Resolution: Find new ways to play together as a family.

Dust off those skates, step back in time, and relive your glory days with your little ones in tow at Young’s Skating Center for a New Year’s Day Skate from 1–3:30 p.m. Admission is $5.75, and skate rentals are $2.25. Speed skates and inline skates are also available for $2.50 and $3, respectively.

If the ice is more your family's thing, you can participate in the popular winter activity without exposure to the elements at the Clary Anderson Arena in Montclair. This family-friendly indoor rink is open on New Year’s Day from 2–4 p.m. Admission is $6, and skate rentals are $4.

Resolution: Enjoy quirky, only-in-NJ fun.

Bundle up and head over to Asbury Park for chills and thrills at the 14^th annual Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge to cheer on the those who don’t mind braving the elements as they take a dip in the ocean for charity. This year's proceeds will go to Stephy’s Place, a counseling center in Red Bank for people who have lost loved ones; and Shore House, ​a Long Branch–based organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults living with mental illness.

Further down the Shore in Ocean City is the John R. Elliot HERO Plunge. Funds raised by the HERO Plunge are used to support educational, awareness, and prevention programs nationwide in support of designated drivers.

Resolution: Create a new holiday tradition.

Holiday fun doesn’t have to end in 2016. Keep the festive feeling going strong in 2017 at the Bergen County Winter Wonderland, which is open through January 15. Spend an evening at Van Saun Park, where after-dark activities include ice skating, unlimited carousel rides, zoo entry, a train ride, and food trucks. 

The first day of January usually marks the end of the many dazzling holiday light displays that light up the state all holiday season. If you didn’t have time to delight in the twinkles during the season’s rush, wander through the night-time display one last time before it gets packed up until next year. Drive through the closing night of the Skylands Stadium Christmas Light Show, or enjoy the penultimate night of the Holiday Lights Spectacular at the Turtle Back Zoo.

Resolution: Get outside more.

While the rest of the state sleeps in, kick off the new year with a fun and healthy First Day Hike. Organized by the New Jersey Park Service, 19 guided hikes, walks, interpretive tours, plus two bike rides and a horseback ride will be held in 12 counties across the state. All events are free, but some require pre-registration. And, of course, these outdoor events are weather dependent. 

Go skiing at Mountain Creek. 

Hit the slopes at Mountain Creek on January 1. It’s a great all-around option for a family ski trip, featuring four peaks, seven lifts, 43 trails, and 65 acres of terrain parks. The resort is popular with teens and tweens, but there is plenty for younger skiers as well. The Twist terrain park on Vernon peak offers small, beginner-friendly features, and two “magic carpets” transport young learners up a beginner slope. Full-day tickets are $75 for adults and $60 for kids age 7–18. Kids 6 and under are free with a paying adult.

Resolution: Be a tourist in your own state.

New Year’s is the perfect opportunity to visit someplace you’ve never been before. Liberty Science Center will be open on New Year’s Day, which is right on time for the last week of the Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! exhibit, popular with preschoolers. Also check out the Winter Expedition demonstration, in which kids will learn how to search for arctic animals and make their own animal tracks to take home. And as always, there’s the sports-themed Action Zone, where kids can kick, bounce, toss and climb; the famous Touch Tunnel; and many more hands-on exhibits for the whole family. Admission starts at $21.75 for adults and $17.75 for kids over 2.

One of the top-rated aquariums in the country is right here in your own backyard. Adventure Aquarium in Camden is home to more than 8,500 aquatic species, including sharks, stingrays, jellyfish and even hippos. In addition to its usual attractions, visit the interactive, hands-on KidZone geared toward kids 6 and under, where climbing and crawling structures are sprinkled throughout the touch tanks. Open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; admission is $26.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids age 2-12.

Resolution: Explore a new kid-friendly play spot.

Diggerland is fun for kids and parents. 

Do some family bonding today over the big machinery at Diggerland, billed as North America’s only construction-themed adventure park. From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., your family can operate a big digger or backhoe, move a Skid Steer or operate an ARGO amphibious vehicle, or ride on a dump truck, excavator or steam roller. There’s also an arcade, amusement rides, and a petting zoo for younger guests. Admission is $29.95 if you buy your tickets online in advance for anyone over 36 inches; it's $5 more at the gate.

Both locations of Kidz Village, the popular Central NJ indoor playground, are open for normal business hours (10 a.m. – 7 p.m.) on January 1. Each play town features different themed rooms to explore, including a grocery store, a hair salon, cinema, and a construction zone. There’s also a huge climbing structure with slides, bridges and tunnels, a separate play area for smaller tots, and arcade games for bigger kids.

If you’ve held off taking your little one to Sky Zone for fear of getting trampled by the bigger kids, today’s the perfect day to go. Toddler Time will be held at the Pine Brook and Moorestown outposts of the popular trampoline park early morning on New Year’s Day. This special time is reserved just for little ones under age 5 so they can jump, climb, and explore, all while staying safe.

Top image: Ride the carousel at Winter Wonderland. Photo courtesy of the venues.