Ways to Ring in the New Year With Your Family

So you've stayed up and watched the ball drop on New Years Eve. Now it's a new year. You've made noise and shouted Happy New Year. You've sipped your champagne and made your resolutions. Now what? New Years Day is a great excuse to spend time with your family. But what are some family friendly activities to ring in the New Year with? Certainly you can't bring little children to these New Years parties. In an effort to answer this question, I did a little research. My son may not be old enough to enjoy any of these activities this year, but I do have a niece who could use a little New Years fun. There's nothing that truly screams "Happy New Year", but I did find some ideas for fun things to do with your family on New Years Day.

Idea #1: Do Some Charity

It is the season of giving after all and it feels great to help others in need. Volunteering and charity work is great way to spend a New Years Day. You'll not only be teaching your little ones goodwill and compassion, but you'll also be giving your older ones something to put on their resumes. Here's a simple volunteer project you can attempt.

• Have your children help you put together kits or gift bags for the homeless. Think about things you might need if you were forced to live in the streets. Food, water - maybe a few small gifts. Help give a little hope for the new year to people who need it the most.

Idea #2: Balloon Fireworks

Here's a fun and colorful idea that your kids will love. Create beautiful confetti fireworks using balloons. First you'll need to get a helium tank from a party supply store. Next you'll need to funnel glitter and confetti into some balloons. Then fill those balloons with helium and tie them together in bunches. Finally, the fun part, pop them balloons and create sparkly and colorful explosions the kids will get a kick out of.

Idea #3: Have A Family Picnic

Bundle up the kids and pack up some food. Sure it's not that warm out but that's the beauty of campfires! A little campfire and you can picnic anywhere. To make things more fun, eat the main course at home and focus your picnic on the desserts. Cookies, cakes and the best of all - S'mores! Perfect for campfires. Just pack some chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers and sticks to roast the marshmallows on.

Idea #4: Make A Time Capsule

This is my favorite idea. Why not create a family time capsule? Make one on New Years Day and "bury" it until next New Years Day. There's nothing better than opening your family time capsule to see if you've accomplished the things you set out to do in the new year. First you'll need a storage container of some kind to put everything in. Let the kids decorate the outside with paints, glitter and other things. Now you need to fill it. Fill it with things like pictures, articles, your children's artwork, lists, homemade DVDs, a list of resolutions from each family member, etc. Now seal the container and put it away for a year.

So there you go. Four ideas to get you through this New Years. Now go and have fun with your loved ones. It's a New Year, enjoy it! Have a happy and healthy New Year!

Skylar Spring © copyright 2012