New Year's Eve Plan for the Little Man

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The boys will wake up December 31 to twelve beautiful balloons. Each balloon will have an hour of the day written on it, beginning with 9:00 am and continuing for the next 12 hours. Inside of each balloon will be a cute riddle with that hour's activity written on it. My plan and riddles are listed below for your viewing/brainstorming/playing pleasure.

9:00 am = Decorating the New Year's Tree. I have a variety of NYE hats, noise-makers, plastic champagne glasses, cardboard clocks, and...of course...balloons. We'll "party-up" the tree together. See our tree below. Click here for some printable "ornaments".

2013 is almost here.

Time to start a brand-new year.

We'll have lots of fun! Let's get ready.

We'll start by decorating the the tree.

10:00 am = Baking and making a sugar cookie clock. Easy-peasy with store bought sugar cookie dough sliced into twelve circles, baked according to the package's directions, cooled, then iced with light blue cake icing. I'll use black gel icing to pipe the numbers 1-12 on each cookie. We'll place them in a circle on a platter with cardboard arrows in the center. We'll share a cookie each hour on the hour (it's a holiday...relax).

The countdown is on! Each hour will be sweet.

Let's bake some cookies and enjoy an hourly treat.

11:00 am = Play a few rounds of Zingo. If you're not familiar with this game, it's a math version of Bingo.

It’s all about math on New Year’s, that’s right,

Counting down the hours until it’s midnight.

Time for some fun with a numbers game

                   Let’s play “Zingo!” and earn some math fame!

The balloon drop ready to go.

12:00 pm = Happy Noon Year! We'll have a balloon drop in the living room and a dance party to a playlist of some of the boy's favorite tunes.  Balloon Drop 

Happy Noon Year! Get into the groove!

It's dance party time! C'mon let's move!

Balloons! Yeah!

Down they fall!

1:00 pm = Coloring time. This gives us all a little bit of much-needed down time. I'll set up a "coloring station" in the boy's bedroom with a lap desk, plenty of themed coloring pages, and the least-messy treats I can find. New Year's Coloring Pages, More NYE Coloring Pages

Red, yellow, blue, and green,

Let's color some pictures for 2013!

2:00 pm = Baking soda and vinegar painting. Seriously, the best idea since sliced bread. It keeps the boy occupied for a very, very long time. Fill a baking dish with baking soda, and a few small glasses with vinegar dyed with food coloring. Use medicine/ear droppers to soak up the vinegar, drop onto the baking soda, and watch the amazement. 

Like fireworks exploding in the sky

let's make our own colors come to life.

Watch the colors bubble and pop.

Painting on this canvas, the fun won't stop!

Resolution Firework Wreath

3:00 pm = NYE Fireworks Wreaths. Thank goodness for Pinterest. I needed one more hour of fun, and I found it with this handprint craft. A great addition to the time capsule. Resolution Firework Wreath

2012 is quickly winding down,

time to think about the year ahead.

What do we wish? What good will we do?

What joy will we love and spread?

4:00 pm = Wii Bowling. A family favorite. Dad will be home from work by now, so the family competition can heat up!

It's strike time, c'mon and cheer!

Grad your ball and your bowling gear.

The lanes aren't far, in fact, they're here!

Let's bowl our way into the new year!

5:00 pm = Play "Dr. Suess' I Can Do That" and/or "The Cheeto Toss" and/or "Twister". All of these active games give our family the giggles. The Cheeto Toss

There's nothing better than getting out the wiggles.

Especially when it causes a lot of giggles.

So let's play ____________ and let the laughter begin.

The one who laughs he hardest surely does win!

6:00 pm = Rudolph's Shiny New Year. I DVR-ed the classic from ABC Family earlier in the month. Provides time to get dinner finished.

The sun's already down, it's hard to believe.

Pretty soon 2012 will leave!

The day is fast coming to a close.

So, let's settle in with Rudolph and his shiny nose.

7:00 pm = Dinner! Pizza for the little man, surf and turf for the 'rents. Awwww, yeah!

Let's be grateful for the abundance this year.

2012 has given us reason to cheer.

Together let's enjoy this final graze

and look forward to 2013's new phase.

8:00 pm = Time Capsule time. I created the time capsule out of one of the baby's formula cans. We'll decorate it together, fill it with photos, letters, and misc..., then seal it up 'til next year. Time Capsule Ideas, Time Capsule Template, New Year's Resolution Template

Great memories of a year gone by.

What do we want to remember for time?

Let's sit together and record everything,

and look ahead at the promise 2013 brings.

9:00 pm = Bedtime for Bonzo...and music and cocktails for mom and dad. What a great way to end a great year...in the warmth and comfort of home with the people we love the most! Happy New Year, all!

2012, it’s time to say goodnight.

2013 is busting in with all it’s might!

Sweet dreams tonight, there’s nothing to fear.

                                                          2013 will be the best year!

Please visit my New Year's board on Pinterest for more crafts, recipes, and family activities: New Year's Pinterest Board