When party planning a New Year's Eve celebration for a mix of friends, adults, senior citizens, teens, kids, or family, an event as special as ringing in the New Year deserves attention to detail and a great party theme idea.
A party theme sets the tone for the whole event and should be chosen with guests in mind. Some ideas here are for mixed age groups. Others are more age specific. Follow links within article for more ideas for celebration or dance themes.
New Year's Eve Party Themes for Teens, Adults, and Active Senior Citizens (or a Mix of Friends)
Teens, adults and seniors may enjoy a fancy or more informal party or dance. Here are two themes that can go either way.
A Black and White Party:
This could be casual or a black-tie affair.
- Invitations should ask guests to dress in black and white.
- Decor in the event room will match the theme, including black and white balloons, streamers, and lots of sparkle.
- Party favors and party supplies in these colors are easy to find this time of year.
- To give the celebration a little extra pizazz, pick one other color to highlight in small doses around the room. Consider red roses on tables or purple bows on the back of chairs.
- Activities will depend on the formality of the event age ages of guests.
A Ring Out the Old Year Party:
The idea of this theme is nostalgia. Pick a decade or time in history and begin brainstorming from there.
- The 50's and 60's have great popularity, with their own special style and rock 'n roll music. The 20's is a fun theme with terrific music selections and clothing styles.
- A time in history theme might include knights and damsels, Victorian elegance, or vaudeville acts.
- Pick a theme that works for the particular group. Who would dress up in period costumes and who could entertain in the style of the time? What games were popular?
- Do research to add as much flavor of the time period as possible in activities, decor, costuming, invitations, food and music.
New Year's Eve Party Themes for Families
While the themes above work well for all ages, when planning parties for teens or kids, a lighter theme is fun.
A Nostalgic Game Party:
This theme is centered around classic board games.
- Thrift shops are good sources of games to be used in decorating. Consider using game boards and boxes as banquet table "runners" or trivets. Game box lids can act as serving trays. Decorate with scattered dice, game spinners, and game pieces.
- Some fun games to make available to play include: Anagrams, Twister, and Candy Land. Also set out cards and dominoes.
- Have a ten-minute sessions for players rotate between games. Encourage guests to switch things up by trading places with a game player at another table. This is a good early-evening ice-breaker.
- For food choices, include candy crafted with Checkers Candy Molds (available at Confectionery House online), store-bought Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies, and bowls of "Candy Land" style candies.
The No Theme Theme:
Perhaps the best theme for teens, kids and families is no theme at all.
- Simply provide awesome grown-up food and good seating for the adults.
- Set up teen snacks and video games in a separate room.
- Have a central dance floor for all to share.
- Offer a comfy corner with popcorn and a couple movies for young kids.
- Leave out notepads and pencils for writing New Year's resolutions.
- If guests know each other, the party will flow naturally. If not, mingle and introduce people and soon things will be underway.
Of course, dancing, drinking and other wilder partying can always be added, as party planners and guests prefer.
For more fun New Years ideas, see the articles Kids Fun New Years Eve Party Ideas and Teen New Years Eve Party Ideas.
Some good related holiday websites include: Christmas Song Lyrics and Entertaining All Year Long.
For all New Year's Eve events, have noisemakers and confetti on-hand when the clock strikes twelve. Happy New Year 2012! Goodbye 2011!
Janienne Jennrich - Janienne Jennrich, Topic Editor for Kids & Teen Parties and for Hair, is an award-winning freelance writer & webmaster.
