5 Family Fun Ideas for the New Year

Happy New Year everyone! I hope it was happy and healthy and safe and full of whimsy and wonder. New Year’s and fall are my favorite times of year; they’re so full of promise and freshness — anything is possible.

To start off the New Year right, I’ve got five ideas for family fun that hopefully will become a tradition in your house for years to come.

#1 – The Family Journal

All you need for this is a notebook and a pen. The idea is to leave notes for one another. Take the chance to say something nice, maybe broach a subject you don’t know how to talk about or just tell your child what they did that made you proud that day. You leave the notebook and a pen on the pillow of the intended reader, they read what you have to say, write a reply and leave it for you. You could do it for mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, or the whole family. Topics would depend on the age of the children but what a great memory to have as our children grow up.

#2 – The Memory Jar

Grab a jar, pretty it up with a piece of ribbon and keep slips of paper and a pen handy. When something to celebrate happens, write it down and stick it in the jar. When something not so great happens? Write that down too.

At the year’s end, read all the celebrations and keep them. The not so happy events? Have a small, safe, fire with s’mores and burn them up wiping the slate clean for the next year.

#3- Be a Hometown Hero

Spend time exploring the wonders of North Alabama. Make day trips to different venues within a certain hour radius and learn about local color and local history. Did you know the world’s largest office chair is in Anniston?

On that note create…

#4 – The Family Date Jar

You’ll need a large glass jar, three colors of tongue depressors, a sharpie and anything you want to use to decorate your date jar. Scour sources like Rocket City Mom and browse the book “52 Weekends in the Tennessee Valley” for events and places that interest your family.

Use one color tongue depressor for free events, one color for inexpensive and one for pricier excursions. Update them monthly and when you’re looking for something to do—tell the kids which color to choose.

#5 – Put Five Away

Here’s a way to save for some of the family fun. Every time you end up with a five dollar bill, save it. Have the family decide on a goal and amount together. It will make the kids feel included and teach them a little bit about managing money.

Wishing you loads of glitter and fun in the New Year!

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Amy Mayfield

Amy Mayfield is a married mom of one who’s lived in the Rocket City since she was two. Prior to working as a columnist at The Huntsville Times, she spent several years working as an event manager for a computer company. She now works at Arts Huntsville as their Events Manager. Amy has served on the Design Team for Alpha Stamps and Lisa Kettell Designs. When she’s not working, she’s reading, writing, blogging at Amy's Blam, spending time with family, making messes as a member of the Alpha Stamps Design Team, glitterizing everything that’s not moving and trying not to set things on fire.