home before 9.
and probably zzzz-ing by midnight.
:) khairete
S.

Our favorite way to spend New Years Eve is with family and we do finger foods, and dress up super warm (in ridiculous snowsuits that have been around since the 80's those ones people went snowmobiling in) and we sit around a big roaring bonfire with drinks. We wear tiaras over our hats and we have those noise blowers and the kids play in snow, go inside and play games to warm up or watch a movie, and neighbors come by for a while to join in and have a drink and sit by fire. Neighbor does fireworks. Kids now able to stay up (a couple of them) the others pass out.
This year we've been invited to friends' house - kids to play hockey/skate on rink (lit up by Christmas lights and flood lights) and same idea.
Some years though it's just been quiet at home and just do fun stuff. Kids still love it.
Friends of ours do something special every hour to count down - but I'm not that organized :)

When my girls were young we had a party each year with my brother and sister and their kids. The last 6 years or so my girls (17 and 12) have their friends over (5 -10 kids each) and my husband and I have another couple over to celebrate. I like having my kids home and I love that the kids come back to our house each year because they know we will feed them well and I know they are safe.
My kids are night owls. They have always stayed up to see the ball drop.

Edit...that being said my 17 yo just said she is probably going to someone else's party😢 My 12 yo is having 5 of her best friends over though.👍

Do you think she can make midnight? If not, then do a midnight at 8pm or 9pm or whatever you think she can handle. Change all your clocks, watch the ball drop in Times Square from last year on youtube - have a sparkling cider toast and go to bed. I've gotten away with this for years - this year my son is almost 10 and we will have his friends over so I am planning to let them stay up until they crash. Since we've done sleepovers before - and this crew hasn't stayed up past 10 I am guessing it will just be adults at midnight with champagne.

Sometimes we stay in and watch movies and play games. Sometimes we go out tobogganing and to watch fireworks. My kids have stayed up (or at least tried to) since they were little.

When my kids were little we'd watch movies and play poker. Poker is a great way to teach critical thinking and numbers. I provided all the pennies and they got a kick out of winning or losing since it wasn't their money.We'd bring out finger food all night and some would actually stay awake until midnight. Others would be asleep in their sleeping bags on the living room floor (where they would stay until morning).

Now that everyone is grown and gone we do a surf and turf and toast in the new year with anyone who comes over. This year it'll be 2 kids, my mom, and 2 granddaughters. We clean up when everyone leaves around 10 and then hubby and I toast again at midnight.

I have very little kids but my favorite traditions growing up were having a white elephant gift exchange with the family where you could 'steal' or pick a wrapped gift on your turn; we were always laughing really hard by the end. Sometimes we did a big puzzle together as a family. We made and ate homemade egg rolls. They are so yummy homemade. Of course I enjoyed some music performers and watching the ball drop on TV. I liked seeing some of the Presidential Gala too and admiring all the ladies ball gowns. Have fun and Happy early New Year!

We usually did a movie and games with lots of finger foods. Sparkling cider for midnight. Lots of people do fireworks in our neighborhood so we got to enjoy those from the back porch as well. Enjoy!!!

We let the stay up when they asked. We watched the shows and if the kids fell asleep we'd wake them up, it was important enough for them to ask so it's going to be a disappointment if they miss it. It's one night.

My family of origin never really did much for new years eve. We've continued my husband's which include at least one game of scrabble and the requisite root beer floats. I was raised in the south so I always make a pot of black eyed peas for luck...thank God for the ham hock.

To be honest, I can't recall how old he was when we let him stay up....I want to say maybe 10ish? But I also don't recall him expressing a desire to do so. I say let her try, no one has to drive or go to work the next day. She may run out of gas or not. However, I would also say that if you agree then she needs to fully understand that once that ball drops....she's going straight to bed, not for any punitive reason but because it is really late for an 8 year old. :-) S.

When mine was little, I rented tons of movies and bought buckets of junk food and we stayed up watching and munching until she passed out.

Watch a movie and drink sparking grape juice.
NYE just isn't a really big deal in our house.

We watch movies, play games, have a nice dinner at home earlier in the day then have finger foods and
snacks for later. We watch the ball drop on tv, open up those confetti shooters outside at midnight (if we
can stay up), have sparkling cider, put floating candles in our pont out back, use those noise makers you
can buy (outside for a quick minute) then off to bed!

We watch movies and make hot fudge sundaes with all the fixings. Then at midnight, we toast the New Year with Martinellis sparkling cider.

We do this every year. Except this year. This year, I spent it in bed with a bad cold, passed out by 9pm from the cold medicine. I hear the rest of my family had a nice time, though. I ate my hot fudge sundae today. It was just as delicious.