Plan a New Years Eve Party For Young And Old Alike

If visions of the ball dropping to strains of Auld Lang Syne are your idea of a typical New Years' eve, you probably don't need any help deciding how to celebrate or what to do for your own New Years' eve holiday party. If, however, you are celebrating with children or have something different in mind, you might want to take advantage of these helpful tips and suggestions.

Most New Years Eve celebrations are focused on adult entertainment, but children enjoy making this holiday special as well. Depending on the ages of the children who are going to be present, festivities can be adapted to make this a very enjoyable holiday for everyone.

� A Sleep-over is the perfect choice for a New Years' Eve party when kids are present. That way, there will be no pick up or drop off duty during the wee hours, and if the partiers fall asleep before the clock strikes midnight, there is no harm done

� Make invitations by writing all your pertinent party information and any special instructions (such as asking each guest to bring a pillow and sleeping bag) on a transparent, inflated balloon, insert some confetti, and deflate to place into an envelope.

� Ask parents to RSVP to allow you to plan well for your party. Most will be more than happy to do so, because they will probably have plans of their own, and you are likely to be the most popular parent in your circle for providing the babysitting.

� Plan a combination of party activities including both quiet and rousing activities. The guests will need activities to allow them to burn off energy and activities that allow them quiet time after then begin to get tired.

� Plan a craft that will double as a party favor commemorating the New Year. For example, have a craft table set up (White butcher paper on a kitchen table does double duty as a craft table) with odds and ends like bits of lace, glitter, paint pens, fabric paint, yarn, buttons, fabric glue, etc. Purchase a plain pillowcase for each guest, and allow them to decorate their own pillowcase. Put the date, and "Happy New Year" or "Goodbye 2007" and let them put handprints or write their names on everyone's pillow. Then, when they start to wind down for the evening, putting their dried, decorated pillowcase on their own pillow will get them in the right frame of mind to sleep.

� Have plenty of drinks and snacks available, make sure each child knows where the bathroom is, and leave a light on or give each child a dollar shop flashlight with their name on it, to help light the way, and last, have serve yourself breakfast foods you can put out the night before, like fruits, muffins, and juice boxes, and be very firm on what time the kids should be picked up on New Year's Day!