Where to Celebrate New Year's Eve with Kids in the Bay Area
- Jenine
- Dec 19, 2025
- 3 min read
Ring in the New Year with your kids, without staying up late. Here are some kid-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations in the SF Bay Area that the whole family can enjoy.
Below you'll find our top picks for where to celebrate New Year's Eve with kids in the Bay Area. All of these are taking place on DECEMBER 31
San Francisco & North Bay Area:
Thrive City’s Winter Wonderland Kwanzaa and Noon Year’s Eve ( in San Francisco)
Celebration is from 9;30 am – 12:30 pm
Enjoy cultural performances, a countdown drop at 11:59AM, arts & craft stations, treats, and more!
Bay Area Discovery Museum Noon Year’s Eve Celebration ( in Sausalito)
From 9am to 2pm (Sausalito)- live DJ, dance party, family-friendly activities and a countdown to the ball drop at noon.
Downtown Novato’s Bouncy Ball New Year (in Novato)
From 12:00pm to 3:00pm (Novato) - 23,000 small bouncy balls are dropped onto the street from a ladder truck 40 ft. in the air with a countdown at noon. Kids get a souvenir "hard hat" and can collect as many bouncy balls as they can carry. Free event!
Charles M. Schulz Museum (in Santa Rosa)
Noon Year's Eve count down to 2026 with o your best Snoopy dance and ring in 2026 with an Up-Down Balloon Drop (all ages) and Baby Balloon Drop (for kids 4 and under and their families) at Noon, and a second Balloon Drop at 3:00 pm! Doors open at 10:00 am, and capacity will be monitored; admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
East Bay Area:
Chabot Space and Science Center Balloon Drop (in Oakland)
Ring in the New Year without staying up all night! Celebrate strokes of midnight around the world at 11am, 12pm, 3pm and 4pm! Kids will count down and celebrate with hundreds of colorful balloons dropping from above. After the drops, each kid can take home a prize at one of our prize stations!
Countdown in Wonderland at Fairyland (in Oakland)
Welcome 2026 with an Alice in Wonderland noon year’s eve celebration! Don’t be late for this very important date! Ball drops at 12 pm and 3 pm.
The Lawrence Hall of Science 2025 Grande Finale (in Berkeley)
From 10:00 am – 5 pm (Berkeley) | Bid farewell to 2025 and celebrate the new year with colorful confetti blasted from a cannon. Come for the confetti cannons, stay for exciting hands-on science fun for the whole family. Confetti launches every 45 minutes starting at 10:45. Purchase your tickets in advance to secure your spot!
Zyland New Year’s Eve Party (in Concord)
From 2pm to 4pm | Enjoy a Blipi visit with bubbles, snacks & refreshments, and a balloon drop. Reservations required.
Peninsula & South Bay Area:
Hiller Aviation Museum Noon Year’s Eve (in San Carlos)
From 10am to 1pm | Kids and parents, come celebrate the New Year with music, activities, face painting and a countdown to THREE GIANT balloon drops at NOON!!!!
Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose Noon Year’s Eve (in San Jose)
Doors open at 9:30am with ball drops at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm. Celebrate the arrival of 2026 at the Purple Museum by participating in the “countdown to midnight across time zones” with family hugs, performances from special guest Choo Choo Soul, and the Museum’s version of the famous Ball Drop in Times Square with lots of confetti.
Happy Hollow Zoo Noon Year's Eve (in San Jose)
Come for a fun filled celebration from 11am to 1:30pm, Enjoy a Ventriloquist Magic Show at 11:20 a.m. and 1 p.m., and get ready for the noon ball drop and countdown to NOON!
Gilroy Garden’s NYE Celebration (in Gilroy)
Join the New Year's Eve celebration and enjoy exciting rides, holiday fun, a DJ Dance party and a spectacular fireworks show at midnight.
Noon Year's Eve with Miss Brooke & Messy Play Kits (in Boulder)
Noon Year's Eve party for ages 0 - 5. Includes arts & crafts, hot cocoa & coffee, apple cider, photo ops, fancy dance party and more. Advanced registration required.