How to celebrate 2026 with kids long before midnight

Florida offers numerous family-friendly New Year’s Eve events with early countdowns for children.
For families staying home, streaming services like Netflix and YouTube offer on-demand countdowns featuring popular kids’ characters.

We are still weeks away from the start of 2026! However, you might not exactly love the idea of your kids staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop later this month.

Good news — there are multiple countdowns you and your family can celebrate throughout the state, all ending before 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31.

For those wanting to get their children to bed earlier or enjoy a family-friendly NYE celebration, here’s a look at some events you can head to in Florida.

Dave and Buster’s Family New Year’s Eve

Most Dave and Buster’s locations will host kid-friendly NYE parties. They invite those to start the celebrations early at 4 p.m. and enjoy the following until 7 p.m.:

Unlimited video gameplay
A $20 Power Card
A chef-curated banquet — from mini pretzel dogs to churros

“Raise a glass with a ginger ale toast and join in on the excitement of our video ball drop—all in time to get home before midnight,” the website says.

There are 10 locations in Florida. To purchase event tickets, click here. Tickets are $33.79 per person.

Kids New Year’s Eve at LEGOLAND Florida

Once again, Winter Haven’s LEGOLAND Florida theme park is hosting its kid-friendly NYE festivities. According to their website, guests will be treated to a countdown and fireworks display at 8 p.m. to welcome in 2026.

“‘Midnight’ comes early for families at LEGOLAND Florida Resort, celebrating the New Year together with brick-bursting fireworks and awesome entertainment, all without missing their bedtimes,” its website shares.

The celebrations are included with your park ticket. Admission to LEGOLAND starts at $59 per person before taxes and fees. You can also purchase the “New Year’s Eve Fireworks VIP” package, which provides guests with a reserved seat for the fireworks show. The package is $30 per guest.

New Year’s Eve Party at Boxi Park

Lake Nona’s Boxi Park will host a celebration with live music, face painting, and kid-friendly activities from 4 to 8 p.m. To ring in 2026, Boxi Park has a countdown with a “balloon ball drop” at 7 p.m.

Admission to the party is $10 in advance and $15 at the door, with children 5 and under admitted free. You can purchase tickets here.

Crayola Orlando’s Jazzberry Jammin’ New Year’s Eve

End the year in the most colorful way possible!

Crayola Orlando is hosting a NYE celebration with a DJ dance party from noon to 4 p.m. with DJ Sarah Masters. They will host midday countdowns at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., with a streamer launch to ring in the New Year.

The event will also have character appearances and special themed activities. The event is included with admission, which is $30.99 per person.

Noon Year’s Eve at MODS

Fort Lauderdale residents can visit the Museum of Discovery and Science for a midday celebration featuring immersive activities, music, dancing, and science. Officials said children can create festive party gear as they prepare for a noon ball drop to ring in the new year.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is included with a museum ticket, which is $29.50 for adults and $23.50 for children (2 through 12).

Fernandina Beach New Year’s Eve Shrimp Drop

Fernandina Beach’s NYE celebration is shrimp-ly the best!

Its 2026 Shrimp Drop will have food, vendors, and family-friendly fireworks. The free event will run from 5 to 8 p.m., with the “Shrimp Drop” at 7 p.m.

Harborwalk Village New Year’s Eve

HarborWalk Village in Destin hosts a New Year’s Eve celebration for kids, going from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Its description says it will host “fun activities, creative crafts, a DJ Dance Party on the lawn, and a special daytime smoke-show firework display at noon.”

The event is free, and its descriptions state that there is free on-site parking.

UTC’s Family-Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebration

Ring in 2026 at UTC’s New Year’s Eve at Sarasota’s The Green on Dec. 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. Celebrate with live entertainment, a DJ, food, face painting, and a countdown to a fireworks show.

The family-friendly event is free and will be held on The Green at UTC, near Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar.

Downtown Countdown at Glazer Children’s Museum

Families can ring in the New Year at the Glazer Children’s Museum with countdowns, themed crafts, and celebrations throughout the day on New Year’s Eve. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Countdown is included with museum admission, which costs $24.95 per person. Florida resident tickets are $19.95 per person.

New Year at ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Worried you might not get out the door in time and miss the countdown? How about an event with a ball drop every hour?

At ZooTampa’s New Year’s Eve celebration, guests can enjoy hourly countdowns from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will also feature festive foods, live DJ, kid-friendly activities, and fun giveaways.

The event is included with zoo admission, which is $51.95 for adults, and a child’s ticket (ages 3 through 11) is $41.95.

Pier Park New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop

Up in the Panhandle, Panama City Beach’s famous “Beach Ball Drop” has a kid-friendly version a few hours before its massive midnight one.

Catering to those with earlier bedtimes, guests will have 10,000 inflated beach balls descending from above at 8 p.m. in Pier Park. The first round of fireworks will begin over Panama City Beach, lighting up the night sky.

And for those who are staying home for the holiday, here are some countdowns you can load up on your television or computer for your kids:

Larva Island’s New Year’s Eve Countdown

Netflix’s hit show “Larva Island” offered a countdown to welcome 2021 that can still work for 2026.

Netflix New Year’s Eve Countdown

Netflix has released various countdowns to stream at any time so that kids can welcome in the new year a few hours early. Just search for the countdowns on Netflix.

PBS Kids’ New Year’s Eve Countdown

PBS Kids usually releases a countdown featuring favorite PBS characters for parents to play with their kids, with past year’s countdowns including DJ Walrus and Daniel Tiger. The countdowns are available on YouTube and do not require a subscription.

‘Sesame Street’ New Year’s Countdown

For a more nostalgic countdown, “Sesame Street” fans can watch this two-minute countdown featuring iconic characters such as Elmo, The Count and Big Bird.