This New Year’s Eve, Celebrate With the Kids

Cheers to you, moms and dads. You’ve survived trips to the mall with toddlers, you’ve toted bored tweens between family parties and you’ve finally conquered the self-replicating holiday to-do list. Now comes along a holiday that’s custom made just for us parents – New Year’s Eve.

Now, it may not have the most family-friendly rep, what with the late hours, pricey events and free-flowing alcohol that accompanies most traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations. But take another glance – it’s a couple of low-stress days off work and school and a chance to celebrate the fact that you and your family made it through the holidays. Perfectly timed, of course, before holiday bills arrive and life slows down for another endless Cleveland winter.

So if you’d like to make your New Year’s Eve a family-friendly one this year – without creating sleep-deprived zombies the next day – check out one of these kid-oriented events to ring in 2008:

First Night Akron
Dec. 31, 5PM to midnight, http://www.firstnightakron.org.
First Night Akron is the area’s biggest family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve Party, and it’s the perfect destination for families wishing to ring in the new year together. At 21 venues throughout downtown Akron – from the Akron Civic Theatre and Akron Art Museum to the John S. Knight Center and Inventure Place – activities for adults and children abound. There’s music, theater, storytelling, visual arts, ice skating, lots of food and even a high school “First Night Idol” competition. For families with younger kids, stay till the 8:30 p.m. Kids’ Countdown and 9:00 p.m. fireworks, then head for home to tuck ‘em in. Older kids might wish to stay for the real countdown celebration, which starts at 11:30 p.m. and culminates with finale fireworks at midnight.

New Year's Eve Eve, Great Lakes Science Center
Dec. 30, 5:30PM to 11:30PM, http://www.glsc.org.
Celebrate the New Year one day early with a range of family-friendly exhibits and activities, an OMNIMAX showing of The Polar Express and a buffet dinner. Hands-on experiments promise to allow guests to “explore the science of cold.” Tickets for the event are $25/each for adults ($22 for members) and $20/each for children ($17 for members).

Happy Noon Year's Eve @ Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Dec. 31, 11AM to 1PM, http://www.clemetzoo.com.
If you want to celebrate with the kids a bit earlier in the day, head over to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for Noon Year’s Eve. On the zoo’s clock, the ball drops at noon, with activities ranging from ice sculpting demonstrations, a special Dr. Z – formerly known at Dr. Zoolittle – Wild Animal Show, crafts and games. Best of all, it’s free for all residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township. For the rest of you, admission is half price and all of the featured activities are included.

New Year's Celebration for Kids, Children's Museum of Cleveland
Dec. 31, 10AM to 2PM, http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org.
If you prefer New Year’s Eve activities of the warm and indoor variety, join the New Year’s Celebration for Kids at the Children’s Museum. This party will likewise allow kids to countdown to midnight at noon, with food, sparkling beverages, favors, a DJ and activities. Not to mention all of the museum’s standing exhibits, and who doesn’t love that giant sandbox? Reservations are required for this event, and tickets are $10/person for members and $15/person for non-members. Kids three and under are free.

New Year's Eve Kids Party, Shooters in the Flats
Dec. 31, 2:30PM to 5:30PM, http://www.shootersflats.com.
Before the bar crowd arrives in the Flats and the alcohol starts flowing, join the parental crowd at Shooters for a kids-oriented New Year’s Eve party. They say this party sells out every year, and includes dancing, games, kids’ buffet, favors and a countdown and balloon release at 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $9.95 for kids three to 12, and parents can order off the menu.

Kids New Year's Eve Bash, Mapleside Farms
Dec. 31, 4:30PM to 6:30PM or 7:30PM to 9:30PM, http://www.mapleside.com.
If Brunswick is closer to home for you, then try Mapleside Farms’ Kids New Year’s Eve Bash. For $20 for adults and $13 for children 2-10, you and your family can dine on a buffet of pot roast, chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, veggies and dip and more. Kids can toast their punch, served from a fountain in plastic champagne glasses. Boogie with your kids to the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance with a live DJ, and count down to “midnight” ball drop at the end of each seating.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Jennifer Keirn jenniferkATwowway.com'
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