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new year’s interview: fun family tradition

home / Activities / holidays / new year’s interview: fun family tradition
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new years interviewIt’s New Year’s Interview time! (I can hardly believe it!)

This year, we made some minor adjustments to our traditional New Year’s Family Interview because as the kids get older, I’m more interested in their thoughts and reflections than on their favorite color or best friend.

So after our late-afternoon fondue dinner, we busted out with the biggie ice-cream sundae fixings.

We made monster sundaes, got all crazy on sugar, and then got to work on our interviews–a fun and easy family tradition that we’ve all come to appreciate and cherish.

Here’s the skinny. . .

New Year’s Interview–Fun Family Tradition:

It’s really just that–a fun family tradition and nothing more.

No pressure, no stress, just a few questions to kick off the year and to summarize where we all are as far as favorites, dreams, ideas, and activities are concerned.

new years family interview icecream

Before New Year’s Interviews? Ice-cream!!

We make sure all (or most!) of our ice-cream dishes are away, and then we get rockin’ and rollin’ on our interviews.

What’s the format of the New Year’s Family Interview? Simple.

Each page of the interview is only a half-sheet, which I think is perfect; it’s not intimidating, and it means that answers can be short and sweet.

I did make some changes this year.

  • What is your favorite color?
  • What is your favorite food?
  • Who is your best friend?

Have changed to:

  • What is your favorite thing to wear?
  • What is one cool thing you learned last year?
  • Who do you like to hang out with the most?

I just thought the new questions lent themselves to more thought than the older ones. But if you want the older ones, download last year’s New Year’s Interview version (see below!). No biggie!

new years interview

Owen zips through his. . .

new years interview

. . . and Maddy takes her time on hers.

But it also means that because two people’s answers can fit on a sheet, that the kids should complete theirs first–that way, there’s no ‘influencing’ of answers or ideas from another person’s responses.  So the kids grab a pen and find a quiet spot, and they complete their interview.

When they needed support with reading or writing, my husband and I took turns helping them. Now, I just sat across the table from Cora because she wanted to do it all on her own since this year, the ‘coolest thing she learned’ was how to read. (Yay!!!)

new years family interview

Cora works on her interview–all by herself.

When everyone has completed his or her interview, we take turns reading answers and sharing.

Sometimes, we video everyone reading, and other times–it’s cool just reading them.

new years day interview

And then we share our answers!

And then we clip them all into our rockstar New Year’s Interview binder and read answers from past years.  

Sometimes, the kids get a real kick out of seeing up-close how much their handwriting (or spelling) has improved, and we always have a giggle when we see the first year’s–Cora’s scribble across the page and Owen’s teeny name, Maddy’s attempts at writing on her own.

Here’s the undated (fill-in-the-date) New Year’s Family Interview, and know that the early years one is attached. So use what works for your crew~

It’s a great–easy!–tradition that can be started any time. 

Missed New Year’s? Do your family interviews every President’s Day or Mother’s Day and start your New Year’s then.

It doesn’t matter.

What matters is that the kids are thinking, the kids are writing, the kids are reflecting, and the family’s doing something fun together.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, peaceful New Year filled with love, laughter, and time together!

Do you want to buy the New Year’s Family Interview:

buy now button


child writing answers to interview


buy now button



Need some more fun New Year’s ideas?

Check out:

  • New Year’s Bingo Bonanza
  • New Year’s 20 Questions
  • Easy, Affordable New Year’s Traditions
  • New Year’s Shakers
  • Scratch Off Tickets 
  • New Year’s Pinterest board

Please feel free to pin this post for later!

new years interview | teachmama.com

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro · http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alexandra

    January 2, 2013 at 12:09 pm

    Sounds so much fun! I admire you for saving the inteviews from the past years. I am terrible at such things…:(

    Reply
    • amy

      January 2, 2013 at 1:20 pm

      Alexandra!
      YOU can do it, too! They’re all shoved in a binder–and keep the binder where you keep bills or photos, and you won’t lose them. Admittedly, I lost the first year’s–maybe 2008–so now I’m locking them in the skinny 3-ring binder! We can do it!

      Reply
      • Alexandra

        January 3, 2013 at 6:30 am

        when you say it it all sounds so simple! :))

        Reply
    • Dan

      December 16, 2014 at 2:04 pm

      It is a real challenge. One idea might be to tie the interviews to a fun Christmas event you already always do, like decorating the tree or baking cookies. Store the interviews with the Christmas ornaments and you’ll always get them out (except if you move).

      Reply
  2. PragmaticMom

    January 3, 2013 at 5:43 am

    I love how this is like an older baby book and you can see how your kids change … from liking pink and purple to moving on to blue as favorite colors plus more. Thanks for sharing the form!

    Reply
    • amy

      January 3, 2013 at 9:18 am

      you got it–many thanks for reading, Mia, and happy 2013 to you!!

      Reply
  3. Pamela Smith

    December 28, 2015 at 9:55 pm

    What an awesome tradition! I would have loved doing this when my kids were little. But i will be pinning it for someday!! Thank for sharing!

    Reply
  4. tORRANCE sHEN

    January 21, 2017 at 3:11 am

    I never thought about it. It is a perfect and beautiful tradition to celebrate new year with the family.Thanks for the idea.

    Reply
  5. Amy

    February 9, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    Great post, thanks for the free resources too! very useful

    Reply
  6. Emma Clark

    March 6, 2017 at 12:21 am

    I LOVE TO CELEBRATE ALL FESTIVALS WITH MY FAMILY. WE USED CELEBRATE OUR NEW YEAR AND OTHER IMPORTANT FESTIVALS WITH FAMILY. Fantastic post.

    Reply

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