Before we settle in for our long winter’s nap, there is a finale to the year that beckons our attention. I often reminisce over photographs of my sister and me sitting by our mid-century fireplace—handcrafted cardboard noisemakers in hand, shiny party hats on our heads—and holding plastic cups full of sparkling grape juice. Never underestimate the beauty of including your children in the celebration of New Year’s Eve. It’s not just about watching the ball drop or staying up until midnight, but rather winding down together from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, prioritizing family and setting goals together for the year ahead.
Let’s say farewell to 2023 and welcome in 2024 with some festive ways to celebrate with your family! Raise your glass to toast:
- Bucket lists
- Time capsules
- Mocktails
- Stargazing
- Family slumber parties
- First-day hikes
- White elephant exchanges
- Outdoor slideshows
- Matching jammies with cookies and milk
Who doesn’t love a good bucket list? Reflecting on the past year with kids can check things off the list for the coming year and bring a sense of accomplishment and motivation. Bonding as a family can happen with colored markers, paper and dream-sharing together at the table. List five or six things you can do together in the coming year to foster quality time and create a sense of fulfillment.
Creating a time capsule is a great way to preserve some memories of the past year and encourage the importance of looking forward to the future. It can even keep family traditions alive! Include family photos, artwork, an audio recording, maybe a letter to yourself in the future, tiny toys, magazine articles, a dried flower, event tickets, keepsakes or a funny family video. Use a shoebox or a small plastic tub, fill it on New Year’s Eve and decide when the open date will be! Hide it in a closet or under the bed.
Exchanging white elephant gifts while sipping mocktails in matching jammies can bring lasting New Year’s Eve memories. Make matching jammies an essential part of the old winter’s nap regime. Shirley Temples, Pop Rocks raspberry punch, limeade mocktails with a sugar rim, frozen hot chocolate drizzled with chocolate syrup, and cherry watermelon coolers garnished with gummy bears provide a unique way to toast the new year to come.
Getting outside revives the soul, helps burn off all the sugar ingested during the holidays, boosts your mood and sparks creativity as a family. Get bundled up and head outside for a hike. It can be as easy as walking through the neighborhood to stargaze at night or heading to a local trail for an adventure in learning how to use a compass. Check out this excellent resource for local hikes on the first day of the year in all 50 states: AmericanHiking.org/first-day-hikes. Another way to enjoy the outdoors is to channel your inner Clark Griswold and have an outdoor slideshow of the past year. Hang a sheet on the back of the house or a garage door and project your family on the big screen! Toast the night away with homemade cookies and hot chocolate.
One of the most meaningful ways to end the holiday season before we settle in for our long winter’s nap is with that cup of kindness lauded in the old song. Sharing that New Year’s Eve toast with your children, whether in matching jammies, on a hike under the stars or with Shirley Temples in hand by the fire at home, enriches your family and strengthens your bond for the coming new year. Here’s to auld lang syne—and a bright and blessed 2024!
Elizabeth Hammond is a sourdough-baking homeschooling mom of six and a “want-to-be” homesteader living in a tiny cottage in northern Overland Park.