It’s the end of the year, Dads. And that last night holds a special, almost magical, appeal to almost every kid I know.

So what are you going to do to make it special for your kids?

You know that they are anticipating it. It’s almost like a law in their minds. New Year’s Eve means staying up until midnight, watching the ball drop, and celebrating a new year.

So how are you going to make December 31, 2012 special for your family?

It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, sometimes the plainest of plans, like a family game night around the dining room table, make the best memories.

Here are a few ideas that you can peruse, and maybe even use.

• Watch the New Year’s festivities, including the ball drop.
• Play a card game.
• Play a board game. Choose one age appropriate for your kids.
• Watch a movie.
• Light up some fireworks, if they are allowed in your community.
• Go play mini golf.
• Read a story to your kids.
• Plan a special snack for the evening.
• Attend a party together, but not one where the kids are watched separately from the adults.
• Have a New Year’s family slumber party. If your Christmas tree is still up, all the better.
• Sing Auld Lang Syne together (here are the lyrics).
• Go skiing together (ok, this one is more expensive).
• Take a trip to the beach.
• Share New Year’s Resolutions with each other.
• Have the kids make dinner (or help).
• Have a craft night.
• Play Battleship in rotation, so everyone can play. When someone sinks a ship, run a victory lap around the room.
• Browse through photos from the year, printed, digital, on Instagram or Facebook.
• Make a time capsule that you’ll open next New Year’s Eve.

What are we going to do? Here’s the plan for my family, assuming we aren’t at the hospital delivering our sixth child that night.

We are going to celebrate with a game night after dinner. We bought the kids Monopoly Millionaire Deal for Christmas. New Year’s Eve is a perfect time to give it a whirl. After the game, we are going to build a fire in our fire pit in the back yard, drink some sparkling grape juice at midnight, and watch the neighborhood display of fireworks. (We don’t have any television channels, so unless I can find it live online, watching the ball drop isn’t something we can do easily…)

It won’t cost us any money, outside of six or seven dollars for a couple of bottles of the juice. But the fun we’ll have playing games and enjoying the campfire will be a memory maker.

Here’s my encouragement to you, dads. Get a plan for New Year’s Eve, even if it’s a simple one like ours. Don’t just wing it, or only plant yourselves in front of the TV for the entire evening. If watching the festivities is your thing, fine. Turn it on and let it play. But do something with your kids as you’re watching. A board game can be a great addition to make a plain evening much more fun.

Whatever you do, be deliberate in your plan of action.

It’ll be worth every minute.

Be deliberate, Dad!

What is your plan for New Year’s Eve? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.