Kid-friendly sites satisfy New Year's impatience with early celebrations

No holiday can come soon enough for the kind of kid who asks, "Are we there yet?"

But New Year's Eve came 36 hours ahead of schedule for attendees Saturday at a Noon Year's Eve event at SciTech Hands On Museum in Aurora and at a handful of similar celebrations across the suburbs.

As a countdown reached zero and 1,000 balloons rained down, about 100 kids and parents in Aurora threw up their hands with a familiar shout, "Happy New Year!"

SciTech museum, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, invited partygoers to welcome an early 2018 by making hats, masks and noisemakers; playing giant Connect 4 or Bozo Buckets; grooving to dance songs or watching a juggler in action.

"We tried to keep everything really interactive so the kids are participating," said Camille Coller, the museum's director of operations.

Attending with his friend Heather Linko and her kids, Matt Jaeger of Crest Hill became the "hat model" for a bedazzled creation made by 10-year-old twins Hannah and Rebecca Linko and their brothers.

Attending with his parents from West Bend, Wisconsin, 9-year-old Dimanth Thaduri became one of Nehemiah Clanton's students as the duo made a noisemaker out of a piece of PVC piping, a rubber glove, duct tape and a straw.

Nehemiah, a sophomore at Metea Valley High School in Aurora who volunteered Saturday at the noisemaker station, said the contraption could be pounded like a drum or blown like a horn. Little ones got a kick out of it, even before the countdown to noon, he said.

"It's fun to see how the kids interact and give out a helping hand when they need it," Nehemiah said.

On the dance floor, 10-year-old Matthew McDonald of Aurora got warmed up to the "Cha Cha Slide" at a place his mother said is a favorite.

"We like coming here," Cassie McDonald said. "We come in and have fun."

SciTech newcomers the Crenshaw family of Naperville also enjoyed the museum's regular exhibits, which were open for exploration, such as the Imagination Playground and the Augmented Reality Sandbox. "It's amazing," said Jon Crenshaw, father of Nathan and Blake.

A similar scene played out across the region as nature centers, libraries and park districts in towns including Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Carol Stream and Palatine welcomed the near year extra early with dance parties, countdowns and balloon drops of their own.

In Aurora, the DJ's countdown to noon ended with a cascade of balloons, some of which hid candy or raffle tickets, making them carriers of valuable loot. Little ones stomped, sat on and even rolled over the rubbery orbs to get them to pop, creating an echo chamber of excitement.

"It kind of sounded like fireworks," Coller said.

Early New Year's options

Want to celebrate the new year before the clock strikes midnight? Check out these events across the region.

• Bubble Bash 2017: 9 a.m. to noon Sunday at DuPage Children's Museum, 301 N. Washington St., Naperville. "Walk on the Wild Side" theme; build a fort, construct a raft, move to the beat of African drums. Countdown to noon. Cost: $25. Info: dupagechildrens.org/bubblebash/.

• Noon New Year's Eve Party: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Warrenville Park District Recreation Center gym, 3S260 Warren Ave., Warrenville. DJ and music, snacks, balloon drop and countdown to noon. Cost: $8. Info: warrenvilleparks.org.

• Family New Year's Eve Bash: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Vaughan Athletic Center, 2121 W. Indian Trail, Aurora. Inflatables, games, crafts, music, a toddle zone play area, character appearances, a photo backdrop and a giant balloon drop at noon. Cost: $10 to $13. Info: foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

• Kids New Year's Rock Party: 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. Cost: $8. All ages. Info: www.durtynellies.com.

• New Year's Freeze Celebration: 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Glenview Ice Center, 1851 Landwehr Road, Glenview. Skating, games, crafts, a balloon artist and a balloon drop and Kiddie Toast at 7 p.m. Cost: $8. Skate rental $4. Info: (847) 724-2800.

• New Year's Eve Kiddy Bash: 6 to 11 p.m. Sunday at Orbit Skate Center, 615 S. Consumers Ave., Palatine. Skating and balloon drop. All ages. Cost: $12. Info: www.orbitskate.net.