Ringing in the New Year with Your Kids

New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past year and look toward a brand new year. It is a time many families enjoy spending together and making memories. I have one adventurous friend who goes winter camping with her family. They spend several hours around the campfire, under the stars, enjoying black-eyed pea soup and talking about their favorite memories of the last year. 

For those not wanting to brave the elements for a camping trip, there are many fun activities you can do with your family to make this New Year’s Eve special. Allison McDonald, over at the No Time for Flash Cards blog, created a wonderful activity that combines a fun game with a way to reflect back on the year.  Her Year in Review Scavenger Hunt sends kids on a mission to find photos from the year, hidden throughout the house. Then once the kids find them all, the family sits down to talk about them and then puts the events in chronological order.

PBS Parents put together a fun list of different ways to celebrate the holiday including noise makers, games and even a memory tree. 

Do you want to watch the ball drop, but don’t want to stay up until midnight? How about making your own ball? This fun craft create by Deirdre at JDaniel4’s Mom, allows you to decide when and how to do your own countdown.

Creating New Year’s resolutions is a popular activity for adults, but there are ways you can get your kids to create their own as well. East Coast Mommy has a printable Year in Review you can use as well as some other fun activities. Today’s Momma also has an End of the Year Time Capsule sheet you can print out and do together with your kids.  And here is one more from, I Can Teach My Child.

Whether you organize different activities to ring in the New Year with your family or you cuddle up in front of the fire, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is you are together and creating wonderful memories you and your kids will cherish.