Dear Diary,

What if you could drive to a New Year’s Eve party with your children and be back home before bedtime? No, that’s not a dream! It’s the reality of children growing up in Pittsburgh. Several family-friendly venues are offering very cool countdowns for kids. You can also ring in 2017 at midnight, if your kids can handle staying up without falling out in a tantrum.

Countdown to Noon

Are you searching for a countdown in a different time zone to celebrate the New Year early with your kids? If so, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh offers an even better solution to celebrate before bedtime. The Countdown to Noon party kicks off at 11:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and offers children and families a fun alternative to staying up until midnight. Kids can create a party blower in the Art Studio, make party hats in MAKESHOP and enjoy live music by Lee Robinson and his jazz quartet at noon.

New Year’s Even Family Celebration

From 6-9 p.m., families can party the evening away at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The party features fun activities, like an interactive train display, and a countdown at 8:45 p.m.

Click here for more kids countdown celebrations.

About The Author

Vlog Mom/DFTM Creator

Not long ago, Heather Hopson hosted a television show in the Cayman Islands. Today, she's back home writing a different kind of story as a new mom. In her 15 years working as a professional journalist, this by far is her best assignment! Growing up, she dreamed of becoming Oprah Winfrey. She was the features editor for her school’s newspaper and a teen talk show host for her city’s most popular radio station. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Michigan State University. After graduation, she worked as a television producer and reporter at CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates throughout the U.S. Instead of heading to Chicago to join Ms. Winfrey on her set, she bought a plane ticket to the Cayman Islands instead. She arrived five days before a category five hurricane! She lived in paradise for seven years, hosted an award-winning television show and traveled the globe with a government delegation. She also served on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters and spearheaded a Send a Kid to Camp campaign. Then, she relocated to Washington, D.C. to obtain a teaching certification and instruct 8th grade reading at a high needs middle school. She later returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA to raise her daughter Caitlynn, now 4-years-old. During her 10-month-stint as a stay-at-home mom, Caitlynn inspired her to create this blog, and Diary of a First Time Mom was born on Mother’s Day 2012. Two years later, she expanded the family to include 20+ writers. Currently, Heather serves as the communications director at Allies for Children. In addition, she is the owner of Motor Mouth Multimedia, which ranked #49 in Startup Nation’s Home-Based 100 Competition sponsored by Discover Card and Sam’s Club. Recently, The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments selected Heather to receive an Emerging Black Artist award to develop Diary of a First Time Mom.

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