Throw a New Year's pajama party.

Too often, New Year's is seen as an adults-only holiday. Children are sent off to bed while mom and dad get together with friends, dance, and toast the coming year with glasses of champagne. But it doesn't have to be this way. With a little creative thinking, you can make December 31st a fun-filled night for the whole family and ring in the new year with your kids beside you.

Gregory Keer is a writer, editor, teacher, and an expert on the subject of parenting and fatherhood. Currently, he writes for parenting magazines and appears on various local TV programs in the southwest. He is former editor-in-chief of Los Angeles Family magazine and a father of two sons. Here he offers ideas to help make New Year's Eve a fun holiday for kids:

• Stay in with the kids.
  Instead of heading out to a club or a party, stay at home. It's a lot safer than taking your chances on the roads, and you'll have the opportunity to spend quality time with the kids.
  
• Cook a special dinner.
  Cook a special dinner with the whole family, and give the meal a theme. Introduce your kids to fun new dishes that they've never tried before.
  
• Make a family time capsule.
  Another activity that can make the evening really memorable is to make a time capsule. Choose a leak-proof and rust-proof container and fill it with things like artwork, report cards, photos, or even an old stuffed animal. Then bury it in the yard and set a date, maybe New Year's Eve five years in the future when you can open it up and see what's inside.
  
• Have a pajama party.
  Throw a pajama party in the living room. Eat on a blanket on the floor while you watch a marathon of your favorite movies, or play all your favorite board games. Consider inviting another family over to make it a really big slumber party. You can even volunteer to baby-sit for another couple so they can spend New Year's out.
  
• Toast with cider.
  Consider letting the kids stay up until midnight on this one special night. If they can't make it that long, celebrate at ten or eleven. After all, it will be midnight somewhere! When it comes time for a toast, substitute sparkling cider for the champagne and talk about all the things you loved about the past year.
  
• Make lasting memories.
  No matter how you celebrate, start the new year by making memories that last a lifetime.

For more family-friendly New Year's ideas, check these out:

Ways to Ring In the New Year

Upload pics from your New Year's Eve celebration to Fine Living's Party Place