New Year’s Eve Family Fun

New Year’s Eve is rarely as exciting as it was pre-kids, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your family.

Here are some fun family celebrations to spend the night saying goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011:

New Year’s Eve Puppet Show
Who: All ages.
What: Enjoy a puppet with by Jennifer Levine as Princess Moxie! Each show is half an hour long followed by a half-hour puppet making workshop.
Where: StudioKids Art, 211 Glenridge Ave, Montclair, NJ.
When: Friday, December 31 at 3 pm – 4 pm, 7 pm – 8 pm, and 9 pm – 10 pm.
Cost: $10 per person. Click here or call 973.744.6484 to register.

School of Rock’s Winter Camp Concert
Who: All ages.
What: End 2010 with a bang with School of Rock’s special New Year’s Eve lunchtime concert! Winter Camp students will be playing hits by Kiss, The Ramones, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Green Day, Metallica, Eric Clapton, U2, The Clash, and James Brown.
Where: Just Jake’s, 30 Park Street, Montclair, NJ.
When: Friday, December 31 at 12:30 pm.
Cost: $5 for adults / Children and teens under 17 are free. Tickets can be purchased at School of Rock, 125 Valley Road in Montclair or at the door of Just Jake’s Call 973.337.5296 for more information.

First Night Maplewood / South Orange
Who: All ages.
What: First Night Maplewood / South Orange is a fun family New Year’s Eve event. Enjoy a magic show, puppets, hip hop peformance, comedy show, music and more.
Where: South Orange Middle School, 70 North Ridgewood Road, South Orange, NJ.
When: Thursday, December 31 from 3 pm – 11 pm.
Cost: $15 per person. Kids under 3 free.

First Night Montclair 2011
Who: All ages.
What: Fun, family New Year’s Eve celebration featuring the Big Apple Circus to Go, Magician Joe Fischer, Wild ‘n Wacky, Jazz House Kids, and Terry’s Serendipity Café.
Where: First Night Montclair offers Big Apple Circus, Magician Joe Fischer and Wild ‘n Wacky to Go at Hillside School Auditorium, 54 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ, 07042.  Jazz House Kids and Terry’s Serendipity Café will hold shows at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Montclair, 67 Church Street, Montclair, NJ, 07042.
When: Thursday, December 31 from 5 pm – midnight.
Cost: $15 for Big Apple Circus and $5 general admission for all other shows. Tickets go on sale Monday, December 13 and may be purchased at Montclair Recreation, 205 Claremont Avenue, Montclair (cash or check), Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

Little Scoops New Year’s Bouncing “Early Eve”
Who: Little party revelers and their parents.
What: Ring in the New Year at Little Scoops with healthy snacks, fun fruit punches, hats, blowers, and ice cream sundaes. Bounce in the inflatable and dance to different decades of music.
Where: Little Scoops, 9 North Union Avenue, Cranford, NJ.
When: Friday, December 31 from 5:30 pm – 7 pm.
Cost: $25 per child / $20 per adult.

New Year’s Family Overnight Encampment
Who: All ages.
What: Spend New Years’ Eve aboard a real New Jersey Battleship! Enjoy dinner and breakfast from the chow line, tour the battleship, ride the 4D flight simulator, and sleep in the bunks where the crew of the Big J once did! Plus, get the best view of the Delaware River fireworks shows at midnight!
Where: Battleship New Jersey, 62 Battleship Place, Camden, NJ.
When: Friday, December 31. Call for boarding times.
Cost: $60.95 per person for overnight encampment. $8 person for fireworks show only. Advance reservation required. To reserve your bunk, call 1-866-877-6262 ext. 203. Click here for more information.

For the family who really wants to ring in the New Year in style, The Plaza Hotel is throwing a family party called Black, White and Pink New Year’s Eve at The Plaza. Celebrate like Eloise at this bash:

Black, White and Pink New Year’s Eve at the Plaza
Who: All ages.
What: Ring in the new year  in typical Plaza (and Eloise) fashion at this over-the-top, family-friendly celebration.  The celebration begins with dinner in The Palm Court, including a Chef’s Chocolate Factory display for kids featuring giant lollipops, gumdrops, a chocolate fountain, sundae bar and more.  Next, kids will have fun in the Eloise at the Plaza shop, with games, arts & crafts, and Eloise-themed activities for all ages, followed by a screening of Eloise cartoons and Home Alone 2.  End the night back at The Palm Court for a dessert and a hot fudge sundae bar.
Where: The Plaza Hotel, 768 5th Ave. at Central Park South, NYC.
When: Friday, December 31 starting at 5:30 pm.
Cost: $120 for adults /$85 for kids up to 12-years-old.  Advance reservations required.  Call 212.546.5300 to reserve a spot. If you want to spend the night: rates are $995 per night, based on double occupancy and a two-night minimum.

What are your plans?

(Photo: Flickr/networker)