One of the most popular end-of-the-year rituals among FamilyFun readers: making calendars. In West Richland, Washington, the Kurtzes--Lori, Eric, and kids Stephen, age 15, Mercedes, 13, Jenna, 11, Shelby, eight, and Tyler, four--gather on New Year's Eve with nearby relatives. Lori provides paper punches, stickers, crayons, markers, and a brand-new calendar for everyone--some store-bought, some freebies, some homemade. They all write extended family members' birthdays in the appropriate squares, then decorate those squares with something to remind them of that person (a picture of a kitten, say, for a cat-loving cousin). "It's a great way to help the kids feel connected to aunts, uncles, and cousins they don't get to see often," says Lori.

Laurie Kazmer and her four children, twins Kyle and Chris, age 13, Devin 11, and Milana, five, make a new family calendar together every December. The kids sort through photos--a fun way to literally look back on the year's events--and select one or two to place on the above-the-fold flap for each month on their calendar. Laurie then scans them into the computer and uses PrintMaster software to print 8 1/2- by 11-inch calendar pages on paper from her local office supply store that already has holes for a spiral binding. The kids finish the project by threading the pages onto the plastic spiral.

The calendar helps them feel connected to the past, says Laurie. January, for instance, usually shows a picture of last year's New Year's celebration. February is often a photo of Milana's birthday party, since she was born on the second. June or July will showcase a picture of last summer's vacation. "It's such a wonderful and practical way to be reminded of those happy memories," says the Thousand Oaks, California, mom.