Children’s museum rings in the ‘noon year’
Inflatable planetarium, photo booth, reptiles and more put a twist on to kids’ New Year’s Eve
East Lyme — By 11:59 a.m. on Tuesday, dozens of children, some of whom had been intermittently calling out, “Three ... two ... one!” for the past 10 minutes, had gathered beneath a suspended net holding 300 balloons in varying shades of blue.
With the assistance of Captain America, state Sen. Paul Formica pulled on a string until the net broke, shouting “Happy New Year!” as the balloons fell below. The sounds of kids’ delighted squeals soon yielded to the sounds of balloons popping.
The Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut has been holding a Countdown to Noon at the East Lyme Community Center on Dec. 31 for about the past five years, after the event outgrew its space at the museum, Executive Director Holly Cheeseman said.
The event is in recognition that young children probably won’t stay awake until midnight — and let’s be honest: Their parents might not want to stay up, either.
Other places in the region hold mid-day events for kids on New Year’s Eve. The Noon Year’s Eve party at Groton Public Library featured a balloon drop, music and a sparkling juice toast. Waterford Public Library held an event with a craft, parade around the library and countdown.
But the one the Children’s Museum hosts is the biggest; Cheeseman said about 400 people attended last year. With the community center parking lot filled up, people parked in the Lillie B. Haynes School lot across the street, passing the Rolling Tomato food truck as they entered the front doors of the community center.
Some went in STARLAB, the museum’s portable, inflatable planetarium.
“I love the stars. They’re really cool,” said 9-year-old Ethan LaFortune. He said his favorite memory of 2019 was going to Disney World, and in 2020, he’s looking forward to his family’s Caribbean cruise.
His father, Ryan LaFortune, said the family is from Sturbridge, Mass., but is staying in this area, and his wife found Countdown to Noon while looking up children’s events.
“We don’t have to wait until midnight for the kids to celebrate something,” said Jessica Doubleday, who came to the event from Windham. In the 11 a.m. hour, she waited in line for the photo booth with her 2-yearold, Meadow, who was excited for the photo booth because of the fun hats, and because she got a camera for Christmas.
Doubleday said some of her highlights of 2019 were starting a new position at a school in Norwich and buying a house.
In another room, 6-yearold Naya Kitners — who said her favorite memories of 2019 were Christmas and the birth of her little sister, Hazel — approached museum educator Katie Walvatne, who was holding Bob the bearded dragon. “This feels a little pokey,” she said. Walvatne also let kids touch Loki the leopard gecko.
“One finger, and we only touch him on his back, not on his tail and not on his face,” she said, adding, “his tail can actually come off.”
Some of the kids were wearing masks they had made in the room that also had the balloons, photo booth, Captain
America, construction toys and a liquid nitrogen ice cream demonstration. Nathanael Appiah, 7, explained that he put horns on his mask and it gave him the idea to call it the “red devil,” and that he had earlier taken a picture in the photo booth with his friends from soccer.
After the balloon drop, Alyssa Reed sat on the floor as her sons, 4 and 6, played with the construction toys. They had made lightsabers earlier; they also had gotten lightsabers for Christmas.
“They just love the Children’s Museum, so they get to do some of the same stuff,” Reed said. She said she’s hoping for a 2020 with “good times and good health and new, exciting adventures.”