New Year’s Eve with young children can feel like a countdown of its own — except the finish line is usually hours past their normal bedtime. If you’d love to ring in the new year with an actual toast (rather than a toddler on your hip), there’s a simple trick lots of families use: hold your own “midnight” earlier in the evening.
The trick is simple. Little ones don’t really know what time midnight is meant to be — they just know it’s the moment everyone cheers, counts down, and celebrates. So why not create your own family countdown at 7pm, 8pm or 9pm, complete with balloons, party poppers, or a fun countdown video like the one below?
Here’s a fun New Year’s Eve countdown video to get you started:
Once your “countdown” is done and the kids have had their moment of excitement, it’s straight into pyjamas and bed — leaving you free to enjoy the rest of the evening at your own pace.
Why an Early Countdown Works So Well
Kids love ritual, counting, and a bit of drama — a countdown ticks all three boxes. Build up the excitement in the run-up (talk about it at dinner, let them pick party hats or noisemakers), do your “3-2-1-Happy New Year!” moment together, and then move calmly into the usual bedtime routine. Because the excitement has already happened, most children settle far more easily than if they were made to simply wait around, overtired, for a “real” midnight they don’t understand anyway.
Netflix’s Kids’ Countdown Specials
For a number of years, Netflix ran a popular “New Year’s Eve Countdown” collection made especially for children, letting families set their own countdown time rather than staying up until midnight. Past specials have featured children’s favourite characters, including:
Puffin Rock residents Oona and Baba re-live their adventures from the past year and celebrate with the Northern Lights, nature’s very own fireworks.- Care Bears & Cousins head to Share Bear’s Shake Shack to gear up for a belly badge-tastic countdown in Care-a-Lot.
- Inspector Gadget saves New Year’s Eve from a mischievous M.A.D. agent just in the nick of time for a dazzling firework display.
- King Julien lives up to his party animal persona with a countdown to dance your way into the new year.
- Mr. Peabody and Sherman venture around the world to gather their favourite talk show guests for a star-studded countdown event featuring Hiccup and Toothless, Puss in Boots, the Croods and the entire Dinotrux team.
- Project Mc2 stars McKeyla, Adrienne, Bryden and Camryn team up for their most important mission yet: Party!
If your own streaming service still has something similar available, it’s a lovely way to give the countdown a bit of extra magic — just check what’s currently on offer before the big night.
How Families Around the World Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Kids
A 2015 Netflix survey of more than 9,000 parents across nine countries found some interesting patterns in how families manage New Year’s Eve with children in tow:
- Parents in the US, UK, Canada and Australia largely agreed that 9pm makes a perfectly good “new midnight.” Nearly half said they’d happily do the famous 10-second countdown by 9pm.
Parents in Australia couldn’t wait for bedtime themselves — around a third admitted they’d head to bed after kissing the kids goodnight, long before actual midnight.- Italian and French parents were looking forward to some quality time with their other half once the kids were down.
- Parents in Spain and Mexico were keen to get the grown-ups’ party started once little ones were tucked in.
- American parents weren’t shy about a bit of trickery — plenty said they’d used, or planned to use, an early countdown to get the kids to bed sooner.
- Brazilian parents placed the most value on celebrating together as a family, however the night played out.
Wherever you are, the same idea works: create your own family countdown at whatever time suits your children, and let them believe midnight has already come and gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should I do the countdown with my kids?
Any time that works for your family — 7pm, 8pm or 9pm are all popular choices. Pick a time early enough that your child is still in good form for the “celebration,” and can then move calmly into their normal bedtime routine.
Will an early countdown confuse my child about what New Year’s Eve actually is?
Not really. For younger children, New Year’s Eve is really just “the night we count down and cheer” — they’re not tracking clock time. As they get older and start noticing the actual time, you can simply let them know you celebrated a little early this year.
Do I need Netflix or a special video to do this?
No — a video like the one above can add a nice bit of fun, but the countdown itself is what matters. A kitchen timer, some balloons, and a big countdown from ten works just as well.
What can we do instead of watching a screen?
Try a family countdown with pots and wooden spoons, a countdown made from paper chains you tear off one by one, or simply counting down together and setting off some (safe, age-appropriate) party poppers.
Related Articles
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- How to Make Better New Year Resolutions
- 10 Delicious Brunch Ideas to Start Your New Year Off Right
- Is Your Kid a Bedtime Staller?
- The Best Excuses Kids Use at Bedtime
Save This for Next New Year’s Eve
Not celebrating tonight? Bookmark this one and save it to your parenting toolkit for next New Year’s Eve — a good early countdown trick is worth remembering year after year.
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