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Ring in the New Year the Family-Friendly Way!

Posted on Dec 18, 2017

 

New Year’s Eve is almost here!  Kids don’t want to be left out of the fun, but not all New Year’s celebrations are appropriate for little ones. Here at Monkey Joe’s Kenosha we’ve put together a couple of tips for creating a kid-friendly New Year’s that you can share with the whole family!

First things first: timing! Is there any other holiday with so many traditions that require us to stay up so late? Ringing in the new year is all well and good, but if kids are up hours past bedtime they’ll be too cranky and sleepy to enjoy it, and parents will suffer as well. Consider having a nap for a couple of hours before the party starts. If that’s not going to work, consider celebrating your countdown early! Why not celebrate Noon Year’s Eve, for instance? If noon isn’t a good time, try 7:00, 8:00, or whatever works.

A lot of adult traditions are perfectly suitable for kids, or have kid-friendly variations. Substitute Sprite or 7-Up for champagne. Kids can make resolutions and dress up in their fanciest, sparkliest clothes just as much as adults. Teach them the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne and encourage hugging (with permission!) at the end of the countdown rather than kissing. When the countdown comes to an end, bang pots and pans together and toss confetti into the air as usual!

And of course, don’t forget to come visit us at Monkey Joe’s Kenosha! Check out our hours for the time that works best for you and your family and come ring in the new year with some fun in the Jungle.