Unfortunately, I can't find a babysitter for New Year's Eve. What can I do with my kids that will be fun for all of us?
Michelle G. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and Creative Director of Bunch Family, Rebecca Brown answered;
General Guideline: New Year's Eve with kids works best when we parents stick together. Finding a babysitter for New Year's is almost impossible. Here are some ideas for how to have fun with your friends and your kids:
1. Upstairs/Downstairs: This involves some important age-based segregation. Friends of ours have had five or six other families over to their house on New Year’s Eve for five years. Everyone pitches in for some take-out and drinks. Kids and adults eat dinner together and then the kids head down to the basement for movies while the adults stay upstairs and drink wine until midnight.
2. Get Out of Town: Renting or borrowing a cottage or chalet with some friends is another fun New Year's strategy when you have offspring. Doing this will help keep friendships going, plus, everyone gets help entertaining the kids. The fun begins when you all head up north together.
3. Give Up: New Year's at home can be a great opportunity for some romantic time with your partner. You can have a fast and easy kid's party from 6pm-9pm. You can make pizza and have everyone drink white grape juice out of champagne glasses. Then the kids go to bed and the parents can cook a meal together and spend the rest of the evening hanging out together.
4. The Upside of Snow: My personal best New Year's Eve ever was in 1995 when we rang it in while tobogganing. If there is white stuff this year, consider an early evening tobogganing adventure with your kids and the man or woman you love. Follow it up with some hot chocolate.
5. Mini Film-Fest: Another family we know joins forces with their neighbours and has a mini film festival on New Year's. They screen a marathon of classic films, including E.T., Star Wars, The Neverending Story and Indiana Jones. The kids love the freedom of "house hopping" as they skip from one screening to the next. Last year, three of the participating families rented video projectors and handed out popcorn to the kids.
Rebecca Brown is the Creative Director of Bunch, the infamous Toronto company that creates art and culture based events for kids and parents in art galleries and nightclubs. They also publish an online magazine about interesting families from all over the place and the crazy and creative things they do together.
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