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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Dec 30 2005 at 3:59pm | IP Logged
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Well, I'm trying to think of something fun to do with the kids for a New Years Eve celebration. We rarely make it to mid-night...I guess my dh and I are getting too old. I'd like it to be a fun time for the kids this year and I am just wondering if there is anything you all might suggest?
Becky
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ladybugs
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Games, stories, a fire and roasting marshmallows and making smores....
Hot cocoa
Lots of snuggle time
You could start a tradition where you each mention something that you're grateful for about another family member and 1 quality that you like about each family member...
Just some thoughts...
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Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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Mary Chris
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Here we have lasagne for dinner and ice cream sundaes for dessert. We also have lots of sparkling apple cider to drink. We will make popcorn and have some other snacks.
The kids plan to stay up until midnight, they made it last year. We will watch a movie and they want to play board games. Well, ds5 wants to play Roulette since he did so well at a friends house last New Years Eve. 
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mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Elizabeth
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We've always made abig deal of New Year's Eve. The idea was to invite families with their kids and set up a tradition so that the kids will keep wanting to stay home on New Year's Eve. We go to the Vigil Mass and then come home to a Casino Night. We set up tables in different rooms with different games (hence Ronan's Roulette expertise). We play with chips and the kids have traded chips for prizes. Everyone brings fun food to share. Usually, a good time is had by all. We've missed only two Casino Nights in the past ten years or so. One, when Nicholas born at Christmas and this year. Mike and Michael have been gone all week and won't be home until late tomorrow. Can't pull this one off alone, though I was tempted  .
We'll probably just go to Mass and then come home and play games. As Christian pointed out: lots of people consider 9 people a party !
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Sarah
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Fun snack foods, games, same as listed above with the fire and all. When I was a kid we'd watch the ball drop on TV, but the entertainment is gross, so we might tune in during the countdown, if we can get it to come in with our rabbit ear antennae! 
Keep the ideas coming, these are great!
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Jen L.
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The tradition that I had growing up (and we still do it) is BANGING Pots and Pans. It doesn't get more fun than this! We parade around the house banging pots and pans (and spoons and strainers and aluminum pie plates) yelling "Happy New Year!" Each person gets a turn leading the line through the house and everyone else has to do what they do (raising pans above head, marching around table - simple things). I promise, this is fun. Afterward we have homemade ice cream sundaes (sprinkles are a must).
You definitely don't have to wait until midnight -- just celebrate before bed time.
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Jen
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Jen L.
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Okay a few other ideas (to ADD to - not replace - the all important pots-and-pans ). I found these on another list:
- Our family celebrates by having fondue for dinner (MUCH less cooking for me - and FUN and DELICIOUS) and then we play charades most of the evening (we make up our own charades and write them on little pieces of paper and put them in a bowl or hat to draw from). At midnight, after we've hugged everyone, we grab pots and pans and lids and go outside (yes, in the cold) and bang everything very loudly and we all yell at the top of our lungs, "Happy New Year"!
- Another one: How about lots of balloons? Since helium can get expensive, I blow up balloons, tie a long curling ribbon to each, and tape them to the ceiling with a small roll of tape. No-one every guess I didn't use helium! How about making noisemakers at the party to use at midnite-put some pennies, beans, rocks or whatever into a soda can and tape shut. Cover with paper, tie both ends like a bon-bon and decorate as desired. Maybe give prizes for loudest, silliest, most artisitic... Make party hats for all by using paper grocery sack and rolling the edge up a fold or two, then squish into a hat that fits. Paint as desired and decorate with bits and pieces-glitter, silk flowers, beads, stickers, pompoms, ribbon, etc. Have a fashion show and give lots of prizes for lots of categories!
Oh yeah, and since the big year 2000 celebration, we've often set off our left over July 4th fireworks. A real treat for the kids. 
HAVE FUN!
Jen
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Cay Gibson
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For some 15 years, my brother-in-law has held a huge bonfire in his backyard complete with a ton of fireworks (it's out in the country over here so it's okay to POP  ) and a carport filled with tables of food and ice chests of cold drinks.
He and my sister-in-law have had a lot happen this year and---for the first time---they have called it off. Bil said they just need a break.
Our church is having a party for couples and my dh's company is having a couple's party tomorrow night. But, if the kids can't go, we don't go.
It's always been a family affair. Dh said we'll probably just stay home and build our own bonfire in the backyard. We're still burning stumps where pecan trees once stood. 
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JennGM
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What great ideas here! We usually have quieter nights, with a fancy dinner, movie. There will be more activity when the kids get older.
Growing up we also played games. I like Elizabeth's idea of Casino night -- I was thinking of the "tournaments" we used to do, either planned or spontaneous with cards and dice. Euchre, Spit, and my grandmother used to have parties playing a dice game of "Twenty-One" (same principle as the card game).
As a family, part of the "watch" included some prayer, a rosary, sometimes a holy hour. We wanted to end the year in a positive way, to mark a positive beginning. We were also dedicating the new year to God and making reparation for all the evil being committed on NY Eve.
But a Vigil Mass is the best form of prayer! I love where some parishes around here have a midnight Mass and then a champagne breakfast at the parish! Those have been my best New Years' Eves.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Bridget
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Lots of bubble wrap from a packing supply store to stomp on. It makes quite a racket with many feet at once.
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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tracym
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We also play games and watch a movie. We did the pots and pans thing as a kid also. My dd(5) loved doing it last year-we did it earlier than midnight! I usually make a crockpot of meatballs and then we have snacks all evening. My kids are excited about this year also.
Tracy M.- dh Allen, ds Allen(8), dd Laura(5-6 tomorrow!), ds Joey(4) and ds Anthony 10 months
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Becky Parker
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Thanks for the ideas! I have been grinning ear to ear as I read them. We did the pots and pans thing as a kid! What a blast. I'll have to bring them out tonight. DH led a sheltered life. He thinks we might disturb the neighbors! Oh well! I love the Casino Night tradition. I have a 12 year old and then a 6, 4, and 2 yo. I think as they get older it will be important for them to want to be at home on New Years Eve. I'll have to discuss starting a similiar tradition with dh!
Thanks again and Happy New Years everybody!
Becky
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momwise
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Lots of our traditions are similar to everyone else's. Elizabeth is right about making it lots of fun. Once our older children were grown they never wanted to go anywhere else.
We watch a movie, play games, etc. We also bring out all the boxes of photos and it usually takes us a couple of hours to get through a few of the albums/envelopes. And our kids love banging the pots and pans too 
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ALmom
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This is really too late - but we always celebrate New Years in ----. This year it was Greenland as that was when everyone had finished eating, noisemakers distributed etc. We look at a map with time zones and pick a time zone that is convenient. We don't need to stay up to Midnight that way and go to early AM Mass for the blessed peace and quiet. If it is just our immediate family, we'll pray a rosary on New Years Eve night with those still up.
Janet
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Topic: New Years Eve
