The countdown to 2026 is already in motion, and parents worldwide are looking for the perfect way to celebrate the new year with their children.
Family Connection Starts with New Year’s Eve
Laura Linn Knight, author of Break Free from Reactive Parenting, tells TODAY.com that “Going into the new year as a family starts families on the path of making family connection a priority.” She emphasizes that New Year’s Eve is an ideal moment for setting goals together. According to Knight, children benefit “every time we make space for them to be involved in traditions and celebrations.”
She adds, “Although New Year’s Eve may seem unimportant to some or a time to celebrate without the kids, I encourage families to take some time on New Year’s Eve – even if parents go out later – to come together.” The message is clear: involve the whole family, even if the celebration continues into the night.
Gratitude Flower Activity
To create a memorable atmosphere, Knight suggests making a gratitude flower with everyone in the home. In the center of the flower, each person writes their name. Then, in turn, family members write or draw something they appreciated about each person in the last year on one of the petals. At the end, each person has a flower that displays the family’s love for them over the past year.
“If you like this activity, make it a family tradition and save your flowers from each year moving forward,” Knight says. She believes that “Children who have special time with their family, create meaningful traditions and feel valued within the home are more likely to thrive emotionally and socially.”
If the kids can’t tell time yet, Knight reminds parents that they can make the new year happen whenever they want with on-demand countdown programming.
30 Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve With Kids
Below are 30 family-friendly activities that TODAY.com suggests for ringing in 2026:
- Create a gratitude flower.
- Participate in a Rose, Bud and Thorn activity for what went well in 2025 (rose), what you are looking forward to in 2026 (bud), and what you didn’t like that happened in 2025 but learned from or were able to feel better about later (thorn).
- Try out a new recipe for dinner.
- Watch the last sunset of the year.
- Plan a family hike.
- Bake countdown cookies in the shape of numbers.
- Make homemade holiday play dough.
- Have everyone share their favorite memory of the year.
- Create a time capsule.
- Have a joke-writing competition.
- Make a list of goals for the new year.
- Have a DIY ice cream sundae bar with unlimited toppings.
- Pop a balloon every hour until midnight – or bedtime.
- Bake a clock cake.
- Deliver treat bags to neighbors with New Year’s Eve wishes tucked inside.
- Set personal and family resolutions.
- Plan a trip for the new year.
- Make DIY pizzas for dinner. Bonus points if you make it into a clock using toppings!
- Create a playlist and host a dance-off.
- Toast to the new year with sparkling cider.
- Make a blanket fort in the living room.
- Go for a family walk (and incorporate a game of ‘I Spy.’).
- Prepare good luck food for New Year’s Day.
- Host a game night with friends and neighbors.
- Make a scavenger hunt around the house.
- Have everyone write new year wishes on a piece of paper and store them in a jar. Open them up next year!
- Read a book together.
- Write out a 2026 family bucket list.
- Spend the whole day watching each family member’s favorite movie.
- Quiz each other with trivia for kids.
- Have a family karaoke party. (Go to YouTube to find karaoke tracks of the kid’s favorite songs.)
- Create a “Year-in-Review” slideshow of memories from the past year.
- Make a shoebox time capsule and have everyone in the family add something representative from the past year.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
- Need a New Look for the New Year? Tell Us Why You’re Ready for a Makeover in 2026
- How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? An Expert Shares the Amount for Every Age
- 10 Names We Hate, According to 2 Baby Name Consultants
Key Takeaways
- Involving children in New Year’s Eve traditions helps them feel valued and strengthens family bonds.
- A gratitude flower is a simple, repeatable activity that encourages appreciation and creates lasting keepsakes.
- TODAY.com offers 30 diverse activities, from making clock cakes to planning a family hike, ensuring every family can celebrate in a way that suits them.
As the final countdown approaches, parents can turn the night into a celebration that nurtures connection, gratitude, and joy for the entire family.
