Everyone in the family should have a chance to say goodbye to the old year and get excited about what the New Year has in store. How your family chooses to celebrate will depend a lot on how old the kids are, but there are many ways to create your own fun. Maybe so much fun that your activities may even become annual traditions that you all look forward to.
Let’s begin with a little decorating. Is your Christmas tree still up and looking lonely now that the gifts are all gone? How about a makeover for year-end? Take down all the Christmas ornaments, but leave the lights on, or use new lights with different colors. You could create a new tree skirt to dress up the bottom, and a new treetop ornament too. Add some silver or gold tinsel and streamers or garlands, and make or buy a few unique New Year’s decorations. It could be a clock theme, or calendars, or family photos and keepsakes from the past year, or anything else your imagination can dream up. It’s a great way to set the mood, and get some extra mileage out of the tree before it gets taken down for good.
Families with very young children may want to stay home and have a quiet December 31st, with some good movies, music or board games and an early bedtime. Throw in some special snacks or treats that you don’t have on “ordinary” days and a bottle of sparkling apple juice in fancy glasses, and you have the beginning of a family celebration that will grow as the years go by. Don’t forget to watch the ball drop in New York City – it happens three hours earlier there so you can catch it on TV or online and still be in bed before 9:30 if you want to.
If your kids are a bit older (school age,) this could be the one big night when they get to stay up till midnight and really ring in the New Year. Maybe you want a few friends or relatives around to make things more exciting. How about a sleepover party? Build a tent in the family room and fill it with sleeping bags and pillows. Have everyone make their own party hats and noisemakers, or buy a bunch and have them waiting under the tree. Lots of music and dancing, finger foods and sparkling beverages should make the time go by pretty quickly. You could watch home movies that each family has made in the past year, and make a new video of your party as it is happening. Give each person a chance to record a greeting or a resolution or a prediction for the coming year. When you do your midnight countdown, everyone can run outside and make some noise! Since you have your tent all ready to go, anyone who needs to can crash early if they can’t make it to the magic hour.
Then comes New Year’s Day. What a fantastic excuse to go for a walk or a drive and start things off with some exercise and fresh air. Maybe visit someone you haven’t seen for a while, go tobogganing, or see a hockey game. It could also be a day just to relax and unwind after the busy holiday season, before you all go back to the daily routine. However you choose to spend the day, keep it positive, and look forward to all the exciting things your family will do together in the months ahead.
Okanagan4Kids.com wishes you and yours all the best for a fun-filled 2011. Happy New Year!
Tags: 2011, activities, kids, new years
