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New Year 2025

Celebrate the 2025 New Year with these printable worksheets and activities. Make a cool New Year headband; reflect on the previous year; write New Years' resolutions; and more!

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Happy New Year! The New Year is the time of year where adults make resolutions to improve their lives and get rid of their bad habits. Most children don't really have an appreciation for a resolution but they can have an appreciation for this holiday.

The New Year offers an opportunity to teach about time, calendars, and other cultures, including the Chinese New Year. As a teacher you can embrace this unit with a creative activity like writing a poem. It's also a great opportunity to teach time and math skills.

New Year's Eve also offers the opportunity to discuss traditions in other cultures. Every country has their own celebrations for the holiday. For example, celebrations in the US often include fireworks. In Austria the Blue Danube is played at midnight, rather than Auld Lang Syne.

Teaching Resources for New Year's Eve

Because the New Year is such a celebrated holiday, it's a great time for fun classroom activities. Worksheets and clip art can help you bring your message to your classroom. TeacherPlanet has a wealth of New Year's activities for your classroom as well. Check them out!

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25 Awesome Kid’s New Years Activities to Ring in the New Year

This post may contain affiliate links.

25 New Year’s Eve activities for kids. Coloring party hats, DIY balloon drop, games, reflection cards, DIY confetti poppers & more, for a SUPER FUN night.

Awesome New Year’s Eve Crafts & Activities for Kids 

Whether you’re getting ready for a pajama party at home, gathering with friends or are a teacher looking for fun ideas to share with students, I’ve got 25 awesomely fun activities and games kids will LOVE.

We usually stay at home or get together with our neighbors and celebrate, but I still like to have a bunch of activities, crafts and fun games up my sleeve for a fun-filled night.

These 25 New Year’s activities are fun, free, simple, require minimal supplies and yet, give you hours and hours of festive cheer and laugher. I hope you enjoy them and like all the ideas I’ve pulled together here.

25 New Year’s Activities Your Whole Family Will LOVE

I hope you enjoy these 25 super fun New Year’s activities. They’re simple, require minimal supplies, most of them a free printables you can download and print at home to use, but add a pop of excitement to your New Year’s Eve bash whether you’re at home or gathering with friends.

1) Printable Coloring Party Hats 

Color your own New Year’s Eve party hats and ring in the new year in your own unique style! Have fun with party hats for New Year’s Eve with ready-made ones and decorate to your heart’s content!! You can add stickers, glitter, pom poms, ribbons and gems. Just have fun! Get your Printable New Years Coloring Party Hats for Kids here.

2) NYE Reflection Cards 

I love taking time to reflect on the year behind us, and also look ahead to the New Year. These reflection cards are great conversation starters or to keep around the dinner table and spur family conversations, reminisce on the sweet moments and memories from the year, lessons learned, challenges overcome and more!

3) Year in Review Printable Activity Sheet 

Who doesn’t love “All about Me” coloring pages and this special version is all about reviewing the year, and looking ahead to the new year! Not only are they are great way to reflect on the year, but they also make a brilliant keepsake for you and your kids. You can always take out past year’s reflection pages and compare how things have changed. Get your Kid’s Year in Review Printable Activity Sheet here.

4) New Year’s Word Search 

My kids are really, really into word searches right now, especially my Kindergartener who is excited to find words and letters in books, magazines and of course, word searches. You can do a word search as part of school, or as a fun New Year’s Eve activity.

You can get your free download of the New Year’s Eve word search here .

5) New Year’s Activity Sheets 

My kids beg and beg me to create new activity placemats and I love to cook dinner and watch them color and fill them out in the kitchen. When they asked me to create New Year’s Eve activity mats, I didn’t hesitate. You can get your copy of these activity sheets here . Enjoy!

6) Make Your Own Confetti Poppers 

New Year’s Eve wouldn’t be complete without poppers and confetti! These fun and easy confetti launchers that are sure to be a HUGE hit with the kids! Get the details from Happiness is Homemade here.

7) New Year’s Eve Paper Plate Celebration Clock 

Using construction paper and a paper plate, make a cute New Year’s Eve Paper Plate Celebration Clock to count down the hours to the new year. From The Pinterested Parent.

8) Super Cute Bubble Wands 

Adorable Bubble Wands from Red Ted Art would be a great activity to make and use all night long.

9) Holiday Themed Paper Cookie Catcher 

Snowman joke teller cootie catch from Brendid .

10) Make Wearable Coloring Watches 

They may not tell the time or move, but they’re absolutely adorable and look like a great craft for kids to do any time of the night. This great idea is from Hattifant .

11) Create Paper Plate Noise Makers 

12) Photo Booth Printable Props 

Creating an area for a Photo Booth in your home is super easy and are also a fun way to create memories from New Year’s Eve. Here are some fun printable photo props to dress up your New Year’s Eve! Simply print, cut, assemble and you’re set!

• Design Your Own Dress-Up Printables from Hattifant
• New Year’s Eve Photo Booth Printables from Red Ted Art

13) Make DIY Party Crackers 

Create DIY Party Crackers with Moms and Munchkins

14) Minute to Win it Games

These quick and easy games are guaranteed to liven up any party!  Minute to Win it Games are hilarious and add to the joyful atmosphere – let the hilarity ensue.

15) Create a Wishing Wall for the New Year 

Write your wishes for the new year and post them with this fun New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall Activity from Buggy and Buddy

16) Make Firework Rings 

These are a favorite for my girls to make each year! Here’s how to make these festive fireworks rings this year, from Fantastic Fun and Learning.

17) Upcycled Box Noise Makers 

What better way to put holiday boxes to use than to recycle them into New Year’s noise makers! You could also upcycle things like toilet paper rolls, raisin boxes or snack boxes. Look how festive these New Years Noisemakers are. Check out  Alpha Mom  for the full directions.

18) Make Your Own Midnight (or 9 o’clock) Balloon Drop 

What could be more festive on New Year’s Eve, than a balloon drop!? Make a homemade balloon drop with just a few simple supplies, and at midnight (or whenever you choose) pull the string and let the balloons fall. Kids and adults alike will LOVE this memorable activity and request it year-after-year! DIY Balloon Drop From One Good Thing by Jillee.

19) Create a Blessing Jar for the New Year 

I love the introspection that comes with the new year and taking time to reflect with our children about what was great during the year, and also goals and what there’s to look forward in the new year.  I absolutely love this idea for creating a blessing jar to collect these thoughts throughout the year and then read on the following New Year’s Eve. What better time to create a blessing jar for the new year, than on New Year’s Eve.

20) Confetti Eggs 

Happy New Year everyone! Make a dozen or so confetti eggs, and when you throw them down at midnight (or 8 or 9 o’clock), enjoy the burst of color and confetti. Confetti Eggs from Radmegan

21) Mix up a Batch of Party Confetti Slime 

This  New Year’s Eve Party Slime is from Left Brain Craft Brain

22) New Years Eve Countdown Chain 

Write down one activity or task to do each hour of your countdown with this New Year’s activity chain from Playdough to Plato.

23) Build the Best Blanket Fort Ever! 

Build The Best Blanket Fort From Pretty Providence

24) Decorate a New Year’s Eve Tree

No need to take down your Christmas tree just yet! Start a new tradition and redecorate your tree with balloons and inexpensive New Year’s decorations.  New Year’s Tree From Our Best Bites.

25) and Finally… a Milk & Cookies Toast 

Out with the champagne (at least for the littles) and yes to milk and cookies! Kid-Friendly Milk & Cookies “Champagne Toast” From Style Me Pretty.

More New Years Activities for Kids Ideas:

• (Free) Printable New Years Coloring Party Hats for Kids
• Kid’s Year in Review Printable Activity Sheet
• New Year’s Eve Word Search for Kids
• 36 Printable New Years Reflection Cards
• NYE Printable Activity Mats for Kids with Mazes, Coloring, and More!
• List of 98 Kid-Approved Indoor Activities for Kids
• FREE 2-Page PDF Printable Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids

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Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

New Year's Worksheets

Going back to school after the holidays can be a struggle for students. However, since it's the start of a new calendar year, it's a good time to get "back in the groove" by reflecting on the previous year and anticipating the coming year. Our New Year's worksheets are listed below. They are free for you to use at home or in class. You may view the worksheet or print the PDF by clicking on the title.

Color the New Year’s Day Words

On this printable activity, students will color each of the spaces with a New Year’s Day word a different color. For example, year = yellow, new = green, day = purple, and so on. When students have finished coloring, they will find they have revealed a secret message hidden in the picture!

New Year’s Calendar Maze

Have some fun with your students trying to figure out how to make it through this New Years calendar maze!

Alphabetize the Months

January, February, March, and April! We know this is the correct order of the months at the beginning of the year, but can you put all of the months in order alphabetically? Keep your students engaged as they learn about alphabetizing and practicing the months of the year.

My Goals for the New Year

This writing prompt about New Year’s goals is a wonderful way to help your students practice their writing skills.

New Year’s Acrostic Poem

This New Year’s printable activity helps your elementary school aged students practice their writing skills by creating an acrostic poem about the holiday!

New Year’s Day Crossword Puzzle

What comes every four years? A Leap Year! Students will be asked to answer a series of questions related to New Year’s in order to solve this Holiday Crossword Puzzle Activity!

New Year’s Day Word Ladders

In this worksheet, you will find a pair of words. You need to find words that connect the two, but you may only change one letter on each step. You must connect the words within the number of steps on the ladder, but you get extra points if you connect them in fewer steps. For example, to connect hot and dig in three steps, the ladder might look like this: hot > dot > dog > dig.

New Year’s Eve Make a Word

In this New Year’s Eve Word Activity, use the letters in the box to make as many words as you can in the time allowed by your teacher. The letters do not need to be connected and each word must be three letters long. The longer the word, the more points you score!

New Year’s Reflections

Encourage your students to look back on the events of the past year and look forward to the ones ahead with this New Years reflection worksheet.

New Year’s Word Search

A word search is a great way to bring some educational fun into the classroom around the holidays. This New Years word search activity will do just the trick!

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13 New Year's Ideas for Teachers to Celebrate With Your Class

Written by Emma (Teach Starter)

The year 2024 is here, and that means you’re probably looking for a few New Year’s ideas to add to your lesson planning so students can help you say goodbye to 2023! Whether you’re writing New Year’s resolutions with students or simply revisiting your behavior expectations with students who have gotten out of the habit during the winter break, there are plenty of activities you can use to ease back into the school schedule.

The teachers on the Teach Starter team have carved out a little time in our busy resource production schedule to get you New Year’s Eve ready. So adjust those 2024 glasses, grab some party blowers, and let’s get ready to plan ring in the new year in the classroom.

How to Celebrate New Year’s at School

Suffice it to say, we know this is not a holiday you’re going to be spending with your students — New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are typically spent at home with family, and schools won’t re-open until January 2 at the earliest (when US teachers and students go back to school in January is all over the map, depending on where you live!).

Still, an acknowledgment of the New Year when students return from the long vacation can be a great way to re-set your classroom expectations, help students get back into the school groove and make plans for the year that’s to come.

The winter break is much-needed for many students — and teachers — but children’s routines and consistency are often thrown off by a long break. Jumping back into classroom routines can be met with relief as they retain that sense of familiarity. Then again, some students return to the classroom feeling overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of holiday travel, time with family, and disruption to their every day.

The new year is an important time to let students share the things they want to talk about and be as patient and receptive as possible to their needs and feelings. This is a time when social and emotional well-being comes to the forefront. In many ways, it’s not unlike the first few days of school when the curriculum is put on hold as you work to familiarize students with classroom rules and routines. Only this time, it’s revisiting the things they learned the year before.

New Year’s Ideas for Kids to Add to Your Lesson Planning

Keep reading for fresh ideas to celebrate the new year with your students through storytelling, crafts and thoughtful assignments.

Read a New Year’s-Themed Book

Reading a book can be a great way to ease back into the groove of the classroom atmosphere and refocus. Here are some titles you can add to your classroom library:

• One Word for Kids: A Great Way to Have Your Best Year Ever by Jon Gordon – After reading this book, have your class choose a word for the new year!
• The Night Before New Year’s by Natasha Wing – Will the children in this story be able to stay up until midnight? Read to find out! You can ask your students afterward what they did for New Year’s and if they were able to stay awake.
• Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport – Shanté forgot the black-eyed peas for the New Year’s Day feast! She sets out to borrow some so there won’t be bad luck. After reading this story, ask your students if they have any traditional meals they prepare and eat for New Year’s.
• Our Lunar New Year by Yobe Qiu – Not everyone celebrates the New Year on January 1st. In Asian communities, Lunar New Year is celebrated in February. Read this book to expose your students to perhaps new traditions from their own and learn how Chinese, Thai, Korean, Indian and Vietnamese children honor Lunar New Year.

Make a Wish With a Wish Tree

Place small fake branches from a craft store —or even some from your backyard — in a glass vase to bring to school. Once school is back in session, have each of your students write a wish for the new year on a star template (or have them cut out their own). These wishes can be something for themselves, their classmates, friends, family, community or the world.

After all their wishes are written and cut out, attach each star wish to a piece of string and hang them on the wish tree. The wish tree can be displayed in the classroom for some new year inspiration!

Set Goals for the New Year With An Iceberg Template

Setting goals is an important skill to develop early, whether it’s for New Year’s or otherwise! Print our free Iceberg goal-setting template for your students to complete individually. The main goal will form the tip of the iceberg while smaller tasks to complete that goal are written below the waterline. Compile everyone’s together at the end for an easy and inspirational bulletin board display!

New Year’s resolutions are often broken because they aren’t manageable, so be sure to work with students to ensure these goals aren’t too ambitious!

Fill Their Hopes and Wishes Jars

Set New Reading Goals for the Year

Use the first week back at school to help your students set some New Year reading goals to inspire them to read more books than they read the prior year or maybe just more challenging books. You may want to share a few sample reading resolutions for the new year.

For example, is this the year your first graders move into reading chapter books? Or perhaps this is the year students will tackle books with more than 100 pages.

Download our Book Wish List template and have them write out the title and author of the stories they want to read before the end of the school year or the end of 2024.

Play New Year’s Charades

Shake the cobwebs out of those “still on winter break mode” brains with a game of New Year charades ! This list of suggestions for kids to act out also works as a great brain break for those first few days back from the winter vacation as your students are working back into the groove.

Create a New Year’s Sensory Bin

Use leftover party supplies from your own New Year’s celebration or hit the dollar store for some simple sensory items to add to a plastic bin. You can include paper party hats, confetti or shredded paper, pom poms, pipe cleaners, party blowers and more.

Complete a New Year’s Activity Sheet

What’s better than one New Year’s activity? How about four fun ways to celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of a new one, all packed onto one sheet? With a maze, coloring activity, word search, and more, this free printable is perfect for your fast finishers to complete in the first week back to class.

Assemble a New Year’s Photo Booth

Set up your classroom to celebrate the new year with fun  New Year’s Photo Booth Props.  The teachers in the Teach Starter office had WAY too much fun testing these out; we guarantee your student will love them too! Create a bulletin board display out of these fun print-outs that can stay up for parents to peek at during winter parent-teacher conferences, or send home a few photos with your classroom newsletter .

Design a New Year’s Party Hat

It’s not a party without a party hat, and this funky New Year’s party hat template can be printed off for students to decorate on the first day back as they slowly readjust to the structure of being in a school building.

Designed like our popular Funky Bunny, Funky Pumpkin, and Funky Reindeer that teachers love around the various holidays, the hat allows students to practice their Zentangle patterns — which requires concentration and focus.

After students decorate, the “hat” template can be folded into a cone, you punch holes in the sides, and you can use string to attach them to your students’ heads. Don’t forget the set of fun glasses to complete the look and to do a quick countdown before wishing one another a happy new year.

Create a New Year’s Pop-Up Card

Another great way to spread the New Year cheer is by asking your students to send a New Year’s Pop-Up Card to a friend or family member. Or why not have them choose a special staff member at the school to surprise with a card? Students can write a message inside about the new year and their special wishes for that staff member.

Design a New Year’s Flipbook

The new year isn’t all about enjoying the fun of celebrations. The act of reflecting is also an important part of social and emotional development, and the new year gives kids a chance to dream about goals and resolutions for the coming year!

Help your kids dive into the meaning behind the message of “Happy New Year” with our  New Year’s Flip Book . Combine it with the  New Year’s Goals Template  to really draw out your students’ hopes and dreams for the new year.

Fill Out a New Year Character Analysis

Want to explore the themes behind the new year in even more depth? Or how about getting your students to empathize with how others might view the new year? Then you will definitely want to take a look at our  Character Analysis: New Year’s Activity  — it does both.

In this thought-provoking activity booklet, your students will analyze a character from a narrative text and infer how they would celebrate the new year. It’s a fun way for students to get extra practice with this important metacognitive skill.

Setting New Year’s Resolutions With Students

One more popular idea for the New Year in the classroom is to set New Year’s resolutions with your students. The data out there shows that most adults don’t manage to keep our New Year’s resolutions — as much as 91 percent fail — but that’s because we tend to create goals for the year that aren’t very SMART.

If you’re working on new goals — or resolutions — with students, keep in mind that they should be actionable and achievable, and students should have ways to measure their achievement. Saying “I’ll do better in class,” for example, is not measurable. “I will improve my math grade from a C to a B” is.

Resolutions should be student-led, and they’re bound to vary widely depending on students’ needs and interests. But you may want to share some examples to get students started. Head over to our goals and feedback section for some tips from our teacher team on creating SMART goals with students !

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New Year's Activities

The New Years seasonal pages will provide you with great activities to be used on and around the New Year. Ideas in this section include: resolution activities, journal ideas, lesson plans, and more.

Your creativity can help other teachers. Submit your New Years activity today. Don't forget to include additional resources-documents, web sites, or a photo.

New Year's Day occurs on: January 1st

Be sure to visit our January Bulletin Boards page for fun New Year's ideas.

• New Year's Resolutions Grades 3 and Up At the beginning of each new year, I discuss 'resolutions' with my classes. We talk about the benefits of making long-term goals, and the advantages of planning and documenting them. I provide them with some official-looking paper and they write down their behavior and/or academic goals for the remainder of the school year (in ink, of course!) for the and then sign them with their full name. In past years, I collected the papers and returned them during the last week of school. They are good for reflection and for noting progress made. This year I think I am going to keep them in their portfolios! Submitted by: From Kathleen McGinley. This idea was published in the NEA's Weekly "Works4Me" Email list.
• Ringing in the New Year Grades 2-4 Upon returning to school after winter recess, I discuss school and classroom rules and behavior expectations. By reviewing class rules and routines, students are gently moved back into the swing of the school day. Students work in cooperative learning groups and create collages of favorite gifts or favorite moments from the break. Rather than 'clamping down' or 'getting tough' on kids, I take advantage of their energy and excitement at the New Year and use it to my advantage! Students enjoy the activities and I am sometimes surprised at the results! Submitted by: Janine P. Riggins. This idea was published in the NEA's Weekly "Works4Me" Email list.
• New Year's Word Search Create your own or use our word list.
• New Year's Word Scramble Create your own or use our word list.
• New Year's Journal & Coloring Pages Print out some free New Year's coloring and journal pages.
• New Year's Crossword Puzzle Create your own Crossword or use our premade word/clue list.

Happy New Year! Or is it? Happy New Year? That depends on which calendar you use! Students can explore the world's calendar options and create their own "perfect" calendars!

New Year's Day abcteach offers great ideas for students to set goals, write poems, and much more.

New Year's Eve These printable worksheets were designed to enhance your students' knowledge of New Years.

New Year's Resources A thematic unit that contains lessons, resources, worksheets, and clip art.

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Free New Year’s Resolution Printables

The New Year is a great time to reflect on the past year. That’s why we’ve created these Free New Year’s Resolution Printables to help kids write out things they want to work on for the year.

RELATED: New Year’s Ideas for Kids

Free New Year’s Resolution Printables for Kids

We find that the hardest part of setting a goal is actually creating the goal in the first place.  That’s sort of why writing down and reflecting on your New Year’s goals and resolutions is such a great idea.

Kids and adults can benefit from writing out their New Year’s resolution and can even do it together!

There are 2 worksheets available.

The one you see above is a year in a review and then we also have a 2 page printable where kids have more space to draw and write out their resolutions:

The 2 page worksheet also has lines for kids to write their resolutions on:

And they can also draw their resolution:

Get the Free Printables Here

Grab the My Year in Review Printable

Grab the New Years Resolution Worksheets

Note – these printables are for personal use or school use only.

More New Years Activities

New Years Bingo

New Years Coloring Pages

Fireworks in a Jar

New Year's Eve Ideas for Kids

More new years ideas.

For more fun New Years Ideas – See 15 New Year’s Eves Ideas for kids.

Also try these other New Year’s ideas:

New Years Bingo – get 10 Free Printable bingo cards!

Also print off these New Years coloring pages!

Related Ideas:

Salt Painted Fireworks

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New Year's Activities, Lessons & Printables

Fun new year’s activities for the classroom.

Starting back for the new year in January offers opportunities for reflection, setting new year’s resolutions, and learning about the history of new year’s celebrations and traditions around the world. Read on for ideas for celebrating the new year with your students or browse our collection of new year’s activities.

Learn about the history of new year’s celebrations

Browse our reference pages for materials on the history and traditions of celebrating the new year. A History of the New Year is a great read for middle school students guiding them through ancient celebrations in Mesopotamia to modern-day traditions. New Year’s Traditions is a handy reference article for grades 3 to 12 and includes lyrics to sing "Auld Lang Syne" with your class!

Explore new year traditions around the world

The new year is a great opportunity for students to learn about different cultures around the world. Students can discover Vietnamese , Hindu , Korean , and Chinese new year traditions with social studies printables and activities. Our collection of Chinese New Year resources includes fun arts and crafts activities along with social studies lessons and printables.

Write new year’s resolutions

The first week back is a great time for reflection and goal-setting. This New Year’s Resolutions Activity Packet has some lovely resolution-setting templates and activities for elementary students. We also have printables for grades K-2, 3-6, and 7-12. Discover more resources for new year’s resolutions.

Browse More New Year’s Activities & Printables

New year’s choice boards.

New Year's Choice Board for Elementary Grades

New Year's Choice Board for Middle School

The New Year & Social Studies Connected

New Year's Day

New Year's Eve

• Chinese New Year Dragon Puppet
• Tet, the Vietnamese New Year

Diwali, the Hindu New Year

• Sol-Nal, the Korean New Year

Sun Nin, the Chinese New Year

• More Social Studies Resources for the New Year

New Year's References

A History of the New Year

New Year's Traditions: Auld Lang Syne and Other New Year's Customs

Saying "Happy New Year!" Around the World

New Year’s Resolutions Activites

• My New Year's Resolutions (K-2)
• My New Year's Resolutions (3-6)

My New Year's Resolutions (7-12)

Student Goal Setting in the New Year

• New Year’s Resolutions Activity Packet for Elementary Students

New Year's Resolutions Activities for Middle School

Chinese New Year Resources

• All About the Chinese New Year

The Chinese Calendar

• Chinese New Year Videos & Activities
• Chinese Music
• Asian Music Resources
• Making an Erhu
• More Chinese New Year Resources for Teachers

Winter Holidays Teacher Resources

• Holiday Packet for K-6
• Christmas Teacher Resources
• Hanukkah - Teacher Resources
• Kwanzaa Teacher Resources
• December Holidays Resources for Teachers
• More Winter Holiday Resources

Recommended New Year's Resources

CHOICE BOARDS

Health and Wellness Activities Choice Board and Certificate

TEACHING RESOURCE

Chinese New Year - Videos & Activities

My New Year's Resolutions for Grades 3-6

New Year's Resolutions Activity Packet for Elementary Students

My New Year's Resolutions for Grades K-2

25 Best Things to Do on New Year's Eve to Celebrate 2024

Party ideas, events, family activities, and more fun things to do on NYE this year.

When you think about it, it’s pretty momentous when we finally reach New Year’s Eve after a year filled with happy moments, challenges, and memories. And since it’s such a special occasion, we think it shouldn’t just be treated like any other day. It’s the perfect time to reflect on your year, set new goals for the coming year, and celebrate all you’ve done throughout 2023. That’s why we’re sharing these ideas for things to do on New Year’s Eve .

You can throw a major NYE party (or a laid-back, casual one), complete with your closest pals and decorations galore . Spend some time on your own by looking back on the lessons you learned this year, along with reading quotes and making some wishes for 2024. Get outside in the fresh, chilly air to go on an adventure. Or use it as a time to snuggle up to your loved ones, from your partner to your pet. If someone is far away, give them a call or play a virtual game.

While you could treat New Year’s Eve as simply another date on your calendar, we think that you’ll head into the next year with a refreshed spirit if you turn to some of these fun, and soul-filling, activities.

Set mini resolutions for the coming year.

Take some time on New Year's Eve to jot down small tweaks you can make to your routine (let these easy resolution ideas inspire you) that will have a big impact on your life. Bite-size goals will be much easier to keep than the sweeping ones you may have made in years past. Hear that: This year you're starting with achievable wins, not impossible-to-keep promises!

A little strategizing will make staying on track even easier. After you identify a goal, break it down into the exact steps you’ll need to take in order to achieve it. Then, plan for what speed bumps you might encounter. For example, if you want to start running in the morning instead of at night, what usually prevents you from getting up early and how can you make it easier? Then it’s just a matter of tracking your progress, staying organized , and not forgetting to celebrate wins along the way.

Walk around the neighborhood with a suitcase.

In some Latin American cultures, it's a tradition to walk around the block with an empty suitcase on New Year's Eve to manifest travel and adventure in the year ahead ! Alternatively, you can walk in and out of your front door a number of times while rolling one to symbolize how often you want to travel or place it in the middle of a room for anyone to run around.

Find the lessons in 2023.

Take stock of what challenges you faced this year. What did they teach you about yourself, your loved ones, or your community? Consider how what you've learned might help you in the future. Also, take time to reflect on which ideas, habits, and relationships held you back this year. Ask yourself how you can begin to lessen their presence in your daily life or let them go entirely.

RELATED: Inspirational Quotes to Help You Move On to What's Next

Take a virtual class to learn something new.

With a little inventiveness, you can still learn a lot in the last few hours of the year. Take a gnocchi- or paella-making class. Support your local yoga studio by virtually meeting with friends for sun salutations. You can even take a cocktail-making class and whip up some celebratory holiday drinks .

RELATED: Creative Experience Gifts to Buy for Everyone on Your List

Manifest your goals.

Taking time on New Year's Eve to truly meditate and reflect on the year ahead is an excellent way to head into the new year with a focused, clear mindset . Try breaking your goals down by quarter, month, or even by week; you'll be surprised how much a little planning can help you grow your business, plan your dream vacation , or finish that book you've always wanted to write.

Have an outdoor celebration.

Even though it’s wintertime and the weather outside is frightful, spending time outdoors does wonders for your psyche no matter what season it is. Make plans to meet friends at a nearby park or go for a nice walk with a loved one.

Watch a New Year's Eve-themed movie.

Sure, there’s a movie that's actually titled New Year’s Eve . But plenty of movies have excellent New Year's Eve scenes. When Harry Met Sally , for example, where the film's climactic scene takes place at a NYE party. About Time starts at a New Year's Eve party, too.

RELATED: Best Movies to Stream if You're Staying in on New Year's Eve

Spend the day adventuring.

Hike, snowshoe, ski... Not only will you take in some nice scenes, but the fresh air will also produce serotonin in your brain, which can help you maintain a healthy emotional state. And kicking off the year in a good mood sounds like the best omen for what's to come, right?

Dress to the nines.

You don't get done up often — especially if you've decided to take up working remotely indefinitely — so dressing up for a special occasion (2024!) could be really fun. Pull out your most fabulous pieces, or buy something new, so you can dress like a royal whether you're hitting a New Year’s party or cutting a rug in your own living room.

Call a loved one.

No matter what tough times you had this year, your friends and family likely helped you get through them. Give them a call to say thank you, check in, swap stories, and make plans for 2024.

Watch the Times Square ball drop.

The quintessential New Year’s Eve event is watching the ball drop in Times Square , NYC. If you can be there in person, amazing! If not, simply tune in to ABC or CNN on your TV, computer, or mobile device. You can also stream the ball drop for free, without commercials, on the official Times Square website beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

Get crafty with New Year's Eve decor.

Throw a party this year and be extra with your decor. Consider creating a photo booth with a simple backdrop from Amazon and fun 2024-themed props .

Declutter your house for a clean start.

You don’t have to wait until spring to clean and get organized . Do as Marie Kondo says and pare your things down to just those that bring you joy. You’ll walk into the coming year feeling fresh and unburdened by stuff. Stock up on organizers so your clutter has a home.

RELATED: Simplify Your Post-Christmas Cleanup With These Ornament Storage Ideas

Write gratitude cards to those who helped you through.

Consider putting your gratitude into words and mailing letters to your friends and family members. Your sweet note is bound to brighten your loved ones' day, as well as yours for spreading love.

Collect the year's memories.

When’s the last time you actually printed photos out? It’s probably been a while, so take the time to do it now. Whether you make a scrapbook of the last year or some other theme, it’s nice to relive memories in a tangible way. Services like Smilebox or Shutterfly allow you to make a digital scrapbook if the whole cutting-and-gluing process isn’t your thing.

Play games with loved ones.

Even if the ones near and dear to your heart are too far to visit, you can still celebrate the new year with them. There are plenty of ways to connect with friends and family online including tons of online games great for groups , and games you can play over FaceTime. Or, keep it simple and play family-friendly board games at home.

Plan a fancy dinner.

If there's any holiday that is perfect for bundling up in your coziest PJs and pulling out all the stops to cook a start-to-finish gourmet meal, it's New Year's Eve. Make a recipe you've always wanted to try with your partner , or host a dinner party for your best friends.

Go dancing.

No matter if you hit your favorite club or listen to your best playlist in the comfort of your own home, dancing is always a good idea on New Year's Eve. Whether you're looking for an excuse to wear your sparkliest dress, are interested in working up a bit of a sweat, or in search of an activity that doesn't necessarily involve drinking, dancing is a safe bet.

Light up your night.

While the Times Square Ball Drop is certainly a sparkly experience to watch on TV or in person, there are other light shows to brighten up your evening as well. There are plenty of Christmas light shows still on display. Otherwise, you can always head to an amazing fireworks show, like the New Year’s Eve Bash at The Battery Atlanta or NYE at Reunion Tower in Dallas.

Throw a party.

Is there a better time throughout the year to throw a shindig than New Year’s Eve? Go for a full-on dinner party (and try a new recipe or two !) or make it super laid-back with a charcuterie board and a movie marathon.

Ysolt Usigan is a lifestyle writer and editor with 15+ years of experience working in digital media. She has created share-worthy content for publishers Shape , What To Expect , Cafe Mom , TODAY , CBS News , HuffPo , The Bump , Health , Ask Men , and Best Gifts . A working mom of two, her editorial expertise in parenting, shopping, and home are rooted in her everyday life. 

Shelby Deering is an accomplished writer with nearly two decades of experience, including a decade as a full-time freelance writer. Specializing in home design, health and wellness, and travel topics, Shelby's work has graced the pages of publications such as Domino , Good Housekeeping , Martha Stewart Living , The Pioneer Woman , Woman's Day , and Real Simple . She holds a master's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Madison-Wisconsin.

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25 Fun Things to Do on New Year's Eve to Ring In 2025

Count down to midnight with these fun activities!

Every item on this page was chosen by a The Pioneer Woman editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Another year is almost over, which means it's time to celebrate the start of 2024! Whether you prefer to go big or stay home on December 31, there are so many fun things to do on New Year's Eve that are sure to make the night memorable and special for you and your loved ones.

If you want to stay in, you can spend the night enjoying a New Year's Eve movie marathon or a dinner party. (Don't forget to whip up a New Year's Eve dessert for later!) If you'd rather celebrate by going out, consider booking a reservation at your favorite restaurant. There are plenty of New Year's traditions to partake in, too, from watching the ball drop in Times Square to sharing a midnight kiss. And of course, the start of a new year offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past and set resolutions for the future. No matter which activity you choose, it's sure to be a fun-filled night that you won't soon forget.

Create a DIY Photo Booth

Strike a pose and capture the joy of ringing in the new year by DIYing a festive photo booth. You'll love having memorable pictures from the night, and your guests will love the opportunity to use all those fun New Year's Instagram captions !

SHOP NYE PHOTO BOOTH PROPS

Have a Karaoke Contest

There's no better way to usher in the new year than with lots of music. So turn up the tunes and let the New Year's Eve celebrations hit a high note by hosting an epic karaoke contest!

Watch the Sunset

Planning an early night on New Year's Eve? The sun will go down as early as 4:30 p.m. on the holiday, so consider enjoying a sunset champagne toast or bite to eat before turning in for the evening.

Host a Potluck Dinner

After Thanksgiving and Christmas, you might need a break from cooking up a storm. Instead of a traditional dinner party, invite your friends and family over for a potluck so no one has to bear the brunt of the kitchen work!

Create a Time Capsule to Open Next New Year's Eve

As the clock ticks down, seal some precious memories into a time capsule to be opened the following New Year's Eve. You can make one on your own, as a family, or with friends.

SHOP FESTIVE BOXES

Get in touch with your creative side by making some fun New Years-themed crafts . A lot of our ideas can double as decorations, so you'll be feeling festive in no time!

SHOP CONFETTI

Go Ice Skating

Bundle up in your favorite holiday sweaters and go ice skating at a local outdoor rink. Many are decorated for Christmas so it'll feel celebratory while still being low-key and affordable.

Go for a Hike

Bundle up and get back to nature this New Year's Eve by going for a hike with your loved ones. It'll give you some quality time to reconnect with the world around you and each other!

Reflect on 2023

Before you start writing those New Year's resolutions, take some time to reflect on the past year and all the challenges, achievements, and lessons that came with it. You'll learn a lot about yourself in the process, and it's a great way to celebrate your wins, big and small.

Watch Fireworks

Find a fireworks show near you and a good spot to take them in with family or friends. It's the best way to ring in the new year with a bang!

Host or Attend a Party

What better way to ring in the new year than with your nearest and dearest? Whether you host a big bash or a small gathering, it's sure to be a blast!

SHOP NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY SUPPLIES

Throw a Pizza Party

Pizza is always a crowd-pleaser and can make even a low-key New Year's Eve feel like a celebration. Get a few pies with different toppings so everyone can enjoy their favorite.

Make New Year's Resolutions

This is one of the most popular New Year's activities–and for good reason! Making a fresh start and a plan to tackle your goals will create positively for the year ahead.

Have a Family Game Night

If you want to stick to a small group for New Year's Eve, then a game night is the perfect activity. Whether you gather with family or friends, you're in for a lot of laughter and fun.

Do Some Baking

Baking a cake, cookies, or another New Year's Eve dessert is such a fun way to spend an evening. The best part is eating your work when it's finished!

SHOP BAKEWARE

Be Your Own Bartender

Skip the bar and stay home and mix your own cocktails instead. We've got plenty of festive New Year's Eve drink recipes for you to choose from, including sparkling champagne cocktails, big-batch punches, and more.

Have a New Year's Eve Movie Marathon

Watching a New Year's movie or two is a great way to stay entertained while you wait for the ball to drop. You can never go wrong with Ree's fave, When Harry Met Sally .

Watch the Times Square Ball Drop

Whether you're braving the event in person or tuning in from the comfort of your own living room, watching the ball drop in Times Square is always a classic way to celebrate New Year's Eve!

Go to a Restaurant

Plan a night out at your favorite restaurant or one that's been on your list to try. Many places will offer fancy prix fixe menus but you can always find options for ordering à la carte.

Plan a Staycation

You don't have to travel to have fun on New Year's Eve. Plan a fun stay with your significant other or a friend at a hotel near you. There are plenty of things to do while you're there, like grabbing a drink at the hotel bar, taking a dip in the pool, or ordering room service.

PLAN A TRIP

Tierney McAfee is a freelance writer and Country Living and The Pioneer Woman contributor who covers entertainment, holiday & entertaining, food & drinks, design ideas, DIY, and more.

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15 Fun New Year’s Eve Activities for Kids or Adults

November 30, 2017 by Missy 27 Comments

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to play some fun games together.  Here are 15 fun ideas for activities to play with your friends and family!  These New Year’s Eve activities are great for kids or adults.

15 fun New Year’s Eve Activities for Kids or Adults

1.  guessing the resolutions.

Make each of your guests write down resolutions, each on its own slip of paper. Pull one slip of paper out of a basket at a time and read it out loud. Everyone has to write down who they think made each resolution. At the end of the readings, the person who guessed the most correctly wins a prize. Read some of the wrong guesses out loud for fun! Don’t forget to add these prizes on your Christmas shopping list !

2.  2 Resolutions and One Lie

Have everyone tell the group 2 of their real resolutions and 1 fake resolution.  Everyone has to guess which is the fake resolution.

3.  New Year’s Eve Scramble

Write a bunch of different words on a piece of paper that have to do with New Year’s Eve and scramble the letters. The person who guesses the most words correctly wins a prize.

4.  Word Guessing

Write down 100 words on index cards such as stare, grin, blink, giggle, laugh, plate, shoelace, thread or any word you like.

Stack the cards and put them in the center of the room. Divide the players into 2 teams and seat them opposite each other. Set the timer or stopwatch for one minute. Have the first player from Team One draw a card from the pile and give clues to the word to his/her teammates before the timer ends the play. So, if the word is “laugh”, the team member might say, “What you do if someone tells you a joke?” Players from Team One try to guess the word; if they are successful before the time is up, they get a point. If the timer runs out and the word is not guessed, the other team gets a bonus point. Take turns until all the cards are exhausted, and then add up points to see who wins.

5.  Fun Photos

Take the picture of each of your guests with the digital camera. Have them make a funny face and be sure to tell them there is a prize for the best face. After all the pictures have been taken, download them to your computer or laptop and ask everyone to gather around the monitor. The winner will be judged on the greatest laughter.

6.  Celebrity Hunt

Everyone writes the name of a celebrity, famous person or character on a piece of paper and then they stick to the forehead of the player on their left (use tape or office Post-It notes). Make sure they don’t see the name.  Now the game starts. Everyone else can see your forehead. The objective is to work out who you are. Going around the table, each payer takes a turn to ask the party questions about who they are – answers can be YES or NO only. If you get a YES you may continue asking, if you get a NO play moves on to the left. Last person to guess their name is the loser.

7.  Naming of Candy

For this, you need about 6 different candies that have given names like M&M’s, Crunch, Wrigley’s, etc. 1 Die (or 2 dice if the crowd is very large). Everyone is seated on the floor in a circle. Packaged candy bars or candy are placed in the middle of the circle. The game starts with everyone saying their own name.  If you already know each other, make up an animal name or famous person name or something to make it harder.  The leader then makes sure that everyone knows what candy is in the middle.

Someone begins by rolling the dice. If they roll a 6, they can take one of the candies in the middle. The die continues to go quickly around the circle while people keep picking up candy. When all of the candies are taken, people can then get other people’s candy. In order to get their candy, they must state the person’s first name and the name of the candy they hold. The person who rolls a 6 and matches the name of the candy and the person takes the other’s candy. If they forget either name, they miss their turn and the dice go to the next person and they continue to roll. (One person can get more than one candy and people can hide the candy behind their back). This is a great way of getting to know people’s name and how to get your favorite candies!

8.  Have a huge indoor treasure hunt with clues

The kids will have a blast following the clues to get their treasure.  If it is warm where you live, send them outside for parts of it.

9.  Create your own time capsule

Put anything you want to remember along with your resolutions in a container and then hide it till next year.

10.  Necklaces made of yarn

The players try to win as many yarn necklaces as they can. He/she who has the most at the end wins a prize. Give each player a necklace. The idea is to get the other players to say “No”. Try to make your friends say, “No”. If your friend says it, then you get their necklace. This game is played during the entire party.

11.  Word game

Whoever creates the most words out of the letters in Happy New Year, wins!

12. Guess how many objects in a jar

Fill a clear glass or plastic jar (with a secure lid) with a known quantity (yes, you have to count them!) of candy, marbles, pennies, tiny toy cars or some other item that ties in with the theme of your party. Decorate the jar and lid with stickers and a bow and place on the arrival activity table. Provide slips of paper for guests to write their names and their “guess” and a small basket or box to collect the entries. At the end of the party award the jar of goodies to the child with the closest guess.

13.  Scavenger hunt

Some ideas: a party hat, streamers, noisemakers, plastic champagne glass, a clock, Happy New Year card, Happy New Year balloon, drink stirrers, coasters, chocolate coins, a calendar, or silver bells to ring in the New Year.

14.  Match the country with how they say, “Happy New Year”.

A free printable game from HowDoesShe – This is suited more for older kids or adults.

15.  More printable games

Party Supply Hut has more fun printable games for your New Year’s Eve activities.

Some ideas were taken from The Holiday Spot

What are your favorite New Year’s Eve games and activities?

Make your new year’s eve celebration extra special with some DIY decorations – there are such great ideas here:

Or maybe you’re putting the kids to bed and celebrating with the other grown-ups in your life. We’ve got ideas for that, too!

About Missy

A mother of 5 who holds a degree in English and run on sentences. She has a passion for photography, especially capturing life's sweet moments. She has a serious addiction to Oreos, coconut oil and sushi...not necessarily all at the same time. She is one of the 3 founders of HowDoesShe.com.

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Carol55 says

December 28, 2009 at 7:22 pm

Love these ideas.. there are more fun family New Year’s Eve party ideas at Celebration Ideas Online at wwww.celebrationideasonline.com. Free printable New Year’s Bingo and Holiday Trivia games.. great ideas for family fun at your New Year’s Eve celebration, including activities and family entertainment.

December 28, 2009 at 8:54 pm

LOVE these ideas! We’re having relatives over, ages range from 2-45. I think these will definitely help us have lots of F.U.N.!

December 28, 2009 at 10:54 pm

Let’s try these games out for New Year’s Eve! What fun!

December 28, 2009 at 10:59 pm

Speaking of treasure hunts, our family likes using Riddle Me software which is super easy to use. You just select an age and your options and print out the clues and tape them up and the hunt is ready to go. My kids love it. http://www.riddleme.net

Stephanie says

December 31, 2009 at 12:32 pm

So fun! Have a great New Year!

Kari @ Ucreate says

December 31, 2009 at 4:23 pm

I am so playing some of these games tonight at my party!!! Thanks for the fun ideas!

December 31, 2009 at 11:07 pm

My family and I did a time capsule 10 years ago, when my children were 12 and 6. Tomorrow night we are getting together to open it. I can’t wait to see what we had put in it.

Monica says

December 30, 2010 at 2:14 pm

Great ideas!! I love this site and can’t wait to see what you have in store for all of us in 2011!! You girls rock. Blessing to all of you and your families.

Rachel says

December 30, 2010 at 2:55 pm

Awesome ideas! It’s just so darn hard to think of things yourself – hurray for “How Does She” and their awesome lists and ideas! Woo!

December 30, 2010 at 4:51 pm

I’m going to try this tomorrow night at the party I am throwing! Thanks for always having such fun ideas!

Priskila says

December 21, 2013 at 10:54 pm

Thanks for the amazing ideas. You bring mode fun to our family gathering this New Year’s

nisha sharma says

December 30, 2014 at 7:19 am

i will going to play this game 31st night in the party

Sunita Gupta says

December 28, 2015 at 6:53 am

I love these party ideas .I will try few for new year eve.

Carrie101 says

December 30, 2015 at 6:39 pm

You guys should make your own fun facts! Instead of using other websites, use your brain that God gave you to make ideas with!

December 31, 2015 at 5:18 am

Oh we always post our original content on our blog, on almost a daily basis. This is just a fun round up of other ideas so we can have them at an easy to access place, sort of like pinterest. Thanks for being here!

December 30, 2015 at 6:40 pm

Anyone agree with me?

Sally37 says

December 30, 2015 at 6:42 pm

I do @carrie101

December 31, 2017 at 3:14 pm

Take your negative Nancy attitude somewhere else. Please Happy New Year

Jumpandfun says

December 31, 2015 at 12:01 am

Nice activities. Thanks for sharing.

June 27, 2017 at 2:04 am

thanks for sharing

September 10, 2017 at 4:50 am

smriti agrawal says

April 25, 2018 at 4:40 am

nice blog…thanks for sharing

Happy Navratri 2018 says

October 20, 2018 at 4:21 am

I Must say i become a fan of your writing and presentation Skills Nice to see this. Well i also try something why don’t you also have a look and give me suggestion on

Happy Halloween 2019 says

September 7, 2019 at 1:26 am

these are some awesome ideas love it

September 23, 2019 at 2:01 pm

these are really awesome and creative ideas love it so much keep posting

The Real Person!

July 19, 2024 at 12:53 pm

Interesting these ideas!

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22+ ideas for a fun, family-friendly new year’s eve.

When I was a kid, nothing made me feel cooler than being included in grown-up stuff. On New Year’s Eve, getting to hang out with the adults and stay up late made me feel special, included and a lot more grown-up than I actually was. And now my wife and I try to do the same thing with our own kids.

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @HallmarkStores .

Ringing in the new year as a family is a great opportunity to create traditions, make memories and help your kids feel like they’re just as much a part of the celebration as you are. With just a little bit of thought and planning, it can become one of your family’s favorite days of the year. And good news—we’ve handled a lot of that “thought and planning” part for you right here.

Family New Year’s Eve theme ideas  

• Get a little fancy. Have everyone put on their dressiest clothes, dust off the good dishes and celebrate like you’re at a fancy soirée from the comfort of your own home. As for food, feel free to go as upscale or kid-friendly as you want. Who says you can’t eat chicken nuggets on fine china?
• Celebrate the year that was. Print out photos of fun family memories from the previous year and hang them up to remind yourselves of good times from the year gone by. Spend the evening telling stories and watching videos (if you have them) of favorite moments together as a family.
• New Year’s slumber party. Whether you’re planning on making it to midnight or tapping out earlier in the evening, it’s a great chance to put on your comfiest PJs (bonus points if they’re matching) and get cozy for the evening.
• DIY it. If you don’t have time or the extra money to buy a bunch of decorations for your New Year’s Eve party, do it yourself and get everyone involved! Make crafts, print coloring pages for your kids to help decorate the space, and spend the evening being creative and making things together—like these DIY décor ideas , but in gold and silver for a New Year’s Eve twist. Or if you’re up for a little messiness, you could even make your own confetti .
• Kids’ choice! Know who never, ever struggles with having an opinion? My kids. If you’re having trouble landing on a theme, just let your kids pick a favorite movie, character or anything else. At my house, we’d probably end up celebrating a construction site-themed New Year’s Eve, but what’s wrong with that?  

Ideas to make New Year’s resolutions fun for your family  

• Walk down memory lane. Before anyone writes down any resolutions for the new year, start by talking about favorite memories from the year that’s ending. This is a great time to pull out your phones and look through photos and videos of favorite family memories.
• Make meaningful resolutions. A great way to help kids think about resolutions is to focus less on what they want to change about themselves and more on what they can do to make the world better . Help them focus on simple things like kindness. (This free kindness journal could be a good start.)
• Make predictions. This has always been a favorite with my family, and it’s a fun alternative or addition to making resolutions. Write down some fun guesses about what will happen in the new year and store them somewhere you’ll be able to find next New Year’s Eve. Have each person make at least one prediction for each member of their family and anything else they want. When you pull them out to read next year, you’ll be in for a whole lot of laughs.  
• Hopes and dreams. Another meaningful alternative to New Year’s resolutions is to write what you hope, wish or dream instead—for yourself, but especially for the other people in your family and for the world. This is a great way to get kids thinking about others and to hear some of their thoughts about the people they care about.

Family activity ideas for New Year’s Eve  

• Game ’til you drop. Break out your favorite board games, card games, video games or any other kind of game your family loves.
• Movie night! Pop some popcorn, get cozy on the couch together and take turns picking favorite movies or shows to watch as a family.
• Make a family time capsule. Have each member of the family pick an item or two that’s meaningful to them from the past year and create a time capsule to open next New Year’s Eve. Have everyone write a note to their future self, seal it up and hide it somewhere out of sight (but make sure you can find it when you’re ready next year!).
• Get crafty. If your family is artistically inclined, a New Year’s Eve celebration can be the perfect opportunity to spend time being creative together. If this becomes an annual tradition, looking at New Year’s crafts over the years will become a meaningful way to spend time together.

Fun food and drink ideas for New Year’s Eve  

• Hot cocoa bar. Assemble all your favorite hot cocoa toppings and mix-ins (and maybe a few you’ve never tried!) to pull together a world-class hot cocoa bar . Or, try these hot cocoa bombs for a fun variation.
• Apple cider. That’s right, we’re giving you two steamy beverage ideas. Sorry not sorry. If it’s chilly where you are on New Year’s Eve, you’ll thank us for this delicious cider recipe .
• Chips and dips. The beauty of this is there’s no wrong answer and so many possible combinations. Salsa or queso? Spinach artichoke dip or guac? Sweet or savory? And, honestly, who says you have to choose?  
• Build a menu together. To help everyone feel involved, let each member of your family pick one thing to put on your menu—no restrictions. This is a fun way to get the kids involved, and it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a meal you’ve never had before.  
• Family party mix. Use the same basic concept as building a menu together but use it to make a fun party mix that you’ll be grabbing handfuls of as the night winds down. Start with a reliable base—Chex mix or something similar—and then let each person pick out something they love to mix in.

Family New Year’s Eve countdown ideas  

• Countdown to the countdown. Build anticipation as the night goes along by opening small surprises or treats every hour on the hour. These could be in boxes, bags or even balloons family members can take turns popping.
• Light it up. Something about glowing, flashing lights can make any moment magical for kids. So when the new year hits, do it up big—bring on the sparklers, glow sticks and anything else that will light up the night and the new year.
• Do midnight up right. When the clock strikes twelve and it’s officially the new year, find a way to make it feel big. There are so many options for this—a dance party, a fun song to sing as a family or even a big balloon drop, if you’ve got the lung capacity.
• Celebrate the New Year a few hours early. If you’ve got little kids, staying up all the way until midnight may not be your best bet. There are ways around this, though—find a New Year’s countdown online to watch before their bedtime, or even tune in to a countdown stream from another part of the world. It’s always twelve o’clock somewhere.

With these family New Year’s Eve ideas, you can turn your celebration into a meaningful one that your family will remember, and you’ll make New Year’s Eve a day your kids will look forward to year after year. Happy New Year!

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15 New Year's Eve Games That Will Make Spending the Holiday at Home So Much Fun

You'll have no problem staying up to watch the ball drop with these fun actitivies.

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New Year's Eve may look a little different this year. You're likely hunkering down and spending the holiday at home , but that doesn't mean fun can't be had: Help enliven the night with some New Year's games and activities. Whether you want to elevate your social distance hang with some friends, or you're looking for ways to keep the kids entertained, we found the best NYE games and activities to try this year.

Most of these require little or no prep work, and most cost nothing to put together. But these are fun, festive, ice breaking, conversation starting — and even supremely sentimental — for people of all ages

NaNaPrintables New Years Eve Scavenger Hunt

This New Year's Eve activity requires zero prep — and you can play from the comfort of home and on Zoom. Print out this colorful printable and gather some pencils for players to check off what they found on TV or in the house.

Disco Ball Piñata

Who doesn't love a piñata? This one has a splashy disco ball look that's perfect for New Year's Eve. To make it, paper maché a 36-inch balloon, and cover it in fringe using holographic tape. Cut a little door in the side to fill with candy (or whatever you like), then close it up with tape after you fill it.

Get the tutorial at Studio DIY»

RELATED : 15 Festive Quarantine New Year's Eve Ideas to Ring in 2021

New Year's Eve Drinking Game

What's New Year's Eve without the bubbly? Turn your champagne into a party game by printing out prompts like: "Drink if you spent more than an hour getting ready," "Drink if you took more than one selfie already..." — whatever customizations work for your small group. Pass around the cards and read them out loud. Everyone has to drink when they're guilty of whatever action someone reads.

New Year's Eve Charades

Put a New Year's spin on the classic all-occasion game of charades. Come up with a list of major events, personalities, and pop culture moments from the past year. Write each on a scrap of paper and put them all into a hat for your crew to act out under pressure from a 60-second timer.

New Year's Eve Dice Game

All you need to play this game is a single die, a bag of candy, and this free printable. Roll the die and grab or give up candies based on what number you land on — plus, follow the prompt to reflect on the past year. It’s a friendly competition as well as an exercise in gratitude.

Get the idea at Play Party Plan »

Instagram Memory Game

This memory game is a great way to recall some of the year's happiest memories in photo form. It’s also all-ages friendly — and word free, so even preschoolers can play along without any reading required.

Get the idea at Lovely Indeed »

New Year's Eve Printable Game

This New Year's game is super-easy to make: just print the cards, cut them out, and toss into a hat or bowl. Each person pulls a card and answers a conversation-starting and sometimes revealing question about the year — like the biggest lesson learned or the happiest day. Then replace the card and move on to the next round.

Get the printable at Classy Clutter»

New Year's Eve Word Game

How many words can you create from the letters in Happy New Year? This printable is fun, challenging, and educational for kids. As you go around, each person challenges the one on their right. (For example: "Find a word with two vowels.") Skip that person if they can't come up with an answer. The last player remaining is the winner.

Get the printable at The Resourceful Mama»

Mad Libs-Style Resolutions Game

Everyone remembers laughing over outrageous Mad Libs growing up. Update the idea and give it a holiday twist with these New Year's-themed free printables.

Get the printables at The Idea Room»

Word Search Printable

Get the kiddos in on the holiday fun with this New Year's printable word search. Just print as many as you need and let them seek and find 16 words and phrases related to the holiday.

Get the printable at Happiness Is Homemade»

Kids Wishing Wall Activity

This wishing wall makes for a reflective and fun New Year's activity for kids of all ages (and the grownups, too). Everyone writes (or draws) their wishes on bits of paper or sticky notes, displaying them proudly to welcome the new year.

Get the idea at Buggy and Buddy»

New Year's Eve Fortune Teller


Use the template to print out the foldable fortune teller, with holiday-theme prompts on the inside flaps.

Get the printable at Darcy Miller Designs»

60-Second Tic Tac Challenge


For kids (or anyone) with a short-attention span, try a game with a 60-second time clock — which also fits in nicely with the holiday's countdown theme. Fill a bowl with Tic Tacs and set another empty bowl next to it. Time each player as they try to move as many mints as they can into the empty bowl in 60 seconds ... using only a pair of tweezers.

Get the idea at The Idea Room»

Two Resolutions and a Lie

You won't need to prep a single thing for this party game: Each guest shares three resolutions with the crowd, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The others try to guess which is which. To add an extra element of competition, keep track of who guesses most correct answers, and award a prize. (A bottle of bubbly works nicely!)

Get the idea at Icebreaker Ideas»

Printable Superlatives Game

Here's a game that requires almost no effort (or cost) to prep — especially if you use this free printable. The idea is to spark conversation (and maybe even some controversy) with answers to prompts printed on cards: Best Song of the Year, Best Movie of the Year, Most Embarrassing Moment, Best Piece of Advice You Were Given This Year, and so on.

Get the printable at Alice & Lois»

Alesandra is a digital travel and lifestyle journalist based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Prevention, Insider, Glamour, Shondaland, AFAR, Parents, TODAY, and countless other online and print outlets. Alesandra has a masters degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. An avid traveler, she trots the globe with her husband and their twins.

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20 New Year’s Activities for Kids

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It’s almost a brand new year and for most teachers, if not all, that means we are approaching or already on Winter Break. Even though we aren’t in class to ring in the New Year with our students, that doesn’t mean that we can’t celebrate the New Year with them when we return from break! These 20 New Year’s Activities for Kids are a perfect way to start the new year with a ton of fun as soon as the kids return to school!

*Pair with our New Year’s Writing Center Activities !

These 20 New Year’s Activities for Kids are great for both the classroom and home. They are so much fun for kids, young and old!

Grab some pencils and get on the hunt with this  Happy New Year Word Search  // Domestic Mommyhood   (This is great for older kids, so for kinders, we use these with our 4th grade buddy class and they do it with them – they love it!)

Print and play with this  New Year Printable Pack for Preschoolers . // Best Toys 4 Toddlers

Print and Color New Year Hats  to wear for the festivities or classroom party. // Happiness is Homemade

Grab these  Printable New Year Coloring and Activity Pages  for some colorful fun! // Squishy Cute Designs

This  Year in Review Printable  is great as a take home project or another one to do with older kids or a buddy class! // Skip to My Lou

These  New Year’s Party Horn Photo Booth Props  are so fun for pictures and a keepsake! // DIY Candy

Make a  New Year’s Eve Paper Plate Celebration Clock  to count down the hours to the new year. // The Pinterested Parent

Create a  New Year’s Pipe Cleaner Crown and Headband  for some festive costumes to celebrate. // Pink Stripey Socks

Design a beautiful  New Year’s Fireworks Craft  to put on display. // In the Playroom

Write your wishes for the new year with this fun  New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall Activity . // Buggy and Buddy

Looking for an awesome craft to make for New Year’s? Try these  Styrofoam Cup Fireworks ! // Glued to My Crafts

Give this  New Year’s Eve Countdown Activity  a go for a fun craft on New Year’s Eve. // JDaniel4’s Mom

Capture the year with a memorable New Year’s Time Capsule Activity . // A Dab of Glue Will Do

Grab a  2016 Word Art Printable  and have a blast doodling and decorating as you say goodbye to last year! // Make and Takes

Set up a fun New Year’s Sensory Bin this month to explore with your kids. // JDaniel4’s Mom

Blast off into the new year with these adorable  Craft Stick Fireworks ! // Glued to My Crafts

Write about your night and create some fun glasses too with this  New Year’s Eve Glasses Writing Activity . // A Dab of Glue Will Do

Why not wear your craft? This  Fireworks Ring Craft  will bring on all the ooohs and ahhhs from kids! // Fantastic Fun and Learning

Ring in the new year with this Dot Painting New Year’s Printable . // The Resourceful Mama

Get creative and make your own  New Year’s Party Masks . // Green Owl Art

This fun printable makes 21 on our list, but we know you will want to add this New Year’s cut and paste sentence activity to your plans too!

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33 New Year's Eve Party Ideas and Themes for a Festive Celebration

If you're ready to leave the past year behind, welcome the new year with a legendary party. Whether you're feeling fancy with ball gowns and bowties or want to relax with your closest friends, we share our favorite New Year’s Eve party ideas below to help you ring in the new year.

Pop Culture Party

Kelsey Klos

A New Year's Eve party is a way to celebrate with friends while reflecting on the previous year. If you're hosting a gathering, throw a pop culture themed party. Send out invites and ask guests to dress up as their favorite pop culture moment or event from the last year. Have a costume show-and-tell, and hand out a prize to the person who guesses the most pop culture costumes correctly.

Sparkly Drink Stirrers

Cake and Confetti

Simple touches can really elevate a party. This DIY drink stirrer is easy to make and nearly free using items from around your house. To make, glue gold Christmas tinsel to wood skewers to dress up everyone's drinks.

Murder Mystery Celebration

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Perfect for friends who love game night, host a murder mystery party for your New Year's Eve gathering. You can purchase a ready-made murder mystery kit, or you can create your own by writing clues and assigning characters to your friends. Make sure to have plenty of snacks and drinks available to keep everyone fueled for the night.

Movie Night

If a quiet night in with family or a few close friends is more your style, make it a special occasion with a movie night. Include a popcorn bar with homemade popcorn, and offer toppings like chocolate candies, chocolate pretzels, and nuts to enjoy while watching your favorite flick. You could even make it a themed movie marathon and choose drinks and snacks to match.

Snowflake Dinner Party

Finding Lovely

Make your New Year's Eve celebration unforgettable with a snowflake themed dinner party. Transform your space by decorating the ceiling and chairs with beautiful snowflake Christmas ornaments, and serve seasonal fare. It’s a great excuse to keep some of your wintery holiday decor up a while longer.

A Grand Entrance

Why not set the tone for your New Year's Eve celebration even before your guests enter your home? This stunning balloon arch and snowflake-shaped balloons and decor will have your guests excited from the moment they walk in.

Art Deco Decor

Traditionally, New Year's Eve parties have a gold, silver, and black color scheme. If you want a traditional party with a twist, add Art Deco -themed decor in this color scheme like bowtie photo props, and ask guests to wear 1920s-themed outfits

Winter-Themed Centerpiece

@herzenstimme / Instagram

If you're going for an elegant dinner celebration, don't forget the centerpiece . Glass or ceramic round ornaments make the perfect candleholders. Place them in a row on a tray, and add faux greenery for a beautiful addition to your table.

Metallic Food Labels

Adding labels to your food trays can lend a more refined look to your party, especially if you have calligraphy skills or good penmanship. By using edible or food-safe metallic markers, you can transform a simple food tray into a sophisticated addition to your New Year's Eve celebration.

Disco Ball Mantel

Klos + Co

If you have a mantel, it's a good opportunity to go all out with your New Yer's decor . This mantel features several disco balls in varying sizes and other glam decor like silver garland and star decor.

A Glam Dessert Table

A New Year's Eve party is a great excuse to dress up in your most sparkly attire. Ask guests to dress formally, and make or buy desserts that are just as glam. A cluster of gold confetti-filled balloons and disco ball cups will take the party up a notch.

All-White Party

For an elegant and refined aesthetic, consider a monochromatic theme for your New Year's Eve party. Decorate with all-white decor such as garland, balloons, and serving trays, and serve all white food to complete the look. Though for a more unique New Year’s Eve party idea, choose a color besides white: pink, metallics, tie-dye—whatever strikes your fancy.

Disco Ball Christmas Tree

A white Christmas tree is the perfect blank canvas to decorate for your New Year's Eve party. Replace all the Christmas ornaments with disco ball ones for a glam look that makes a great photo backdrop.

Carnival Theme

Take it back to your childhood with a Carnival-themed party. Serve popcorn, funnel cakes, and other traditional carnival food. Set up simple games like balloon darts, ring toss, and cornhole . And don't forget the prizes, hand out tickets to winners for them to redeem for prizes.

NYE Advent Countdown

In lieu of an advent calendar, include an hourly advent countdown to midnight (it’s easy to DIY one ). Include one pouch for every hour of your party for guests to open. Fill each pouch with little gifts or even ice breaker questions or fun activities to do during your gathering.

Mobile Bar Truck

Add something new and fun to your party like a food truck or a mobile bar service. Many cities have vintage mobile beer trucks or campers that bring a charming, unexpected touch to a party. Make it a special event by having guests dress their best and offering local craft beers from a truck.

Paper Plate Backdrop

Colorful plates hooked together make an affordable, one-of-a-kind photo or table backdrop for your party. The plates resemble confetti, making it the perfect addition to a New Year's Eve party.

Spruced-Up Cocktails

No New Year's party is complete without some Champagne or fancy sparkling cocktails or grape juice. Take it up a notch by adding some edible gold leaf to each drink. Nothing says "Let's ring in the New Year" like a touch of edible bling.

New Year Party Favor Ornaments

Ornaments aren't just for Christmas. Gift guests a clear ornament filled with confetti and glitter, as well as encouraging and uplifting messages for the New Year.

A Year-in-Review Collage

The New Year isn't just about popping a bottle of Champagne and getting a midnight kiss. It's a good time to reflect on your previous year and look ahead to a new beginning. To commemorate the year, create a collage with friends of things and events that made an impact on your year. Get a big poster board or cork board, or even just clear off a wall and provide wall-safe adhesive, and ask everyone to bring a photo or something representative of a memory to add to the collage. It’s a great way to get creative and appreciate moments spent with friends.

Repurposed Christmas Decor

M Starr Design

Your Christmas decor can serve dual purpose as table decor for your winter solstice or New Year's Eve party. The greenery on this table and above sets the tone for a quiet dinner in to ring in the new year.

Disco Ball Place Setting

Pop of Gold

Disco ball Christmas ornaments and gold gift tags serve great purpose as place cards for New Year's Eve. To make it more personalized to each guest, cut out the letter of their first initial and glue to the tag.

Snow Globe Kits

Make your New Year's celebration fun for the whole family. Set up a craft station for the kids with DIY fairy wands made from felt and wood dowels, and Mason jars filled with items to make a snow globe.

Tiny Party Hats

Make adorable party hats using gold and cream cardstock and top them with white pompoms. The hats are perfect for both kids and adults and will be a hit at your party.

Lollipop-Themed Bar Cart

If you're throwing a party for both kids and adults, a lollipop theme party is sure to be fun for everyone. Fill your bar cart with colorful treats and desserts instead of libations, and finish the look with a New Year's themed wreath decorated with mini disco ball ornaments and paper hearts.

The Spruce / Candace Madonna

If you're going for an all-gold theme, look around your house to decorate. A gold wreath, snowflake garland, and a gold paper Christmas tree make the perfect decor for this bar cart. Swap the places of any gold-colored decorative pieces you have so that the gold ones are in the party area and all the other colors are relegated to closed rooms.

Black & White Ball

New Year's Eve is a great excuse to gather your friends for a party party. If you're wanting a formal affair, keep it classy with a black and white dinner party theme. Decorate with white plates, black candles, and personalized name cards.

Midnight Brunch

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Make your first meal of the new year great with a brunch with friends right at midnight. Serve light breakfast pastries and herbal teas on your best dinnerware to make it an extra special event. A midnight brunch is a great idea for parents who spend hours hosting a kids' party until the 12 a.m. pickup or bedtime—it’s can be a special tradition for just the two of them.

Ring in the new year by hosting game night with friends. (This is ideal for hosts who don’t want to organize a murder mystery party, but still want to get a little competitive.) Have each friend bring their favorite game , and play as many games as you like. At the end of the night, whoever wins the most games can take a game of their choosing home with them, and other guests can swap games with each other so everyone can take a new game home to play in the new year.

Casino Night

Host a casino night with friends. From blackjack to poker, set up all of your favorite casino games. You can either have every guest contribute money into a pool for winners to take home, or exchange chips for prizes and gifts. Include a few easy games, like Left Right Center, that can be learned in minutes.

Fondue Party

Elise Bauer / Getty Images

If you're hosting a smaller gathering for New Year's Eve, make the food simple by setting up a couple fondue stations. Cut appetizer type food like crudites and main course dishes like cooked shrimp, meatballs, and mushrooms. Set up a separate station for chocolate fondue, and include crispy treats, marshmallows, brownies, and other sweet treats.

Tropical Theme

It may be cold where you live, but hosting a tropical themed New Year's Eve party may help fight off the winter blues. Add palm leaves to your decor, and serve beach-inspired cocktails and food. Hawaiian shirts are encouraged.

Bonfire Party

For a cozy New Year’s Eve party idea that’s still got some drama, plan a bonfire party. Light up the fire pit, break out the blankets and thermoses of hot drinks, and enjoy conversation and s'mores with your closest friends.

More from The Spruce

The new year means new beginnings — and new resolutions. Whether your students hope to become stronger readers or aim to be more compassionate toward one another, the new year is the perfect time to help them reflect upon what they need to do to achieve their goals.

These 31 new year writing prompts will inspire your students to reflect on the past year, set realistic goals and resolutions, and look ahead to a bright future to make 2024 even more successful!

1. What are your resolutions for this new year?

2. Why is it important to make new year’s resolutions?

3. What was the best thing that happened to you this past year?

4. What are you most looking forward to this new year?

5. This year will be a year of…

6. In what ways were your kind to your friends, family, and teachers this past year?

7. What can you do this new year to be a good friend?

8. What can you do this new year to show gratitude for your friends, family, and teachers?

9. This new year, I’m grateful for…

10. This new year, I can’t wait to…

11. What new adventures would you like to go on this year?

12. Can you describe your most memorable new year?

13. Why is the new year important to you?

14. Have you made a new year’s resolution before? What was it?

15. Does your family have any new year’s traditions? What are they?

16.  What can you do to make this new year even more special than last?

17.  Before this year ends, I will…

18.  The best book I read last year was ________ because…

19.  The book I’m most looking forward to reading this year is ________ because…

20.  This new year, I can’t wait to learn about…

21.  This new year, I hope I’m able to…

22.  What will you need to do to achieve your goals and keep your resolutions in the new year?

23.  What can we do as a class this new year to be more kind to one another?

24.  How can your classmates and teachers help you achieve your goals and resolutions?

25.  How can you help your classmates and teachers achieve their goals and resolutions?

26.  In what ways can you practice empathy this year?

27.  Describe a time when you helped a classmate or teacher. How did you feel afterward?

28. What was the most fun part of the year in class for you?

29. What are you most excited to do in class next year?

30. What can you do next year to be helpful at home and at school?

31. What was the most interesting thing you’ve learned this year?

Combining daily writing exercises with extended class or small-group discussion will help your students set realistic, yet meaningful, goals to make the new year even more successful than the last. By encouraging your students to really reflect on the new year and what it means to make and keep resolutions, they’ll be prepared to overcome any challenge they may encounter along the way — and help their friends and classmates do the same!

Shop workbooks that encourage writing skills below. You can find all books and activities — including writing workbooks and other writing resources — at  The Teacher Store .

Want more great content? Click  here  to subscribe to our Teacher Newsletter and get teaching ideas delivered right to your inbox. 

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Welcoming students to a new reality

By Janette Neuwahl Tannen [email protected] 09-18-2024

Ever wondered what it’s like to run through the tunnel at Hard Rock Stadium at a Hurricanes football game? Or to participate in a glassblowing class on the Coral Gables Campus?

Students will be able to experience these and many other unique activities at the University of Miami through virtual reality headsets this semester, as part of the First Year Directions (FYD) classes.

In the past year, a group of students and staff members at the University’s UMverse initiative created an application that allows new students to experience the possibilities of VR, with the Coral Gables Campus as its main backdrop. The FYD app allows students to do things like virtually visit the Lowe Art Museum, replant coral reef fragments with Rescue a Reef , paddle through mangroves to learn about native South Florida plants and marine life, or check out a Hurricanes football, baseball, or basketball game through a 360-degree video, among many other opportunities.

“We want to introduce students to this technology and normalize the use of extended reality technology for all students at the University of Miami,” said Thomas Merrick , senior project manager of XR Initiatives and an adjunct lecturer of interactive media at the School of Communication . “In three years, we hope every student at the University has experience with XR technology, and to our knowledge, there are no other universities doing anything like this at such a large scale.”

The FYD app will be launched as an optional assignment through First Year Directions classes this fall, and students can check out one of the University’s Meta Quest 3 headsets to access it. In addition, Merrick and his team have created a training video to help students utilize the headsets and the app.

Offered to help acclimate new students to the University, First Year Directions courses are optional classes that were first piloted in 2019 with about 40 students. Since then, their popularity has grown, and the program has expanded to 84 class sections this fall with about 1,200 students currently enrolled, said Nicole Maarraoui, director of student retention.

“These classes help connect students with the University,” Maarraoui said, adding: “We are very excited about including this opportunity to experience virtual reality in FYD and hope this encourages students to take more classes that use virtual reality.”

The VR experience will be an option for new students to complete an assignment in the once-a-week class, Maarraoui added. While using the headsets is not required yet, Maarraoui and Merrick hope that many students take advantage of the FYD app this semester to pique their interest in the technology. Extended reality experiences are being integrated into more classes each year at the University, as a goal of the UMverse.

Merrick and the entire UMverse team hope that FYD students will also be part of a large research study they are conducting about using VR in the classroom. It may become one of the largest exposures ever conducted on a college campus, Merrick added.

Kim Grinfeder , director of the UMverse initiative, is also eager to see students’ reactions and the app’s impact with such a large-scale rollout of the new technology.

“The FYD VR Project will play an important role in shaping the future of education at the University of Miami, bridging the gap between traditional learning and the new world of immersive and emerging technologies,” said Grinfeder, who also chairs the Department of Interactive Media. “By integrating virtual reality into the first-year experience, we are equipping students with the tools to succeed in a rapidly advancing technological landscape.”

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Why is Diddy jailed? Read text of shocking revelations in music mogul’s federal indictment

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was denied bond and sent to jail Tuesday in New York after a newly unsealed indictment accused the troubled music mogul of operating his multimillion-dollar business empire as a “criminal enterprise” that comprised of sex trafficking, forced labor and bribery.

The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday, says 54-year-old Combs has demonstrated patterns of abuse including manipulating women into sexual activities with commercial sex workers.

READ MORE: Diddy covered up abuse, sex trafficking including at Star Island mansion, indictment says

Much of the Bad Boys Records founder’s alleged criminal activity took place at his luxury residences in New York, Los Angeles and Miami Beach, where he owns two mansions on Star Island. During the March raids of his Star Island and Los Angeles enclaves, agents seized narcotics, more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant in addition to discovering three AR-15s with scratched-off serial numbers and a drum magazine.

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Read the full text of Diddy’s indictment:

Miami Herald reporters Grethel Aguila and Jay Weaver contributed to this report.

• The Woodlands

As the hotel gets ready to celebrate 100 years, The Mansion Restaurant debuts a new chef, wine social club, and more. (Courtesy)

This year, The Mansion Restaurant brought on new Executive Chef Charles Olalia. (Courtesy)

The ahi tuna crudo is one of the several new menu items Chef Olalia brought to The Mansion Restaurant. (Courtesy)

Chef Olalia says that The Mansion Restaurant's tortilla soup will always be on the menu. (Courtesy)

The tuna cigars are one of Chef Olalia's dishes that can be found in The Mansion Restaurant and Bar. (Courtesy)

Chef Olalia has added French dishes like Lobster Thermidor to The Mansion Restaurant's menu. (Courtesy)

Dallas’ Storied Rosewood Mansion On Turtle Creek Gets Ready to Celebrate 100 Years With a New Chef and Wine Social Club

The mansion's executive chef charles olalia brings a fresh, multicultural approach to the iconic restaurant.

I n 1908, cotton baron Sheppard W. King and his wife Bertha Wilcox constructed the Mission Revival Manor in Dallas. But after a devastating fire destroyed the original manor in 1923, the estate was rebuilt and completed in 1925 as a 16th-century Italian Renaissance-style structure. The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek was founded 54 years later when the historic home got transformed into a hotel. A year later, The Mansion Restaurant opened to critical acclaim.

In 2025, the iconic Dallas estate (which also just received one Key from the Michelin Guide ) will celebrate 100 years. Just in time for this centennial celebration, The Mansion Restaurant has brought on a new chef, launched a wine social club, and plans to bring even more exciting additions to the historic Turtle Creek property.

We recently caught up with new executive chef Charles Olalia and enjoyed a dinner at the revamped Mansion Restaurant. Originally from the Philippines, Olalia brings 20 years of experience — he was most recently culinary director of Dallas’ Makeready Experience  — and a multicultural approach to this beloved Dallas restaurant .

A New Approach at The Mansion Restaurant

“I approached refreshing the menu with a deep respect for its history and cherished role in the Dallas community. My first step was to engage with our clientele to understand their preferences and what they were looking for from a dining experience at The Mansion,” Olalia tells PaperCity .

Bringing a multicultural approach to The Mansion’s menu was also important to Olalia. He says that “it infuses [the restaurant’s] cuisine with vibrant diversity and depth.”

“Our team, hailing from various corners of the globe, brings a wealth of unique culinary traditions and flavors,” he explains. “This diverse perspective enhances the guest experience by offering a global culinary adventure and creating unforgettable dining moments. Just as a music album weaves together distinct melodies into a harmonious whole, we strive to curate a menu that celebrates the richness of the world’s flavors in perfect harmony.”

Luxurious Bath & Candles

Charles Olalia seeks to integrate his French and Filipino culinary backgrounds into his new dishes as well. He believes they are a natural extension of his culinary training and his personal tastes.

“The blend of both cultures influences everything from the composition of dishes to seasonal choices and the overall dining experience,” he says. “For example, one of our current offerings is a squash blossom beignet appetizer. We utilize a French-style batter, stuff it with ricotta (which is Italian), and then dip it in red pepper jelly which is a nod to old Southern American cuisine.

“Yet, the combination evokes a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of a classic Filipino afternoon snack.”

One dish that Olalia will never get rid of is The Mansion’s tortilla soup — which has long been a “hidden” item that was never actually written on the menu, but regular diners knew about. Olalia decided to bring it to light and it’s now boldly available on this storied Dallas restaurant’s new menu.

“Throughout its 40 years of existence,  the dish will always be synonymous with the hotel,” Olalia says. “The Mansion Tortilla soup is a nod to the Rosewood brand’s founder Caroline Rose Hunt , who was such a fan of the recipe she specifically asked for it to be on our menu. Since then, it’s remained a guest favorite and has been a beloved menu staple.”

Olalia says that The Mansion’s “deep-rooted legacy is something truly special and rare.” He tells us that he’s excited about becoming more immersed in the community and building lasting relationships with Dallas diners.

A Taste of The New Menu

When you dine at The Mansion Restaurant, start with the squash blossom beignets, Olalia talks about above. They are truly a delicious new addition. Another must-try in the For The Table section is the tuna cigars. Bluefin tuna is served in crunchy cigar-looking cylinders (hence the name) with avocado and yuzu aioli. In addition, a wonderful starter is the scallop & hamachi aguachile. The presentation is fun as the dish is topped tableside with a rare Filipino sea salt ( asín tibuok ) shaved directly off what looks like a dinosaur egg.

For entrees, the sweet corn tortellini is delightful and light with grana padano, chives, and a lemon porcini froth. And if you’re looking for something heartier, the eight-ounce Nebraska beef tenderloin is not to miss. Olalia has added a few other French-influenced dishes such as the lobster thermidor and pâté en croûte. If you’re looking for a taste of everything, Olalia’s Discovery Tasting Menu is a great option. It’s seven courses with a wine pairing and features foie gras, halibut, strawberry semifreddo, and several of the big hitters already mention. There’s also a vegetarian tasting menu option with five courses.

The Mansion’s New Wine Social Club

The Mansion Restaurant is also now offering a monthly wine club by reservation only. Led by wine director Brian Huynh, the guided experience is an hour long, accompanied by light bites. Each month has a theme. The upcoming events will take place on September 18 (Supporting Varietals), October 22 (Pasta & Vino Vibes), November 20 (Wines for The Holidays), and December 18 (Bubbles of the World). It’s only available to ages 21 and up and is $95 per person. Reserve a spot here .

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