Midnight is a long way off when you're six. These 8 ideas give children a New Year's Eve of their own: a countdown at a time they can stay up for, lights that sparkle like fireworks without the bang, a wish for 2027 clipped to a string of lights, and a cosy sleepover for the ones who drift off early. Each idea comes with the size and the power it needs, and the safety and delivery points are at the end.
1. An early countdown to 2027
Hold the children's midnight at seven o'clock: gather everyone, count down from ten together and switch on a glowing 2027 on the shelf or the table. Four marquee numbers spell the year (two 2s, a 0 and a 7), and each one has its own switch, so the children can switch them on one by one. They stay up for the grown-ups' midnight too.
Shown: light-up marquee numbers, 22 cm tall, sold one at a time.
2. Fireworks that never bang
Not every child loves the bangs at midnight, and neither do many dogs and cats. Firecracker lights are little bursts of warm-white LEDs on a fine silver wire: wind them around the window frame or fill a glass jar with them, and let the children pick the mode on the remote, from a steady glow to twinkling sparkles.
Shown: firecracker fairy lights, 1.5 m with 50 LEDs or 6 m with 200 LEDs, USB powered.
3. A wish line for 2027
Give everyone a card to write or draw one wish for 2027, then clip them all onto a string of photo clip lights across the wall. They glow all evening, and next New Year's Eve you can take them down and see whose wishes came true.
Shown: photo clip string lights, 2 m with 20 LEDs, 5 m with 50 or 10 m with 100.
4. A disco in the living room
Hang a few mini disco balls from a lamp, a shelf or a curtain rail, put on the children's favourite songs and dim the big light: every ball throws little sparkles around the room as the lights move. The mirror tiles are glass, so hang them high, out of reach of small children and pets.
Shown: mini disco ball ornaments, 5 cm balls in packs of 10, 20 or 30.
5. HAPPY 2027 in the window
Smart curtain lights in the window show moving pictures and text that you choose in the app. Let the children type HAPPY 2027, pick the colours and the effect, and the message glows out into the street at midnight. The timer switches the lights on and off by themselves.
Shown: smart animated Christmas lights, 2 × 2 m or 3 × 3 m, 400 LEDs.
6. A photo with the new year
Line up marquee letters and numbers on the floor or a low table to spell HELLO 2027, or the children's names next to the year, and take the family photo there. The letters and numbers are the same 22 cm height, so they line up side by side, and the photo becomes the first one of the new year.
Shown: light-up marquee letters, 22 cm tall, A to Z plus a red heart and an “&”. More photo ideas: 8 Christmas photo backdrop ideas.
7. A sleepover under the snowflakes
For the ones who won't make it to midnight, set up a camp in the living room with blankets and cushions, and point a Christmas projector at the ceiling: slowly turning snowflakes, snowmen and reindeer drift over them as they fall asleep. Switch it off once they're asleep, and wake them for the countdown if they've asked you to.
Shown: Christmas light projector, 16 patterns, throws from about 1.5 to 5 m (5–16 ft).
8. A family dinner by candlelight
Make the New Year's Eve dinner feel special with a group of three pillar candles in the middle of the table. They have no flame and no dripping wax, and one remote dims all three or sets a timer, so they can stay lit through dinner and the games that follow.
Shown: flameless candles with remote, set of 3 in white, ivory or smoke gray.
Before the party: safety, power and delivery
- Small children: keep cables, battery boxes and batteries out of their reach, and hang the glass disco balls high. Let an adult hang the lights and change the batteries.
- Power: each marquee number and letter takes 2 × AA, the photo clip lights 3 × AA and each candle 3 × AAA; these are not included. The firecracker lights, the smart curtain lights and the projector run on USB (adapter not included); the projector needs a 5V/2A adapter, not a fast charger. The firecracker lights' remote takes a CR2025 coin battery (not included).
- Delivery: free tracked shipping, dispatched in 1 to 3 business days and delivered in 7 to 12. Order by 10 December for New Year's Eve.
- Returns: unused items in their original packaging can be returned within 30 days of delivery.
More ideas
- Decorating for the grown-ups' party too? Here are 10 New Year's Eve decoration ideas.
- Their room deserves some light as well: 8 Christmas kids' room decor ideas.
- All our New Year's Eve lights in one place: New Year's Eve decorations.
Celebrating with a dog or a cat? Here is how to keep pets calm on New Year's Eve.
Shopping for children? Here are 8 Christmas gift ideas for kids.
Hosting friends at home? Here are 8 New Year's Eve party ideas at home.