New Year’s Eve in Chicago With Kids

New Year’s Eve with kids comes down to one question: how late can your family realistically stay up? Chicago has options for every answer, from a noon countdown with confetti to fireworks over the lake at midnight. Here is how to put together a night that works for toddlers, for tweens and for everyone in between.

Events and times change every year, so use this as a guide to what to look for and confirm details on each official site in December.

Daytime countdowns for little kids

For toddlers and preschoolers, a “Noon Year’s Eve” is the answer. Several children’s museums in and around Chicago hold morning parties on December 31 with a countdown to noon, music, crafts, noisemakers and a confetti drop. Everyone gets the fun of a countdown and is home for naps.

• Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier has held a Noon Year’s Eve celebration with crafts, a dance party and a countdown, included with museum admission in past years.
• Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview has run a New Year’s Eve Bash with morning and afternoon sessions, each ending with a confetti drop. It sells out, so buy early.
• DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville holds a midday New Year’s Eve party that has also been popular enough to sell out.
• The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park has offered a Noon Year’s Eve concert with interactive music and crafts.

Each museum announces its plans in late fall. Tickets for the popular ones go quickly, so set a reminder for November.

Early evening: lights and early countdowns

For kids who can manage an evening out but not midnight, the holiday light shows are a good bet, since several are still running on New Year’s Eve.

Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo Chicago has stayed open through New Year’s Eve in recent years, with lights, entertainment and early evening hours. In some years the zoo has held an early countdown for families. ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo has also offered family New Year’s Eve celebrations with countdowns earlier in the evening. Check both zoos’ calendars for this year’s plans and ticket rules.

Some of the big museums also open on New Year’s Eve with regular or shortened hours. If you want a low-key day out followed by an early night, check their holiday hours.

Many suburban villages and park districts host their own family events and sometimes early fireworks. Your village or park district website is the place to look.

Midnight: fireworks on the lake and the river

For older kids, or a family that wants the real thing, Chicago puts on two big free displays around midnight.

Navy Pier holds a free fireworks show over the lake at midnight. You can watch from along the pier, and the views are good from the lakefront nearby. Expect large crowds and paid parking, and arrive early for a good spot.

The Chicago Riverwalk has hosted city fireworks in recent years, launched from bridges along the Chicago River downtown at midnight, with programming beforehand. Check the city’s plans for this year.

Tips for doing midnight with kids:

• Nap in the afternoon. A rested kid at 11 p.m. is a different person than a tired one.
• Dress for the cold, then add a layer. It is late December by the lake. Standing still for an hour is cold, even for adults. Hand warmers, snow pants and blankets help.
• Use the CTA or a rideshare. Downtown parking on New Year’s Eve is expensive and slow to leave. Check the CTA’s holiday schedule and plan your ride home in advance.
• Have a meeting point. Crowds are big. Older kids should know where to go and what to do if you get separated, and little ones should have your phone number on them.
• Watch from a window. Some restaurants and hotels near the river and lake have views of the fireworks. It is warmer and calmer than the crowds outside.

Staying in, Chicago style

For plenty of families, the best New Year’s Eve is at home. A few ideas that make it feel special:

• Fake midnight. Stream a countdown from another time zone, or simply count down at 8 p.m. Small kids will not know, and older kids will find it funny.
• A balloon drop. Fill a sheet or a trash bag with balloons and tape it to the ceiling. Pull the string at “midnight.”
• Look back at the year. Have each person name their favorite thing from the past year and one thing they want to do next year. Write them down and read them next December.
• Plan the first day. Decide on New Year’s Day plans before bed. A cold, bright lakefront walk followed by hot chocolate is a good way to start a year.

If you are planning the rest of the season, our guide to the best winter events in Chicago for families covers December and beyond, and our 14 tips for surviving a Chicago winter covers the months after the party.