2021 New Year's Eve Celebration with Kids... including 2022 FREE printable tags, activities, and photo props

When it comes to celebrating New Year's Eve, I love making the evening feel special and fun... without spending a lot of money. I always make use of dollar store finds, and simple items I can print myself. Below, I am sharing my favourite New Year's Eve family celebration ideas, and some FREE New Year's Eve printables you can use.

I always put together activity bags that my kids can open every hour as we count down to the new year. It's one of my favourite traditions, and it's a great way to keep the whole evening fun. 

Here are examples of what you can put in the bags:

5pm - Year in Review - Year in review questionnaires provide a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past year and look forward to the year ahead. 

To download the questionnaire I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

***NOTE: Grab the 2022 version here.***

6pm - Candy Rings - 6pm bags could contain candy rings with punny tags that say, "Ring in the new year!" To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

7pm - Midnight Kisses - 7pm bags could contain hershey kisses with punny "midnight kisses" tags. To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

8pm - Popcorn and Karaoke - The 8pm bag could contain popcorn and in invite to sing some karaoke. Playing a board game or having a dance party would be fun too.

9pm - Cookies and Milk - The 9pm bag could contain "milk and cookies" toast to the new year. How cute are these wine glasses (rimmed with sprinkles) and filled with milk? Add your favourite homemade chocolate chip cookies, and you are good to go. Sparkling lemonade and store bought cookies would be good too!

10pm - Sparklers - The 10pm bag can be filled with sparklers with "Bringing some sparkle to 2021" tags. I designed the tags, cut some slits with an x-acto knife, and inserted sparklers. To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

11pm - Photo Booth with Horns and Hats - The 11pm bag could be filled with items needed to set up a photo booth. It can contain lots of horns and hats for welcoming the new year. 

To download the photo props I designed (for free): click on the picture you are interested in printing (below), right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 8x10 photo.

12am - Breakfast for Tomorrow Party Favours - Every party needs a favour, so the 12am bag could contain "Breakfast for tomorrow" party favours. I like using pop tarts, but small boxes of cereal work well too. To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

Check out how fun it is to fill a table with activity bags and party favours. There are no rules. Fill your bags with whatever you like!

How will you be celebrating New Year's this year? I hope you use some of my ideas and free printable tags and photo props.

Happy New Year!!!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

8 Hot Chocolate Bars that are Easy, Inexpensive and Fun

Hot chocolate bars are wonderful any time of year (when there is a bit of a chill in the air). I love them for holiday celebrations and for simple afternoons at home. Today, I am sharing 8 of my favourite DIY hot chocolate bars that are easy, inexpensive, and fun... and I've got some freebies too!

1) Snow Day Hot Chocolate Bar - This little hot chocolate bar is charming and perfect for a sledding party or a snow day at home. The little cups are adorable, and you can download the sign (for free) here.

2) Portable Hot Chocolate Bar - Sometimes it's too much fun outside to come inside for a warm drink. Keep the outdoor party going with this portable hot chocolate bar. You can find all the fun details here.

3) Christmas Hot Chocolate Bar - This jingle bell hot chocolate bar is perfect for the Christmas season... and what goes better with hot chocolate than peppermint? Find all the DIY details for a simple Christmas hot chocolate bar here.

4) Hot Chocolate Tasting Bar - Sometimes the most simple activities can be the most fun, and my boys loved when... I made them hot chocolate, we tested new products, and we rated our findings. Check out how easy it is to set up a hot chocolate tasting bar here.

5) Valentine's Day Hot Chocolate Bar - A Valentine's Day hot chocolate bar is easy to put together using mason jars and other dollar store supplies. Make it extra special by crafting this festive vase and sock gnome. Find all the info you need here.

6) St. Patrick's Day Bar - This hot chocolate bar is the perfect thing to serve at a St.Patrick's Day celebration. It's made using dollar store supplies, and the mason jar pot of gold is adorable! Find the full "how to" here.

7) Easter Bunny Bar - This bunny bar is the ultimate seasonal hot chocolate bar... in terms of both taste and decor. The easter egg nest cookies are an annual favourite in my house, and the DIY sock bunnies are too cute for words. I've also designed a free printable you can display with your goodies. Find the free printable, the recipe for the cookies, and the craft instructions here.

8) Simple hot chocolate cookie tray - If you want a simple treat that isn't much work, a charcuterie board filled with cookies is the way to go. I like to have a variety of cookies in my freezer and pantry ready to pop on a tray on a cold winter afternoon. Find some of my favourite sweet treat recipes here.

Isn't hot chocolate a great way to warm up? I love having a festive hot chocolate bar ready to go!

Have you ever set up a hot chocolate bar? I hope you are inspired by one of the eight that I shared today. Let me know your favourite in the comments below. Stay warm! 😃

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in the ideas for winter fun you can find here.

2020 / 2021 New Year's Eve Celebration with Kids

When it comes to celebrating New Year's Eve, I love making the evening feel special and fun... without spending a lot of money. I always make use of dollar store finds, and simple items I can design and print myself. Below, I am sharing my plans for this year, and some FREE NYE printables you can use.

As always, I am putting together activity bags that my kids can open every hour as we count down to the new year. It's one of my favourite conditions, and it's a great way to keep the whole evening fun. 

Here's what we have in our bags this year:

5pm - Year in Review - The first bags contain these questionnaires that my boys fill out each year. They provide a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past year and look forward to the year ahead. It will be a particularly interesting exercise this year given the uniqueness of 2020.

To download the questionnair I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

***Grab your 2022 version here.***

6pm - Candy Rings - Our 6pm bags contain candy rings with punny tags that say, "Ring in the new year!" To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

7pm - Midnight Kisses - Our 7pm bags contain hershey kisses with punny "midnight kisses" tags. To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

8pm - Popcorn and Karaoke - The 8pm bag contains popcorn and in invite to sing some karaoke. Playing a board game or having a dance party would be fun too.

9pm - Cookies and Milk - At 9am, we plan to have a "milk and cookies" toast to the new years. We'll have milk in wine glasses (rimmed with sprinkles) and our favourite chocolate chip cookies. Sparkling lemonade and store bought cookies would be good too!

10pm - Sparklers - At 10pm, We will be "Bringing some sparkle to 2021". I designed some tags, cut some slits with an x-acto knife, and inserted sparklers. To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

11pm - Photo Booth with Horns and Hats - The 11pm bag will be filled with items needed to set up a photo booth. It will also contain lots of horns and hats for welcoming the new year. 

To download the photo props I designed (for free): click on the picture you are interested in printing (below), right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 8x10 photo.

12am - Breakfast for Tomorrow Party Favours - Every party needs a favour, so the 12am bag contains "Breakfast for tomorrow" party favours. We have pop tarts, but small boxes of cereal would work well too. To download your own tags for free: click on the picture of the tags below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 4x6 photo.

Check out how fun it is to fill a table with activity bags and party favours. There are no rules. Fill your bags with whatever you like!

How will you be celebrating New Year's this year? I hope you use some of my ideas and free printable tags and photo props.

Happy New Year!!!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

How cute is this little party favour for 2021? Check it out here.

5 Tips for Planning a Covid-friendly Birthday Party

Like everything else during a pandemic, birthday celebrations are a little different than what we are used to. I have two July birthdays in my house, so I had to get a little creative with my party planning this year. Today, I am sharing my 5 best tips for planning for a Covid-friendly birthday party.

1) Adhere to public health protocols and gathering limits. Depending on where you are located, there are likely restrictions on the sizes of gatherings in your area. You are going to want to keep gatherings small, and if celebrating with friends isn't an option, planning a fun celebration at home is the way to go.

For my son's 13th birthday, I let him make a list of all the things he wanted to do. It was just family, but it was a lot of fun.

2) Consider hosting the party outside where social distancing is easier. For example, a mini putt golf course is a great option. I hosted my son's 11th birthday at a mini golf course, and it was great. They sanitized all the kid's hands before going onto the course, and the balls and clubs are sanitized between uses.

3) Be caution when choosing the food you will serve. You are going to want to make sure that guests don't share food. Individually packaged food items are ideal. Cupcakes are also great because guests can grab there own... and there is no germ transfer when the birthday boy/girl blows out the candles. Bringing hand sanitizer for the guests is a great idea too.

4) Use individual drink bottles for loot bags. For my son's party, I personalized water bottles for all the guests. It helped prevent "sharing" and the spread of germs, and the party guests had a fun "loot bag" to take home. #WinWin

5) Add an extra element of fun with a prize punch. A prize punch is a simple DIY project that kids will love. Prize punches are a staple at all our parties, and you can find the full DIY instructions here.

Our Covid-friendly party wasn't like the large celebrations we are used to, but it was a still a lot of fun. Fingers crossed we won't have to worry about viruses next year!

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)