Ring in the New Year family-friendly style

Though the weather outside is truly frightful, I promise that either the “Noon” Year’s Eve Celebration in Garden City or New Year’s Eve Celebration in Riverhead will get you to bundle up and go out to ring in 2018, on Dec. 31.

“Noon” Year’s Eve Celebration, “Countdown to 12!” In honor of the arrival of the “Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice” exhibit in January, the Long Island Children’s Museum is hosting a dinosaur-themed celebration, from noon-4 p.m. This event features traditional elements of a New Year’s Eve holiday party, such as confetti, a DJ and counting down to the New Year, on a schedule that’s more geared towards kids. Kids will have a “dino-mite” time making T-Rex top hats, raptor noisemakers and fossil necklaces. And who doesn’t like some Dino Dirt cookies?

“Fishes and Wishes New Year’s Eve Celebration.” The Long Island Aquarium invites kids of all ages for a buffet dinner, a DJ, dancing, crafts and an ice cream bar (yum), from 6:30-11 p.m. The highlight of this event, for me, is certainly the Meet and Greet with one of the aquarium’s resident penguins. There’s also a mock-midnight champagne and sparkling cider toast at 10:30 p.m., so no one will have to struggle to keep their eyes open until 12 a.m.

“Countdown to 12!”
Long Island Children’s Museum
11 Davis Ave., Garden City
All “Countdown” activities included with museum admission
516-224-5800 · licm.org
“Fishes and Wishes”
Long Island Aquarium
431 E. Main St., Riverhead
Reserve: 631-208-9200, ext. 426. · longislandaquarium.com