Family traditions are like threads that bind us to one another - weaving through our stories as shared experiences that whisper belonging. The memories from these shared experiences are often some of our fondest, and we carry them in our hearts for the rest of our journey.
There’s such a unique excitement on New Year’s Eve! We are brimming with hope, vision, and possibility. With a fresh year on the horizon, blank and unblemished, dreams feel less far-fetched somehow and our goals feel within reach. If only we could bottle up that feeling and drink a bit from it throughout the year.
As a mom, I hope to fill my children’s hearts and minds with happy memories, and our traditions are one intentional way I accomplish this goal. Our New Year’s Eve countdown is one of my very favorites. I generally start the festivities at 6 p.m. That gives us plenty of time to complete several activities before the ball drops at midnight. I hope you’ll give this fun countdown a try this year – it may become your new favorite tradition as well.
What you will need:
How to set it up:
You’ll be doing one activity per hour. Choose your favorite activities from the list below or make up your own! Cut 6 strips of paper and write an activity on each. Blow up 6 balloons and stuff one strip inside each balloon, then tie them off. Write the times on each balloon: 6 pm, 7 pm, 8 pm, 9 pm, 10 pm, and 11 pm. Tape the balloons to a wall or white board. At the top of each hour, let a child pop the balloon and read the activity, and spend the next hour having fun with it. Pop the next balloon at the top of the next hour and so on.
