Five fun ways to celebrate New Year's Eve... without leaving your home

23 December 2020, 14:42

Staying home for New Year's doesnt have to be boring. Picture: Getty

By Cloe Lee

No matter your New Year’s traditions, New Year’s Eve is going to be a bit different this year, but we have some great ideas about how you can celebrate safely...

The last twelve months have been rough, and with Boris Johnson forbidding any household mixing on 31st December, we won't be entering 2021 as we might have hoped.

But while it might feel hard to ‘celebrate’ the end of 2020, whether you are spending it alone, in your support bubble, or with your household, when it can feel like there’s not much to look forward to, it’s good to remind yourself that you can still have fun.

To help you plan what to get up to next week, here are some uplifting ideas for how to welcome in 2021…

Dress up, decorate and get some great pictures

Stock up on decorations and make your house look great. Picture: Poundland

Sometimes a little bit of sparkle is all you need, brighten up your home with these stylish Poundland party decorations for (you guessed it…) £1 each.

Or how about spending some time making your own New Year’s decorations, add your own special touch by assembling garlands or hanging pom-poms - a bit of arts and crafts can be quite therapeutic.

These make great back drops for Instagram pics; you could even order some props or create your own snazzy 2021 glasses if you’re feeling artistic.

Pair this with the party outfit that’s tucked away in the depths of your wardrobe, getting dressed up will make a change from the “WFH” attire and most importantly, you’ll end the New Year feeling great about yourself.

Virtual game night

There’s nothing better to put a smile on your face than a game night, virtual or in real life a games night can provide entertainment for all ages.

Schedule in a video call with some friends or family with online games that are so easy, even Gran will be able to grasp the technology.

Some alternative family favourites include:

Articulate - A player is given a word to describe without using any derivates or rhyming words. They then have 60 seconds to describe the word that the other players must guess.

Scattergories - Scattergories can be played online here or just with a piece of paper! A random letter of the alphabet is chosen, and players then fill out a list of categories with words that begin with the designated letter.

Pictionary - Using an online link here, a player draws the word that is presented to them on the screen, the other players then have to type in their answers.

Cocktail Competition

Gorgeous cocktail recipes to impress your mates

One way to make the day extra special is to indulge in your favourite foods, drink and of course cocktails.

An activity for your New Year’s Eve itinerary could be a cocktail competition. Cocktails are certainly not limited to parties and are definitely not limited to ‘in-person’ events.

Whether cocktails or mocktails, each member of your household or video call can be designated a drink to either make or teach the others to make over the call.

Kids can get involved too with their own mocktail specials. Whoever has the best tasting cocktail is the winner!

Enjoy top notch entertainment

Heart will be seeing the year out with a bang with a 7 HOUR non-stop Club Classics set from our very own Toby Anstis, which is live on Heart and Heart Dance from 6pm December 31 - until 1am January 1.

If seven hours of kitchen raving is too much, take a breather and watch the fireworks on TV, or indulge your love of pop with some special online programming.

YouTube’s Hello 2021 Show - featuring Dua Lipa, MNEK and Anne Marie, YouTube have collaborated with performers to welcome in the New Year, available here.

Kylie: Infinite Disco - You can be spinning around on the (living room) dancefloor as the clock strikes 12 with Kylie’s replay of her ‘Infinite Disco Livestream’. The show includes performances of her latest singles and classic Kylie bangers - tickets are £16.

Bang your pots and pans and raise a glass to you!

You've made it to 2021, give yourself a huge pat on the back, it's been tough. Picture: Getty

This year has been a tough one and most people are glad to see the back of it.

When the clock strikes 12, if you’re not already tucked up in bed, how about clanging together pots and pans, spurring a sense of unity across the nation.

Don’t forget to raise a glass to you and all that you are grateful for, it’s been a year for the history books, so give yourself some credit!