Give 2018 a warm welcome

It’s going to be icicle cold on New Year’s Eve in the Capital Region, with low temperatures projected to be below zero in the Albany area.
For parents with younger children, that means all of the fun on the night before the new year likely will come indoors. And for that to happen, you need to prepare to celebrate with the kids in style.
For starters, we’re talking about shopping at party supply stores like Party City in Latham, and at supermarkets such as Market 32 or Hannaford in Clifton Park and throughout the area to get all the goodies you need.
To make the kids really feel comfortable on New Year’s Eve -- a traditionally big night for grown-ups, of course -- invite family members and friends to celebrate indoors.
If you want to make it an early night for younger children, pretend that 8 p.m. really is midnight, and start your 20-second countdown to the New Year at 7:59. Regardless of whether you choose 8 p.m. or midnight as your magical time, you’ll need a plan to keep everyone engaged and happy.
With help from The Spruce, here are some ideas to consider for the night:

1. Make a ball-shaped piñata that resembles the big ball that drops in New York City. You could have the kids help you decorate it with paint, sparkly beads and glitter. At midnight -- or your preferred hour -- let the kids knock open the piñata. And don’t forget to give everyone a noisemaker so that it truly feels like a big event.
   
2. Play family-friendly board games such as Candyland, Trouble or Monopoly.
   
3. Toast the new year with sparkling cider, ginger-ale punch or some other bubbly mocktail.
   
4. Instead of a bar for adult beverages, set up a fun ice cream or hot cocoa bar for the kids.
   
5. Let siblings have a slumber party with one another in the living room. Set up a tent if you have enough space.
   
6. Host a hat-themed party, where everyone must wear a goofy-looking hat to attend the big event. If you don’t want to go the goofy route, make sure everyone wears a traditional cone party hat. The kids could make hats as a DIY project, probably with glitter, glue and buttons that you have around the house
   
7. Clear some space for a dance floor and turn up the music so that everyone can move to the groove.
   

 Bottom line, parents, is to have a fun and safe -- and this year, warm! -- New Year’s Eve. Sleep in, watch the Rose Parade and enjoy a relaxing New Year’s Day.