Happy New Year’s Eve, folks! Do you guys have any New Year traditions? Any special things you do with your kids at the end of each year
If you read my Top Five Tools for Memory Keeping post, you won’t be surprised to learn that I also have a little New Year Memory Book that I do with the kids at the close of each year. I told you guys I’m a memory hoarder!
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DIY New Year Memory Book: A Family Tradition & Keepsake
Our New Year’s Memory Book is extraordinarily ugly. It’s just a binder leftover from my grad school days. Every year when we are working on it I make a vow to buy a new one or to decorate it in some way, but I’m always lacking motivation after the holiday hubbub. I wasn’t going to include a photo of the memory book in this post because it’s that ugly, but I’ve changed my mind. Here it is, folks:
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Ta-da! BLAH.
See? I wasn’t kidding. It’s an ugly New Year’s Memory Book, but what did your mom always tell you when you were growing up? Never judge a book by its cover! So don’t judge my [extraordinarily ugly] New Year’s Memory Book because inside is filled with awesome, and the awesome grows with every year.
I started this book in December of 2010 when T was 1-year-old and Leo was 2 1/2-years-old. At that time, I jotted down notes by hand and they also weren’t very pretty as you can see here:
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Excuse the reflection, folks. I’m so tired from sick kids that I’m too lazy to remove it from the sheet protector.
In 2010, I would ask the kids simple questions and then write down their answers. They were so young at the time that our questions were limited. Then, I’d ask them to draw a picture.
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T’s 2010 drawing.
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Leo’s 2010 drawing.
I have always included a handprint for each child. My kids love looking back at their handprints each year- it’s probably their favorite part of the memory book!
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Sweet little hands.
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The kids are so handprint obsessed that they also love to trace their hands for the book.
In 2011, I stepped up my game and typed up a set of interview questions (I’ll include our questions at the end of this post for those who are interested). Because the kids were older, I also started asking them to draw a self-portrait and a picture of our family if they were able. These drawings are my favorite part of the memory book:
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Leo’s 2011 family drawing.
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Leo’s 2011 self-portrait.
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T’s 2013 family drawing and Seuss’ 2013 drawing.
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Leo’s 2013 family drawing.
We adore this little tradition so much that I thought I would share it with you guys. It doesn’t take much prep, it’s fun to do, and everyone loves looking back on previous years. As I said, our ugly book is filled with awesome!
In case you’d like to adopt this tradition, here are the questions that we use. Feel free to copy ours. I’m happy to spread the awesome to your house- just be sure to get a prettier binder.
DIY New Year Memory Book Questionnaire:
Name: ___________________________ Age: _________
Favorite color: _____________________
Favorite song: _____________________
Favorite book: _____________________
Favorite toy: _____________________
Favorite game: _____________________
Favorite sport: _____________________
Favorite movie or TV show: _________________
Favorite food: _____________________
Favorite animal: _____________________
Best friends: _____________________
My favorite thing to do is: _____________________
Best vacation spot: _____________________
Share a funny memory: _____________________
When I grow up, I want to be: _____________________
What is your wish for next year? _____________________
Highlights from the year 20__ (filled out by Mom or Dad):
Now, if you are not a crafty individual and you want a New Year’s Memory Book that is prettier than ours, you could always grab one online:
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
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If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read about our Doodle Diaries:
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Tell me… does your family have a New Year’s Eve tradition? Would you add anything to this one? Do you have a suggestion for improving my ugly binder? Share your thoughts here! Happy New Year!
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It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye.
~Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling
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