by Valerie Gawthrop

Created on: November 25, 2009

New Year's Eve is an exciting time for all members of the family, including children. Don't exclude the little ones. Depending on their ages, the best gift you can give them is lifting the bedtime curfew so you can ring in the New Year together. This holiday marks the passage of one year to the next. Allow them to experience Father Time yielding to Baby New Year.

Before the festivities begin, give the children disposable digital cameras and blank photo albums. Let them photograph the events. The next day, while waiting for the photos to be printed, they can embellish their New Year's Eve albums with decorations from the scrap-booking store. This isn't just a gift; it's a lasting memory.

Keeping with the idea of time, watches make an appropriate New Year's present and can be found in every price range and style. Keep the child's age and taste in mind when selecting the watch. If it has an alarm, set it for midnight. Imagine their delight when the new watch chimes in the New Year.

Other gift ideas on a similar theme include calendars. Just like watches, calendars come in all shapes and sizes. Look for your child's favorite cartoon characters or sports activities. Give them a set of colored pencils so they can use a different color for each of their activities when they write it on the calendar. Mark important dates in red so they don't forget grandmother's birthday.

How about an electronic diary for the five to ten-year-old girl on your list. The Barbie Pom Pom Diva's electronic diary has record and playback features, plays music and has two secret compartments. The Keep Safe diary has a musical pass code and a fifty page journal. Makers claim that it's sibling proof. For a diary that even boys will enjoy, try the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself- Book. This book encourages children to create their own stories along with making journal entries.

The New Year is a time for a clean start. How about this unusual idea for the older child; a fresh coat of paint for their room. Keep them as involved as possible. Of course they'll need supervision, but most children can pick out their favorite colors and will want to help with the work. All it takes is a gallon of paint and the supplies. You'll need rollers, brushes, tape and drop cloths and of course a sturdy ladder. This is a way of getting the whole family to come together for a fresh and exciting New Year and that should be the goal behind any holiday gift.

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