If the thought of heading out for New Year’s Eve isn’t your thing, join the club! Staying in with the family can be fun and this year you should get creative. Check out these recommendations for ushering in the new year with family fun, traditions and activities. Ring in a memorable 2013 here in your Brunswick Crossing home, somewhere fun and new in Frederick County, or start a tradition within a couple hours drive!
Create a Time Capsule
What a difference a year makes, especially when you have young ones! As a family, create a time capsule box to open next New Year’s Eve (and so on, and so on) and fill it with pictures from throughout the year, personal predictions for 2013 or write notes to document fun facts like favorite foods, must-have toys, best friends and current height. http://family.go.com/parenting/pkg-school-age/article-796120-making-a-family-time-capsule-t/
Try Something New
Like, totally new. Make New Year’s Eve a day of “firsts”. Visit a rock climbing gym, enjoy free-swim at a local indoor public pool, try out a new restaurant, invite friends and family over for karaoke, investigate an unfamiliar town…or my personal favorite, have the kids make dinner, clean up and put ME to bed.
Group Goals
I don’t like using the phrase “New Year’s Resolutions” because you can bet your noisemaker I’ll give it up before the week is out. Instead, have each member of the family create a list of attainable goals and keep it posted somewhere in the house. This serves as a friendly reminder of those activities that are important to you and gives you a subtle push to keep moving forward. Some ideas might include: books to read, charity donations, academic goals, family health goals, places to visit or activities/restaurants to try out. When anyone has accomplished something on their list, make a big to-do out of crossing it off. Aren’t we productive now!
Have a Party with Games!
Who says you have to be 21 to enjoy a party on New Year’s Eve? Don your best glittery get-up and invite other friends with kids over your place to usher in 2013. Keep it simple by making it potluck while you provide the super-ugly-but must-have party hats, oversized glasses and noisemakers. Watch the ball drop in New York's Time Square or watch television and you’ll see fireworks and celebrations from midnight in other parts of the world! Make your party memorable for all with these great New Year's Eve games.
Guess the Month: Cut out pictures from old magazines or newspapers of events that took place over the past year. Put a letter on each picture. Have the kids number a piece of paper from 1 to 10. Have the kids write their answers on a piece of paper for each picture shown by writing the letter that goes with the picture. The child with the most correct answers wins a prize.
Smarty Pants: Every half an hour call out a question that relates to guests at the party, such as "Who's the youngest here?" "Who brought the deviled eggs to the party?" "Who is sitting next to the hostess"? You can set a timer for the kids so that they know exactly when the next question is going to be asked. The first one to answer correctly wins a prize.
Pass the New Years Present: Wrap an unbreakable gift, in a layer of tissue paper. Now wrap it in another layer and repeat until you have about 10 layers. Finally wrap the gift in wrapping paper. Sit everyone in a circle and play music. When the music stops the person holding the present removes "one" layer of tissue paper. Repeat until the last layer of tissue paper has been removed. The child who removes the last layer wrapping paper wins the present.
New Years Balloon Pop: Place notes inside un-inflated balloons. On one of the notes place a star, indicating a winner. Inflate the balloons and hang them around. Let each child pick a balloon then pop it to see if their note is a winner.
Treasure Hunt: Hide New Years party favors and coins. The children have to collect a set number of party favors and coins, like a hat, four pieces of confetti, a streamer, and a quarter. The first child to find everything on the list wins a prize.
Order Dinner Out—or better yet, Go Out
Not original whatsoever, but having nothing to prepare or clean-up just doesn’t get old, you know what I’m sayin’? If you’re ordering take-out, make sure you get your order in early enough because pretty much everyone else on the planet has the same idea and wait times can be unusually long. If you’re headed out, have a special splurge at the end of the meal and order a bunch of desserts. Kids think that’s such a treat and makes the night even more special.
Visit The Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor
Gaylord National Resort’s ICE! is a special holiday attraction created entirely of 5,000 BLOCKS of ice, hand-sculpted by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling nine degrees Fahrenheit. It's an interactive winter wonderland. For 2012/2013, there's a new theme - DreamWorks’ Shrek the Halls. http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-national/christmas-on-the-potomac/dreamworks-experience/index.html
Visit The Great Wolf Lodge, Williamsburg, Virginia
Plan an adventure at The Great Wolf Lodge with it's massive, 84-degree indoor water park. Splash the day away in over 79,000 square feet of water-packed excitement, including jaw-dropping slides for thrill seekers or zero-depth entry areas for little ones. Outside the water park, the fun continues. Grab a wand and battle a dragon in MagiQuest or get an ice cream-themed manicure in Scooops Kid Spa before gathering your family in our Grand Lobby for nightly fireside Story Time, the perfect ending to a Great Wolf day. This a New Years Eve adventure that young and old will surely cherish. http://www.greatwolf.com/williamsburg/waterpark
Are you staying in this New Year’s Eve? Or going on a new family adventure? Share your plans with other families and inspire celebrations everywhere!
