Activities to Ring in the New Year as a Family

Christmas is usually the family holiday above all others, while New Year's Eve tends to be a night for going out with friends or heading to a restaurant or party venue. Still, there's no reason you can't have a wonderful time with your loved ones on New Year's Eve too. Here are some activities for ringing in the New Year as a family.

Cook a Homemade Meal

No celebration is complete without a delicious meal, and since ordering delivery on New Year's Eve tends to cost more, it's the perfect time to cook dinner at home. Make it more fun by asking everyone in the family to pitch in. Depending on each person's age and skills, it can turn into a great team effort.

Pick a dinner everyone loves but doesn't get very often, such as grilled steak with potatoes, shrimp, or chicken breasts. This family meal could even become a New Year's tradition.

Make Fun Snacks and Desserts

Think cookies, muffins, or other treats you can bake together as a family and enjoy throughout New Year's Eve. For the kids, whip up some festive alcohol-free drinks. They'll love hot chocolate or fruity sodas in flavors like strawberry-kiwi, cranberry, or mint, or sparkling grape juice. Serve them in plastic champagne flutes or other "grown-up" style plastic glasses so the kids feel extra special. Adults can mix their own drinks or stick with classic champagne.

Host a Family Game Night

Bring out board games, playing cards, or electronic games, even multiplayer video games, to keep everyone entertained while you wait for midnight. You can set up tournaments or have everyone play different games throughout the night.

Set Up a New Year's Photo Booth

Turn a corner of the house into a photo booth. Find a wall you can use as a backdrop and add some festive decorations. You can also make it a dress-up game: ask everyone to wear their best outfit so they feel like they're at a glamorous New Year's party. Put on some music, dance, and snap great photos of everyone in their finery.

Make Your Own Decorations

Create your own party hats with colored paper, yarn, and craft supplies. You can also make noisemakers by filling empty water bottles with rice, confetti, and glitter; shake them hard to welcome the New Year. For a midnight balloon drop, simply blow up some balloons, make a net out of tape and fabric, place the balloons inside, and release them at 12.

Share Your Resolutions and Reflect on the Past Year

Some people may want to keep their resolutions secret, but you can gather together and get everyone to share at least one small wish. Don't pressure the kids; instead, help them put an idea into words. It's also meaningful for the whole family to take part in some way, and you might even come up with a New Year's resolution for the entire family. These moments become cherished memories for children because they don't happen often, and they're a chance to connect that helps kids feel confident relating to adults. At midnight, or throughout the night, you can look back on moments from the past year, both individually and as a family.

Sing, Toast, and Celebrate

When the clock strikes midnight, have everyone's drinks ready to toast, hug, and wish each other a Happy New Year. After midnight, everyone can sing a New Year's song together. This is the moment to break out the homemade noisemakers and bang some pots and pans. If the weather allows, step outside, light a few sparklers, and watch the fireworks as you celebrate the New Year.

A Few Extra Tips

• Skip parties you don't really want to attend, and don't take on too many responsibilities. Instead, leave plenty of time to have fun as a family.

• Nobody has to stay up until midnight. Some people simply won't make it through the night. If you feel tired and want to go to bed early, go ahead; when you wake up, it will be the new year and you can have your own morning ritual to welcome it.

• Make sure any drinking at home is done responsibly.

• If you're playing loud music, be considerate of your neighbors. Even on New Year's Eve, some people have babies or health issues to deal with.

Plan your getaway to Sierra Lago

If you'd like to ring in the New Year away from your usual routine, Sierra Lago, in the forest of Mascota, Jalisco, is an ideal place to spend quality time as a family. Stay in one of our luxury cabins, enjoy activities together such as hiking, horseback riding, or stargazing, and check out our special packages and offers to plan your trip.