Noon Year's Eve countdown for toddlers
A simple Noon Year's Eve countdown for toddlers: hourly countdown bags, a noon balloon drop, noisemakers and quiet coloring time after the party.
By Sloane Glitchford, Founder. Updated Nov 2, 2026. Links on this page are plain links, not affiliate links.
New Year's Eve 2026 falls on a Thursday, and midnight is well past most toddlers' bedtime. A Noon Year's Eve moves the countdown to the middle of the day: the same balloons, noise and "3, 2, 1!", at 12:00 noon instead of 12:00 midnight. Here is a simple plan that works at home with things you likely already have.
What is a Noon Year's Eve?
It's a pretend New Year's countdown held at noon on December 31 (or any day that suits you). Toddlers get the party, and everyone still gets an afternoon nap and a normal bedtime.
An hourly countdown for the morning
Little kids find waiting hard, so give each hour from 9 a.m. to noon its own small activity. Put each one in a paper bag or envelope numbered 1 to 3 and open one per hour.
- Bag 1 (9 a.m.): make party hats. Roll paper into cones, tape them and let toddlers add stickers or scribbles.
- Bag 2 (10 a.m.): make noisemakers. Seal dry rice or pasta inside a plastic bottle, or hand out pots and wooden spoons.
- Bag 3 (11 a.m.): color and decorate. Coloring pages, crayons and a sheet of stickers. Hang the finished pictures as party decorations.
The countdown at noon
- Count down from 10 together on a phone timer or a kitchen clock, and shout "Happy New Year!" at zero.
- Balloon drop. Tape a sheet or a tablecloth with a few balloons in it over a doorway and let it go at noon. A simpler version: toss balloons in the air.
- Dance party to one or two favorite songs.
- A special lunch, like sparkling water or juice in a plastic cup for a toddler "toast".
Quiet-time activities after the party
After the noise, a calm activity helps toddlers settle before a nap.
Older siblings (ages 4-8) can print the free New Year's Eve coloring pages (a 4-page PDF) for quiet time after the party.
- Coloring. Big, simple pictures with chunky crayons work best for toddlers.
- A wishes picture. Ask "What do you want to do next year?" and let them draw it while you write the words.
- Read a short story about the new year, or retell the morning: hats, noisemakers, countdown.
Tips for toddlers
- Keep it short. Three small activities and a countdown is plenty.
- Balloons and small pieces like rice or confetti are choking hazards for young kids, so keep them supervised and pick up pieces after.
- Have the countdown before lunch, so the meal and nap follow on a normal schedule.
For kids ages 4-8, see our New Year's Eve activities for kids at home.
A New Year's coloring book (our own product)
All six of our holiday books: holiday coloring books for kids. For Christmas: Santa's Silly Sleigh Ride (our own product).
Links on this page are plain links, not affiliate links.
Sloane Glitchford, Founder
Quick answers
What is a Noon Year's Eve?
A pretend New Year's countdown held at noon instead of midnight, so toddlers and young kids can join the party and still nap and go to bed on time.
What can toddlers do on New Year's Eve?
Make paper party hats and bottle noisemakers, open one countdown bag per hour in the morning, count down from 10 at noon, do a balloon drop and dance, then color or draw a wishes picture for quiet time.
Is Baby New Year's Silly Countdown OK for toddlers?
It's made for ages 4-8. Toddlers can color the big story pictures with a grown-up reading the captions, but the puzzles are aimed at older kids, so it fits best with an older sibling or a family coloring together.