New Year Memory Jars: A Keepsake Activity for Kids That Lasts All Year

The start of a new year often comes with good intentions, but busy days can make it hard to slow down and reflect together. A New Year memory jar is a simple, low-pressure activity that helps families capture small moments as they happen. Be it a funny comment, a new interest, or a cozy day at home. The best part? It only takes a few minutes each week.

If the year already feels underway, that’s okay. A memory jar can begin at any time and adapt to your child’s age. Toddlers might add drawings or stickers, while school-aged kids may enjoy writing their own notes. What matters most isn’t when you start, but finding a rhythm that works for your family and grows with your little dreamer. 

A New Year memory jar is a simple activity where little ones collect small moments they want to remember. These can be written notes, drawings, or words that a parent helps put on paper. Some families use a glass jar, others a small box or tin to collect these memories. 

The goal isn’t to document everything. It’s to help kids pause and notice moments that felt meaningful to them, whether that’s something exciting or something quietly special.

Memory jars offer kids a gentle way to reflect on their experiences and express what stands out to them. Over time, this simple practice supports skills that grow alongside them.

For toddlers, it might look like:

• Drawing a picture of something they enjoyed
• Choosing a sticker to represent their week
• Talking through a moment while you write it down

For school-aged kids, it often becomes:

• Writing short notes or sentences
• Sharing feelings about moments they’re proud of
• Building early reflection and storytelling skills

In both cases, children learn that their thoughts matter and that everyday moments are worth paying attention to.

While memory jars are often started in January, many families find they work best as a simple weekly ritual. Setting aside just a few minutes each week makes it easier to stay consistent without adding pressure.

Some ways families keep it manageable:

• Choose one day each week to add a memory
• Keep it to one note per child
• Let kids decide what feels important to include

Over time, this rhythm becomes familiar. It might happen during a quiet weekend afternoon, before bedtime, or during a cozy, creative moment at home.

Starting a memory jar doesn’t need to be a big project. In fact, simpler often works better.

All you need is:

• A jar or small container
• Paper scraps or small cards
• Crayons, pencils, or markers

Choose a moment that already exists in your routine rather than creating a new one. That might be after dinner, during weekend quiet time, or as part of a Sunday reset. The easier it feels, the more likely it is to stick.

Some children will jump right in, while others may need a little encouragement at first. Offering gentle prompts can help spark ideas without turning it into a lesson.

Asking simple, open-ended questions can help spark ideas without turning it into a lesson.

Parents might try questions like:

• What was something you enjoyed this week?
• What made this week feel special for you?
• If you could keep one memory from this week, what would it be?

For younger kids, these questions can be talked through together and written down by a parent or turned into a drawing. School-aged kids may enjoy answering on their own or adding a few extra details as they go.

A New Year memory jar doesn’t need to be perfect or kept on schedule to be meaningful. Some weeks will be full, others may be quieter. That’s part of what makes it real. What matters is creating space, even briefly, to pause and notice the moments that shape your child’s world.

Over time, these small reflections become more than notes in a jar. They become a record of how your child grows, what they love, and how they see the world at different stages. Whether you start in January or somewhere in the middle of the year, a memory jar offers a simple way to slow down, connect, and hold onto the everyday moments that often pass too quickly.