If you, like me, are planning a low-key night with young kids, I have a few ideas I’ve stolen from stories I’ve read in the past few years. (I would give proper attribution, but I can’t remember where I read these ideas!)
1) Plan a night with friends where the kids get to play their new video games with their counterparts. Bring pajamas just in case they get sleepy. Kids have fun while the adults can visit. And bring blankets in the car for the ride home.
2) I don’t expect to make it to midnight - but since New York is there before we are, we’ll do our “countdown” with New York City!
3) TACO BAR! My son asked last night for tacos. So, I’m hoping to set up a taco bar tonight. It’s easy and everyone in attendance can make their own.
4) I’ve also heard of movie night. Pick a favorite from the past year that’s now out on video (for us, it’s “Kung Fu Panda,” the film we saw on my son’s sixth birthday). For pick a theme (We’ve done “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones” and “Tomb Raider” in the past.)
5) Memory tracker: I’m going to break out paper, pens and a few photos from this year and have the kids help me write down their favorite memories of 2008. Heck, if I can pull it off I’ll even put it in the album tonight!
Several Web sites also have ideas if you haven’t put anything together yet: Fondue night, sundae bar, burger bar or even pasta bar are a few that would be easy to pull off and you may even have the ingredients at home.
What are you doing tonight?
Have fun. Be safe. And Happy New Year!
