How To Have The Best New Year's Eve Party Ever!
Keep your guests happy till New Year's Day
New Year's Eve is the one night where it's okay for the entire family to stay up all night and celebrate. Even the youngest members can be woken for 20 minutes to experience the festivity.
Whether you're having an adults-only celebration or a family-friendly affair, let's look at the best ways to keep all of your guests amused and wanting to party till the early morning hours.
Some games, a song, finger food and, before we forget, some fun crafts for the kids.
New Year's Party Favours and Decorations
Set the mood for a fun party
No matter who you have invited to your party, these decorations and party favors are sure to put a smile on anyone's face. Just click the links to be directed to the instructions.
You can also:
String Christmas lights around the room
Fill balloons with confetti and pop them at Midnight
Spread glitter or confetti on all flat surfaces
Tuxedo-Nite New Year's Eve Party Assortment
This New Year's party kit is perfect for a classy party. Women will love these feathered tiaras...face it, they're super cute!
Serve simple finger food
Don't try to make dinner for a lot of people, how can you possibly enjoy yourself? This is a party!
Serve simple finger foods. Prepare them beforehand and place them on a buffet table.
Sausage Rolls - Baked chicken wings - Smoked salmon slices on thin brown bread - MIni meat balls
Here's a few quick and easy appetiser recipes
Cook Time
Prep Time: 10
Total Time: 30
Serves: Serves 12
Ingredients
- 24 -32 large mushrooms
- wiped clean
- 500 g - 1lb Italian sausage - hot mild or mixed
- 1 small onion - minced
- 1/2 cup grated romano or parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
- 1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- With a small spoon, hollow out mushrooms, carefully scraping out the inside. Be careful not to break the mushrooms.
- Reserve scrapings.
- In a medium pan, brown sausage,onion and mushroom scrapings. Drain, and return to pan
- Add cheese, crumbs, garlic and parsley to pan and mix well. Remove from heat.
- Stuff mushrooms with mixture, mounding slightly.
- Place on a baking dish and bake about 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with extra cheese.
Herbed Potato Skins
- 3 medium baking potatoes
- scrubbed
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1/4 tsp. rosemary
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- oil
Instructions
- Preheat over to 400 degrees. Prick potatoes and rub with oil. Bake 1 hour or until done. Cool slightly.
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.
- Leaving a 1/4 inch shell, scoop out pulp,(save for another use).
- Cut skins in half lengthwise again, then cut in half crosswise. Place skins on baking sheet and brush with oil. Bake 5 minutes.
- Combine remaining ingredients. Remove skins from oven and top with cheese mixture.
- Drizzle with more oil. Grill 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Cook Time
Prep Time: 10
Total Time: 45
Serves: 12
Sherry Cheese Ball
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
- softened
- 2 tbs. dry sherry
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 drops sweet chili or hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped shelled pistachios
Instructions
- Combine cheeses, sherry, mustard and sauce in mixer bowl; beat until thoroughly combined.
- Chill, about 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle.
- Form into ball; roll in pistachios.
Midnight Celebration Platter
New Year's Projects for Kids
Keep the little ones busy until midnight
If you have the children around during holiday parties, there are some simple things you can do to keep the little ones entertained and on their best behavior during your shindig.
Give the kids a project. Whether it's punching out confetti with a hole punch or sweeping the floors, give them something to do that will let them feel like they helped throw a fantastic party.
Keep them fed. Let the kids help you in making a family approved food that will make sure they eat during the party. Hungry kids are fussy kids and nobody wants that!
New Years Charades
And more games
Objective: Act out the name of a book, song, movie etc for your team, but no talking allowed!
Game Type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players
Needed: Paper and pencil
Rules: Divide your group into two teams. 3 or more people is best. Next, determine how long you want each round to be. Most groups will use no more than 5 minutes per round. Have each team huddle and brainstorm the names of TV shows, books, movies, songs or phrases on small pieces of paper. The papers from one team will be used by the other and vice versa so don't mix them. Put each group into a separate hat or bowl. Choose a team to go first and then choose a person on that team to go first.
The first person chooses a paper from the bowl (make sure it's the bowl from the other team) and memorize what it says. Also they should note whether it's a book, movie, song etc. and if they don't know they should ask someone on the other team and be whispered the answer. The timer then starts and they have to act out what's on the paper without talking. See below for appropriate gestures. When the timer runs out it's the other teams turn. They then draw a paper from the appropriate bowl and act it out. Turns should alternate back and forth with a new person doing the acting each time. Whoever guess the most within the time limit wins the game.
What's not allowed: No spelling of words. No mouthing answers or words. No pointing to objects in the room.
New Year's Resolutions Time Capsule
Most people make New Year's resolution and don't keep them. One way to encourage people to keep them is by making them public.
At your party, have everyone write their resolution on a piece of paper and read it aloud. Then have everyone put their resolution in a time capsule. This can be a box or a jar or whatever you find that can be sealed. Then, keep the resolutions safe until next year.
At the next party, you can dust it off and have a good laugh at who kept (and who didn't keep) their resolutions.
New Year's Resolutions - Worth It or Waste of Time?
Do you think making New Years resolutions are a waste of time?
Don't forget to sing the New Years song
Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne?
Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl't in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine,
And we'll tak a right guid willie-waught
For auld lang syne!
And surely ye'll be your pint' stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!
How To Make Jello Shots
Vodka Jello Shots
Ingredients:
1 (6-ounce) box of raspberry Jell-O, or other flavor of your choice
2 cups boiling water
2 cups vodka
Directions:
In a bowl, pour the boiling water over the Jello and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Cool to room temperature, then stir in the vodka. Pour the mixture into shot glasses or Jello shot cups. Refrigerate until well-set, at least 6 hours. Makes (32) 1-ounce jello shots.
Picture courtesy of allygirl520 on Creative Commons.
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© 2009 Susanna Duffy
