Celebrating New Year's Eve with kids can be lots of fun, but it takes some planning to make it smooth and filled with activities.

"The holidays are great opportunities for families to bond," says Sam Whittaker, editor at Mantelligence. "Although most families have their traditions, it's also good to try new activities to make your get-togethers fresh and memorable."

Here are some ways to kick off the new year with kiddos.

*Noon Year

Little ones under 5 may poop out before the clock strikes midnight, but that's not a problem when you have a "Noon Year" celebration. Host the kids with a countdown party, featuring snacks, balloons, noisemakers and a fizzy drink such as apple cider. Countdown to 12 p.m., which happens to be midnight in another part of the world.

Look online and on streaming platforms for "Noon Year" programming to complement your alternate event.

*Get Crafty

Whittaker suggests creating a treasure hunt and helping the kids decorate the house with streamers, balloons and fairy lights.

Make a customized bingo game for your family, too.

"You can make your bingo cards and customize them with things that the past year has brought," he says. "Fill in the boxes with items your family will relate to. Maybe someone had a baby that year, so fill in the box with the baby's name. Perhaps someone broke an arm, so fill that box with a picture of a cast."

Help kids understand the concept of time by helping them craft clocks out of paper, cardboard, felt and pipe cleaners. Then they can move the hands of the clock as the hours and minutes wind down.

Next, make your own noisemakers using craft sticks, jingle bells, glitter and paint -- to usher in the new year. Craft an easy DIY noisemaker by folding a paper plate, partially filling it with rice or beans and then stapling it shut. Decorate and start shaking!

*Camp Out Inside

Let the kids build a couch-and-blanket fort inside the house while they wait for midnight. "Or, if you're in a climate where it's possible, pitch a big tent in the backyard or have a bonfire with s'mores," says Lorie Anderson, a parenting blogger at MomInformed. "It's exciting to count down to midnight while 'camping' in PJs."

*Be Silly

Emily Appelbaum, contributing writer for Family Destinations Guide, makes sure to include silly string in her family's New Year's Eve celebration.

"It's always the perfect time to use silly strings," says Appelbaum, who has a 12-year-old son. "It's really fun to play with this outside and surely the kids love it. Just don't let them get it into their hair, as that's where the fun stops."

*Game Time

Family game night gets epic on New Year's Eve.

"Play one big game -- think Risk or Monopoly -- or hold a tournament of several games," says Anderson, noting in her family, each kid gets to pick a game. "We keep a leaderboard and award little prizes, usually candy or gift cards, to everyone for high scores/wins. And yes, there are consolation prices!"

*Resolutions

Making New Year's resolutions is always a fun way to end the year. For added pizzazz, match the person to the resolution.

"Let the whole family write their New Year's Resolutions on a piece of paper and then put it all in a box," says Appelbaum. "One by one, the papers will be drawn and will be read aloud. That's when the members of the family will guess who's the owner of that resolution. Just imagining it makes me overly excited."

*New Year's Eve Eats

Kids will love a snack-style dinner. Consider make-your-own pizzas, mini burgers and chicken fingers. Order in fancier fare for the adults.

*Sparkles

Brighten the night with glow sticks for the whole family, and celebrate the new year with parent-supervised sparklers.