Happy New Year!

New Year’s celebrations are underway and CK has lots of events for kids throughout the first week of January, 2013. Many kids are out of school all week, so be sure and check out these fun events.

For the scoop on the plays and performances around town – including inexpensive movies, click here.

To have an event posted on the Completely Kids events listing, send us an email.

Visit our full month of holiday events on our January Calendar page too.

Today – Monday, January 7th

GardenFest of Lights. Nightly, 5pm-10pm. Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. One of Richmond’s most popular family holiday events. Holiday tradition features more than a half million lights, botanical decorations, trains, holiday dinners, family activities and more. Activities for families and children include Merry Mondays every Monday evening from 5pm-8pm throughout GardenFest, featuring story time with the Garden Keeper, s’mores at the warming fire, and Santa sightings in the Conservatory. Fee.

Today – Jan 23rd

Polar Express.  ScienceMuseum of Virginia.  A doubting boy boards a magical train that’s headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus’s home. What unfolds is an adventure where he learns that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.   Fee.

Today – January 30

Rocky Mountain Express at the IMAX Dome. Multiple times. Join in the epic adventure of building Canada’s first transcontinental railway as you are propelled on a steam train journey through the Canadian Rockies. Fee.

Today – January 31st

RVA on Ice. 4pm-10pm. 6th and Broad Street. Grand Opening of ice skating rick next to CenterStage. Open through January 31st (weather permitting). Visit the website for rink times and hours. Fee.

Monday, December 31st

Harlem Globetrotters’ “You Write the Rules” World Tour. 2 pm. Richmond Coliseum.  Fee.

New Year’s Eve Family Frolic. 2pm-5pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Ave., Richmond. Family activities in the afternoon with live entertainment and crafts inside the Education and Library Complex; included with regular garden admission. Those who attend the New Year’s Eve Family Frolic and who are already in the garden can stay to attend Dominion GardenFest of Lights (5 -10 pm). Fun for all ages.

New Year’s Eve Bash. 9:30am-1pm.  All three Children’s Museum of Richmond locations. Ring in the new year at CMoR’s Annual New Year’s Eve Bash. Join Seymour and his special guests from Radio Disney from 11am to 1pm for a special “Countdown to Noon” juice toast, fun games and prize giveaways. All event activities are free with museum admission.  CMoR Closes at 3pm on December 31st.

Noon Year’s Eve powered by Radio Disney.  10am-1pm. Science Museum of Virginia.  Celebrate Noon Year’s Eve with a party and a live performance by internet sensation and local musician George Dennehy! Included with exhibit admission.

RVA on Ice. 12 noon-4pm. Face Painting and Caricature portraits by Artist Stanley Rayfield.  1pm-4pm. Uncle Curt of Uncle Curt and Hugs and Kisses balloon art. Free.

Romp n’ Roll. 9am-noon. All three Richmond Romp n’ Roll locations (West End, Midlothian, and Mechanicsville) will be open. There will be a countdown to noon and an apple juice toast. Currently enrolled children are free, non-enrolled members are $5 each, and non-members are $7.  Adults are free but must wear socks.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. 10am-5pm. Take the kids or the whole family to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. They’ll be open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Check out the Mummy Exhibit and the 3D movie, the new Elvis exhibit, or just explore the museum’s fantastic galleries. Free.

Genworth Holiday Village at CMoR. During normal Museum hours. Included with Museum admission.

Holiday Tours at Maymont Mansion. See website for tour hours. Major & Mrs. Dooley’s spectacularly decorated Gilded Age home brings the wonders and festivities of Christmas past to life. Guided tours (upstairs only) are available every half-hour and last tour begins at 4:30. Fee is $5 suggested admission. For information, call 804-358-7166, ext. 329.

Tacky Lights Tour. 5pm-10pm. It’s a Richmond tradition to drive around and check out the Tacky Lights all over town. From downtown Richmond to the West End and beyond into Chesterfield and Henrico. Kids will love the crazy light displays. There are tacky lights all over this town. The Tacky Lights Tour is a self-guided tour where you pick the houses you want to visit and check them out. Free.

Fruitcake Science.  9:30am to 5pm. Science Museum of Virginia.   Join us as we subject fruitcake to the rigors of scientific testing — freeze it with liquid nitrogen, launch it from a trebuchet (December 27) and more! Fruitcake Science activities are included with exhibit admission.

Tuesday, January 1st

First Day Hike at Pocahontas State Park. 1pm. Join us on the first hike of 2013 and get a healthy start to the New Year on the Forest Exploration Trail. Other Virginia parks hosting First Day Hikes. Visit website for details. Free.

Club Mom.  9am-11am.  ChesterfieldTowneCenter.  Club Mom occurs the first Tuesday of every month in our Food Court from 9-11 a.m. and features great entertainment, fun giveaways for the adults, and free breakfast for children 12 years or younger. (Breakfast tickets are given out until 10:30 a.m. and are valid until 10:45 a.m. on Club Mom event days.).  Would you like to become a member? Stop by the Registration Table and sign up. They do ask for a one time dollar donation that goes to Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now). Your donation is appreciated!  This month – Mad Science.

Friday, January 4th

Teen Drawing Club: Organic Forms.  4:30pm–6pm.  VirginiaMuseum of Fine Arts.  Fee.

Pajama Time Musical Playdate. 6:30-7:10pm. Melody Magic Music Studio, 3041 Lauderdale Drive, Richmond, 23233. Eat dinner, get ready for bed… and come have a pajama party with Melody Magic! Based on this fun book by Sandra Boynton, this class features a pajama parade (complete with drums!), a family pajama dance party, and ends with a calming rocking song to prepare our little kiddos for a good night’s sleep. Ages 0-7 years with a parent. Enroll online atwww.melodymagicmusic.com $9/child.

Everything Parenting! Free Q&A.  Noon-2pm.  8500 Bell Creek Road, Mechanicsville, VA, 23116.  A FREE and open Q&A class. Please come visit the office of Collaborative Parenting of Richmond; meet Suzanne Hanky and bring your questions! This is an easy fun opportunity to ask anything kids, parenting and family!  Free.

January 4th & 5th

Cinema Classics ‘My Fair Lady’ (G).  7pm.  Enjoy a movie at Henrico Theatre in Highland Springs. Tickets are only $1 per person and can be purchased at the door. visit the website for information on show times and fees.  Information: 328-4491.

Saturday, January 5th

Arena Racing.  7pm.  Richmond Coliseum.  Fee.

Sun, January 6th

Open Studio Sundays.  1pm–4pm.  VirginiaMuseum of Fine Arts – Family Events.  Free.

Enchanting Icicles. 1:30pm-2:30pm. Three LakesNatureCenter.  Hanging from the rooftop draped like sheets of shimmering glass, icicles add a touch of magic to our winter days. Find out how these icy marvels are formed. For ages 4-5. Fee.