New Year's Eve Countdown Bags- Free Printables

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Make the countdown to New Year's super fun and simple with these cute printable New Year's Eve Countdown Bags! If you're wondering how to celebrate New Year's Eve, this is a super fun way to do it!

New Year's Eve Countdown Bags-- Fun For the Whole Family!!

New Year's Eve has always been a family affair for us. We let our children stay up as late as they want. Really, it's a night we can spend time as a family, play fun New Year's Eve games, eat NYE appetizers, make family goals, and celebrate the New Year together.

I shared 17 Simple New Year's Eve traditions right here, but if you're looking for a fun way to make the countdown to midnight a little more fun, make some countdown bags for New Years!

Be sure to check out all the fun activity ideas at the end of the post!

New Years Bags Are Easy To Make

Using a paper lunch sack, you can make a countdown bag for each hour until midnight. You can fill the bag with a small treat or game or activity to play when it gets to that hour.

We've done this for a few years with our children and they love it! It's a fun way to stop and focus on the kids for a bit and then get back to the adult socializing.

Your paper bags are printed blank, so you can add in any time you want.

What You Need to Make New Year's Eve Countdown Bags:

brown paper lunch bags (I used 10.125 x 5.125")
printer
glitter glue or markers
small treats, activities, games, etc to fill your bags-- see below for some fun game ideas!

New Year's Eve Countdown Bags Directions:

1. Download the Countdown Bag PDF. You can find the download in the Freebies section here.

2. Load paper lunch bags (10.125 x 5.125) into your printer. Change your printer settings if needed.

3. Print one bag at a time. My printer didn't like when I stacked up the paper bags, so I printed one at a time. Also, you may want to change your printer setting to draft so that you don't get a lot of extra ink on your bags like I did at first.

4. Let the bags dry for a few minutes. Then using glitter glue or a marker, label what time that bag can be opened!

5. Fill the bag with a fun treat, card game, or activity to do at that hour as you countdown to the New Year.

Fun New Year's Eve Games And Activity Ideas

Now that you have your New Year's Eve countdown bags made, it's time to fill them with fun New Years activities! Here are some of our favorite New Year's Eve games:

New Year's Time Capsule

Fill one of your New Year's Bags with this 1-page time capsule! Each child can fill out their favorite things, memories from the year and more! Printables here.

New Year's Charades

Charades is such a classic party game, so why not play it New Year's style? Get 28 fun New Years Charades game cards here--including fun words for 2020!

M&M Game (Skittle Game)-

Place a bag of M&Ms or Skittles in a bowl. Have everyone sit in a circle. Give everyone a straw. Start a timer for 15 seconds (or feel free to adjust the time!) The first person uses their straw to pick up as many candies as they can in that time. Once they have sucked up a candy, they place it in a pile next to them. (You can give everyone a paper plate or bowl for this.) When the time is up, the bowl of candy goes to the next person.

Repeat until everyone has had a few turns, or until the candy runs out. The player with the most pieces of candy at the end wins.

The Dollar Bill Game

Have everyone attach a dollar bill to their shirt, using a safety pin or clothespin. Designate a word that if "off limits" for the duration of your New Year's party, or for a set amount of time. You could use words such as "party, food, water, game, etc." If someone hears that word said, the player that hears it gets the dollar bill. They then attach it to their shirt. At the end of the time, each player gets to keep the money they have attached to them.

New Year's Eve Exercise Games

After eating all those yummy New Year's appetizers, you might want to get up and move! Here's some fun exercises...all New Year's Eve party themed of course! Get the game here.

Noisemakers

Put some noisemakers in the 11:00 pm or 12 bag so you can make some noise at midnight!