Enjoy the eye-catching and interactive exhibits at MoMath. Photo by Jody Mercier

Resolution: Visit a museum you've never been to before
The Museum of the Moving Image offers plenty of entertainment for movie buffs and an onsite theater where Pokémon Detective Pikachu plays on January 1. After the movie, don't miss the spectacular Jim Henson Exhibition. More options: Stroll along The High Line and then wander through The Whitney Museum of American Art, which offers free daily tours on New Year's Day. Take a look at the new and improved The Museum of Modern Art, fresh off a years-long expansion and renovation. The Cooper Hewitt is always a good bet for hands-on art with the kids, including its Immersion Room and Artificial Intelligence exhibit. MoMath and the always-free National Museum of the American Indian are open today, too.

Resolution: Find more ways to play together as a family
You're never too old to fill your day with play. Weather permitting, check out one of the city's best parks. If it's too cold, take your play indoors. Staten Island's Fly High offers all-ages trampoline fun. Kids might appreciate an afternoon of video games at Dave & Buster's or bowling—and more—at Chelsea Piers' Bowlmor Lanes, which also houses a laser tag arena. Brooklyn Bowl is also hosting a FREE family-friendly day at the lanes. Of course, you don't need to leave home to play as a family. For inspiration, check out our posts on indoor boredom busters, fun exercise games, and easy science experiments to try with kids.

Visit the AMNH this holiday season to see one of NYC's most beloved displays, the Origami Holiday Tree

Resolution: Explore more cool kid-friendly exhibits
New Year's Day is also a great time to get to know your hometown. The New-York Historical Society is open today for its regular and special exhibitions (including Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry's Busytown). Or visit any one of the many train displays around the city (check hours for each before going). The butterflies will be flitting about at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), where there's loads going on for New Year's Day: see the stunning origami tree or take in the T-rex exhibit. 

Resolution: Enjoy quirky, only-in-NYC fun
We rave about offbeat NYC experiences, and one of our favorites is the annual Polar Bear Club New Year's Day Swim in Coney Island. The members of this organization are a bit, well, enthusiastic, but they're not naked, and since the swim is open to the public, you're welcome to join them in the ocean. In Long Island City, the collective works of over a dozen artists remain on view at the always-FREE Socrates Sculpture Park.

Step into a land of miniatures at Gulliver's Gate. Photo by Sara Marentette

Resolution: Actually visit those tourists spots you've never been to
When is the last time you enjoyed the view at the top of the Empire State Building or went to the Top of the Rock, or One World Observatory? How about the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, where you can sneak some education into the new year and help your kids earn Junior Ranger badges? Check out all of these iconic New York City attractions on New Year's Day, along with Times Square tourist spots Madame Tussauds and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Better yet, check out the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey or Gulliver's Gate, both in the Times Square area, and both open for New Year's Day.

Resolution: See more kid-friendly shows
Many Broadway shows have performances today; at press time, tickets remained for family favorites Frozen and The Illusionists. The Big Apple Circus also performs on New Year's Day, and there's a showcase of three of the city's best magicians at the Magic at Coney New Year's Day Matinee. 

Stroll the city and see the incredible holiday window display at Saks. Photo by Jody Mercier

Resolution: Spend more time outside
While the rest of the city sleeps it off, take a quiet stroll through one of NYC's lovely green spaces. They're all open on New Year's Day, including Central Park, Prospect Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and the High Line. 

Stroll down Fifth Avenue to see the stunning department store holiday windows before they're gone, as well as the Rockefeller Tree. The Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Central Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium are all open on January 1 (the Bronx and Staten Island Zoos are closed for the holiday). The Holiday Train Show continues at the New York Botanical Garden. You can also go ice skating—most outdoor rinks are open on the holiday (weather permitting), including those in Bryant Park, Central Park, Riverbank State Park, Brookfield Place, and Prospect Park. If you don't mind spending as much time waiting as skating, the Rink at Rockefeller Center is also open.

A version of this article was published in 2018; it is updated annually. Katie Nave Freeman contributed additional reporting.