Last-minute New Year's Eve party guide for celebrating with little kids
Ring in 2019 with the whole family with these tips from Good Housekeeping.
With less than 24 hours left until we ring in 2019, Good Housekeeping style director Lori Bergamotto stopped by "Good Morning America" to share some last-minute family party tips for New Year's Eve.
Here, she shares three different party ideas that will make sure everyone in the family has a great time celebrating. Plus, check out some crowd-pleasing recipes you can whip up in minutes for a deliciously festive New Year's Eve bash.
Celebrating with little kids
If you are hoping to ring in the New Year but have little ones at home that probably shouldn't stay up until midnight, a fun way for younger kids to celebrate is to pretend you are in another country or time zone.
Bergamotto picked Italy -- a country six hours ahead -- meaning you will be ringing in the New Year at 6 p.m. on the East Coast, making it the perfect time to celebrate with little kids.
Celebrating New Year's in Italy is also perfect because you can re-create some of the country's best foods.
You can even buy or make mini Italian flags for the kids to wave at midnight, and head to the recycle bin for tin tomato cans to use as vases for flower arrangements.
Kids' entertainment at adult parties
If you are throwing a party for adults but kids are invited and they need something to do, Bergamotto recommends creating a photo booth for the little ones to make memories at the party.
Simply use leftover Christmas decor and wrapping supplies to build a fun backdrop and deck it out with bows, ribbons and more to make it as colorful as possible. If you tossed all your Christmas decor, don't worry -- most of it will be steeply discounted in the days after the holidays.
No photo booth is complete without funky props either, so be sure to pick up some of those at your local party store.
Create an alcohol-free, kid-friendly cocktail to toast with at midnight
If the young ones want to partake in a New Year's toast, Bergamotto recommends whipping up a super simple alcohol-free cocktail so they can participate in the fun tradition.
Simply get disposable plastic cups at your local party store and rim them with silver or gold sanding sugar. Fill the cups with sparkling water, simple syrup and a splash of cranberry juice with fresh cranberries floated at the top to taste. Mix it all together and cheers -- you've got a fancy kid's cocktail.
Keep it low-key at home
A lot of families like to celebrate the New Year's together and keep it low key at home. One activity Bergomotto recommends is to create a time capsule with highlights from the past year that you can re-open with your family on the following New Year's eve.
A paint can is great to use for this, according to Bergamotto. You can buy one at your local craft store and they seal easily and beautifully. Fill the can with photos you printed out from the last year as well as awards, movie stubs and whatever trinkets you remember best from the past year. Then pick a place to tuck it away and have fun reminiscing together on the following New Year's Eve.
Kid-friendly New Year's Eve party recipes
Mini pizzas on mini pita bread
Ingredients:
1 to 7 oz. package mini whole wheat pita breads about 18 pc.
2 and 1/4 cups Marinara Sauce
1 Lb. shredded mozzerlla cheese
2 Tbs. dried oregano
9 slices pepperoni
Instructions:
With a small paring knife remove the thin top layer of pita then Place the mini pitas on 1- 9x13 inch baking pan. With a tablespoon top each pita with 1 Tbs of Marinara Sauce. Then sprinkle with 1 Tbs shredded mozzarella cheese, and the dried oregano on each pizza. Alternate 1 pepperoni slice on the middle of 1/2 of the pizzas. Bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is melted and pizzas are hot about 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Place on a decorative platter and serve.
Mini Meatballs:
1 package mini store bought meatballs
1 quart Marinara sauce
1 block Parmeggiano Reggiano shredded with a vegetable peeler.
1 package colorful cellophane pics
Instructions:Place the meatballs in a 9x13 glass baking dish and top with the marinara sauce. Cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven. Bake 30-40 minutes until meatballs are heated through.
Place meatballs on a decorative dish and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
A kid-friendly antipasto platter
Ingredients:
1 Lb. smoked turkey sliced thin and rolled up
1 Lb. Ham sliced thin and rolled up
1 Lb. sliced Muenster cheese cut in half diagonally
1 Lb. sliced yellow cheddar cheeses shingled
1 Lb. sliced swiss cheese shingled
1 lb. provolone sliced thin and shingled
1 bag baby carrots
2 red peppers cut into strips
2 yellow peppers cut into stripes
5 Persian cucumbers cut in half lengthwise then each half cut in 4 pieces
1 container cherry tomatoes
Instructions:
Place all items on a platter in a decorative fashion.
Ice cream bar with fun, festive toppings
Ingredients:
1 box crushed waffle cone
2 jars Luxardo cherries, drained
1 bag mini assorted chocolate bars unwrapped and cut in half
Chocolate sauce: 1 lb. chopped chocolate add to 1 cup boiled cream let stand then stir with a wire whisk, serve war
1 container each gold and silver edible glitter
2 quarts each Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. Scoop into bowls and freeze.
Instructions:
Place each item in decorative bowls and arrange on buffet, self serve.
Kid-friendly cocktail:
Ingredients:
2 cups simple syrup- bring to a boil 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water. let cool completely
12 disposable plastic champagne flutes at the party store,
2 quarts Pellagrino
Rim the flutes with silver/gold sanding sugar
2 quarts cranberry juice
1 bag fresh cranberries
Instructions:
Fill the flutes 1/2 full with sparkling water, add cranberry juice to 3/4 then add 1 Tbs. of simple syrup, and stir. Float 3-5 fresh cranberries on top.
Recipes courtesy Karen Pickus, Chef/Food stylist, Good Morning America.
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