9 Family-Friendly Ways to Ring In the New Year

Happy New Year 2023

There are plenty of fun ways to celebrate the new year with your family, even if your crew won’t be staying up until midnight. Check out these entertaining New Year’s Eve activities near you:

Countdown2Noon, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia
Countdown to Noon all before bedtime! There will be live music, crafts, a visit from Squiggles and a celebratory ball drop. All ages, $25.00, discounted for members.

Museum of Illusions: Scavenger Hunt, Philadelphia, PA
New Year’s Eve is the final day of the Kids Holiday Scavenger Hunt with a special prize at the end, Museum features more than 60 installations from 2D artistic illusions to more immersive exhibits and is open from 9am to 7pm New Year’s Eve.

Kids New Year’s Eve Countdown, Franklin Square, Philadelphia

Enjoy this family-friendly celebration with music and crafts from 5:00 – 6:00 pm before the Square Drop from atop Square Burger at 6:00 pm. All ages, free

New Year’s Eve Fireworks, Delaware River Waterfront, 100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ
Two shows, one at 6:00 pm perfect for families, and a second one at midnight. Ring in the New Year with a fantastic fireworks display on the Delaware River waterfront. All ages, free

New Year’s Eve Countdown and Balloon Drop, Romp and Roll, Willow Grove, PA

Watch fireworks over the Delaware River from the historic deck of the Battleship New Jersey! Enjoy music, food, a cash bar for adults, and have the chance to fire a Gun Salute. Proceeds go to the on-going restoration of the Battleship, a non-profit museum and memorial.  Tickets are a $10 donation for the general session for both the 6pm and Midnight fireworks shows.

New Year’s Eve “Sea-son of Lights”, Independence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Celebrate the last Saturday of the museum’s Sea-son of Lights with a family-friendly mini-experiments in the Citizen Science Lab. On New Year’s Eve, the experiments are at noon, 1pm, and 2 pm, before the museum closes at 3pm.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Battleship New Jersey, 211 Christopher Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia
Enjoy a kid-friendly celebration from 10am – 6 pm, complete with noisemakers, party hats, confetti and ginger ale toast! All before the Delaware Riverfront fireworks display at 6pm. All ages, Adults: $18/Children ages 3-12 $14/children under 3 free

New Year’s Eve in Kennett Square, 101 South Union Street, Kennett Square

Ring in the new year with food, entertainment and activities until 8pm then watch the raising and lighting of the Mushrooms! The Midnight in the Square celebration has food, entertainment and activities starting at 7:30pm then watch the raising and lighting of the Mushroom around 8:45! All ages, free

Noon Year’s Eve, Brandywine Zoo, 1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington, Delaware
Celebrate Zoo-style and ring in the New Year at NOON! Enjoy the animals, plus crafts, a celebratory atmosphere and of course a sparkling cider toast as the clock strikes 12 (Noon!) Free for members, $5 for non-members, kids under 3, free.   

Updated December 2022