Christmas eve doesn’t need to herald the end of the festive season. Kids especially don’t want the fun to ever end! One of the best ways of keeping the party going is by booking a New Year’s family vacation, to give the kids something to look forward to as soon as the Christmas blues kick in!
For some countries, New Year’s Eve is a bigger deal than Christmas day itself, where you’ll find an atmosphere, unlike anything you’d ever experience at home! But where are the best places to go to experience a New Years’ party like no other? This list of new year’s family vacations will provide you with some inspiration!
Edinburgh, Scotland – One of the Best New Year’s Family Vacations Ideas
The Scottish capital is a number one choice for new year’s family vacations as it puts on a party like no other! ‘Hogmanay’, as the Scots call the 31st of December, is a more important date than any other in the festive season in Scotland and the atmosphere of Edinburgh proves this.
New Year’s Eve here centers around a big street party, which is not a good idea for young kids, but certainly is for bigger teens. The street party consists of street food, amusement rides, and a huge live music stage, often featuring prominent musical acts. If you’re travelling with smaller children, there are plenty of more family-friendly orientated beauty spots to check out, including Calton Hill, which commands unbeatable vistas of the ancient city, as well as the firework display at midnight.
Edinburgh offers a whole lot more in the form of N.Y.E. celebrations, including pantomimes, a Winter Wonderland adventure area, and plenty of Christmas markets still open and serving both Scottish delicacies and treats from further afield.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston gives young kids the chance to join in the New Year’s Eve celebrations – while also getting them to bed at their regular hour! New Year’s Eve doesn’t need to be about staying up to till midnight, and with plenty of early activity going on throughout the day in Boston, you’ll see why!
Throughout the day, Boston has special N.Y.E. events running at Boston’s Children’s Museum, the Boston Public Library, the Lego Land Discovery Centre, as well as the Stone Zoo. Each of which wraps up early, as well as being curated specifically to entertain young kids looking to ring in the new year!
Later on in the day, parades line the streets from around 5.00 pm onwards, and several venues, including the Frog Pond Ice Rink, offers kid-friendly entertainment shows.
The main firework display may take place at midnight at Boston Harbor, but there is a display that takes place much earlier, at 7.00 pm. A fun-filled day in Boston on New Year’s Eve gives your kids the chance to celebrate the end of the year within their time frame, which is why it makes this list of the best new year’s family vacations.
Paris, France
Paris offers an engaging New Year’s Eve experience for your kids, while also allowing for the adults to enjoy the sites and sounds of the city of love. Paris is also a great idea if you’re fed up with typical New Year celebrations, based around a firework display at midnight. Surprisingly, and unlike any other major capital city, Paris offers no form of public firework display at midnight. Instead, they save the fireworks for their main national holiday, Bastille Day. This allows for a more peaceful atmosphere to bring in the new year too, and a greater focus on celebrating the end of the year throughout the day.
Christmas entertainment is still very much active through to the 31st of December, so you’re likely to still all the sights, sounds, and tastes that make Christmas in Paris extra special.
Throughout the day, nearly all the city’s major museums, zoos, and landmarks are open to the public as normal, with the added twist of impressive light displays, as well as an added jovial atmosphere. You can find ice rinks at pretty much all the city’s main tourist hotspots, including the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, and the Trocadéro.
Panama City Beach, Florida
For one of the most visually stunning New Year’s family vacations ideas, take your family down to Panama City Beach, for the city’s annual beach ball drop. As a kid, there’s nothing more memorable than the light tropical breeze, the ocean view scenery, and 10,000 inflatable balls getting dropped from above! Young children can get involved in the action during the 8.00 pm ball drop, which sees hundreds of kids pushing and kicking the balls as they descend upon the beach – it can be a lot of fun!
There are also firework displays both after the early and the later ball drop, the latter taking place at midnight. Plus, what better place to celebrate the new year than on one of the city’s white beaches in moderately warm conditions!
Panama City Beach also offers plenty of daytime and early evening activity, both for younger and older kids. The weather is still warm enough to enjoy attractions such as Shipwreck Island Waterpark, Wonderworks, and Gulf World.
Seattle, Washington
Lastly, Seattle makes this list of best New Year’s family vacations due to its diverse selection of family-orientated activities and fun. The bustling city center turns into a cultural hub, bustling with performances, music, food, and drink, which is the ideal place to stand and water the late-night firework display with your kids in tow.
During the day, nearly all of Seattle’s museums and cultural centers turn into hubs for families to celebrate the start of the new year. The best places to go include the Seattle Aquarium, which offers a Winter Fishtival; the Delridge Library, which hosts a Lego Mania event; Lake City Branch, which hosts an arts and crafts festival; and the SIFF Cinema, which screens sing/quote-along movie events.
The biggest draw for family fun at New Year in Seattle is offered by the Seattle Children’s Museum, which celebrates the new year in different time zones throughout the day. Each hour, kids can celebrate and learn about the New Year cultures of Russia, India, Ethiopia, and many more.