A new year is on the way and the possibilities are endless. So are the many ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home with the family. Once the kids come along, having an intimate couple celebration on the eve is a thing of the past. Well yesterday is history and today’s celebration with the family is a gift. That is why it is called the present.
Here are some fabulous ways to throw a great New Year’s Eve party with the family.
1. Potluck Party on New Year’s Eve
What do you do with all those Christmas party leftovers? Have a potluck party, of course! Get the kids and seniors together to come up with their favourite meals. From cold turkey and cucumber sandwiches, bacon rolls, turkey and potatoes pizza to fruit popsicles, be prepared for a fun time in the kitchen. And a little mess too.
Check out this easy pizza recipe that even kids can whip up. It’s a sure New Year’s Eve dinner winner for everyone.
Ingredients:
- 6 strips of bacon
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
- 1/2 cup leftover turkey breast (in small pieces)
- 1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced vegetables
Pizza Recipe:
- Spread the sour cream over the pizza crust
- Spread the leftover mashed potatoes over the sour cream
- Sprinkle the cheese over the tops of potatoes
- Top with leftover turkey and bacon slices
- Add on the vegetable slices on top
- Bake on the bottom rack for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve and enjoy.
2. Splash Pool and Shoot Pool Party
Say goodbye to the year with a pool party on New Year’s Eve. If you don’t have a swimming pool at home, fret not. Simply pick up an inexpensive inflatable pool from Shopee, Toys ‘R’ Us or any discount store. Then, set it up in your garden or patio. Fill it up with water, throw some floating toys in and the family is ready for a splash. It can be an all afternoon frenzy with water guns, squirters and beach balls. Even the family pets can join in the fun.
When the pool gets a little too crowded, set up your next pool table and shoot some 8-ball. Don’t have a billiard table at home? No worries. A miniature billiard table is less than RM10 at the local Daiso or DIY shop. If you think shooting pool at the regular sized pool table is difficult, try the mini version. It’s a test of skills and strength control that will keep the family entertained for hours. Get ready for howls of laughter and balls flying all over the place.
3. Family Fun Night
Plan a gadget-free New Year’s Eve with a host of traditional games to play with the whole family. Let them have a go at the traditional “Tikam” game with plenty of prizes to be won. It is quite like the Christmas advent calendar. Pick up the game at any wholesale toys store or simply make your own. The kids will be queuing up to play “tikam”. All they have to do is collect a token, guess which prize they’ve won and collect it. It’s so easy.
Bring back nostalgia with games like “batu Seremban” or 5-stones, and “congkak”, the mancala game of Malay origin. Up the activity level with hopscotch or “sepak bulu ayam” with a “capteh”, the game where players continuously kick a feather-like shuttlecock. Prepare some prizes for all winners and everyone in the family will be game to try everything.
4. Photobooth Party
Create awesome New Year’s Eve memories with photos of the family in the funniest poses. Get the whole family involved in making the silliest photobooth props. They can draw, colour, create and craft their own designs and stick them on disposable chopsticks for easy handling. Get your materials from stores like Shopee and Mr DIY for affordable prices. The family can also go through wardrobes and pick out fancy costumes, hats, caps, sunglasses, scarves and just about anything that will glam up any outfit.
Get camera ready and start snapping away. Play some of your all-time favourite music and get the family to dance away. It will be perfect for a video to remember!
5. Board Games Galore
One of the best ways to relax and recharge for the New Year is to engage in multi-player board games. So, store away all tech toys and invite the family to play some of the world’s most popular games. All-time favourites include Monopoly, Scrabble, Cluedo, Reversi, Dominoes, Chess, Checkers and even the simple Snakes and Ladders.
Board games are great for family get-togethers. In fact, such games are known to improve memory formation and cognitive skills, reduce stress and boost critical thinking. Best of all, playing board games brings on lots of laughter and there’s no better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the family.
6. Ice-capades On New Year’s Eve
If you’re wondering how to organize Ice-capades at home with the family, here is the solution. Simply collect small plastic toys or capsule toys that kids love. For the grown-ups, select small toiletry sets in plastic bottles. Prepare some balloons, fill up each one with water and insert the toy or gift item into balloon. Then, seal the balloon with a knot. Next, freeze them overnight.
On New Year’s Eve, remove the balloons from freezer and cut away the balloons to reveal a frozen ball with gift inside. Let the family guess what’s inside and choose the item they like. Then, it’s time to start hacking at the ice to get their gift. Provide little hammers, screw drivers or whatever is in your toolbox as aids. For the kids, provide metal chopsticks as ice picks.
To avoid any mess, play ice-capades outdoors. When playing inside, line the floor with newspapers as the ice flies everywhere when the kids go crazy attacking the ice. Endless fun is guaranteed for the whole family. Strangely enough, this game is quite therapeutic and relaxing after the busy festive holidays.
7. Book Club Party
When the festivities have been a flurry of activity and the family needs some quiet time, a Book Club party is recommended. Let the first resolution for 2021 be growing the love of reading. Start the love on New Year’s Eve by gathering the family together with a book they would love to read. Each member can share about a book they read recently, and other members can chat on whether they liked the story.
Far from boring, a book club encourages readers to speak their mind, distance themselves from the stresses of everyday life and improve their imagination. Parents are encouraged to join in and perpetuate the love for reading.
Prepare some light snacks and beverages for every book club get together so nobody ever goes hungry. Continue the meet-up regularly and by end year, your family would have read a ton of books.
For a good selection of books, do explore Kinokuniya and earn up to 6% cashback via ShopBack. Keep a lookout out for Kinokuniya coupons while you’re at it.
8. Movie Mania Night
Staying at home on New Year’s Eve and catching up on favourite family movies is a popular past time. Get ready some popcorn, snacks and drinks. Then, get comfy on the sofa to catch the latest comedy, romance, thriller or kids’ show. Some popular movies this time of the year are “Ralph Breaks the Internet”, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and “Smallfoot”.
So, gather the family, decide what movies to watch and play on till bed time. After all, the family that plays together, stays together.
Happy New Year’s Eve Party at Home
Many families love to throw a New Year’s Eve party at home, especially with the pandemic this year. For a good selection of family games, toys and trinkets, shop online on Shopee and get up to 13.10% Cashback while you’re at it too.
What the New Year brings depends very much on what you bring to the New Year. Have a lovely New Year’s Eve party with the family. Tell us all about how well your celebrations went!
Read also:
- 10 Ways To Follow Through With Your New Year Resolutions
- Beginner’s Guide To Maximising Your Income Tax Relief This 2020
This article was first published on 28 December 2018 and last updated 28 December 2020