New Year’s Eve is upon us, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season are coming to an end. If your family prefers to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, here are some fun ideas to usher in 2022.

This list of fun family events is generously sponsored by Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Noon Year’s Eve celebration.

Ring in the New Year with OKCMOA and MetroFamily! We are partnering together to host a rockin’ party for families to countdown to the last noon of 2022. Enjoy  drop-in art activities, refreshments and a balloon drop at noon, plus a screening of Remember the Night. The come-&-go event is free for kids ages 17 & under to attend. In fact, admission to OKCMOA is always free  for kids all year! 

Whether your family chooses to stay up late or turn in early, here are five family-friendly ways to ring in the new year:

• If your kids are early to bed, plan your own Noon Year’s Eve celebration and countdown to the last noon of the year! Go all out with a sparkling grape juice toast, turn on a pre-recorded Netflix countdown and make a lot of noise! After all, you don’t have to worry about waking anyone up. Follow up your celebration with a special lunch reminiscing about the good that has happened this year and set some feel-good goals for next year.
• Wrap up the fun. No, I am not suggesting you get out more holiday paper. This time head to the kitchen for the plastic wrap! Purchase some small prizes like candy, Hot Wheels, gift cards, small figures or dolls, etc. and wrap it all up in a plastic wrap ball. Little Cooks Reading Books has some tips for making the game a little more challenging if you have older kids or a clever spouse wanting to play. Players take turns unwrapping while their “opponent” attempts to roll doubles with a pair of dice. Continue taking turns until the ball is completely unraveled. Each person gets to keep the treasures they find.
• Create a countdown party! Fill bags, pop balloons, whatever method suits your fancy (and there are a lot of ideas on Pinterest) to keep the fun going all night long as you countdown to the last bedtime of 2022. At each hour, have a special surprise activity planned for the family to do together. Play games, make crafts, eat snacks, go on a scavenger hunt, read a new book, whatever your family would enjoy the most. The best part is you get to pre-set when the party ends!
• Connect via technology. Plan a virtual dinner party with friends or play a board game via Zoom. Have grandma be the Bingo caller or send Uncle Lou a game of Yahtzee to play on Facetime. Get creative and send 2022 off with a bang!
• Throw a family slumber party! Done your jammies, put out sleeping bags, blankets and pillows into the living room to set the scene. Then spend the evening watching movies, reflecting on the year, playing games and making special snacks.

Regardless of how you choose to ring in the new year, the staff at MetroFamily wishes you a Happy New Year. We look forward to sharing more family fun with you in 2023!

Bonus: Check out these fun and festive kid-friendly mocktail recipes perfect for your New Year’s Eve at-home bash!