Things to Do for Kids and Families on Long Island December 31 and January 1: New Year's Eve Parties and a Seal Cruise

12/28/11 - By Dara Stewart

     It's New Year's weekend! 

New Year's Eve celebrations dominate this weekend, so you'll find lots of NYE celebratory events for your family (see our New Year's Eve events roundup). For New Year's Day, it's time to get out and get in touch with nature with a New Year's Day hike and and a seal cruise.

Happy New Year!

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Saturday:

Countdown to '12
Long Island Children's Museum
Garden City
 12–4pm
Free with museum admission
Celebrate the New Year in the tradition of New York's famous Times Square with this animal-themed party in honor of the opening of the museum's newest gallery "Feasts for Beasts." The activity-filled day will include live music, a dance party, a ball drop, lots of fun, and a preview of "Feasts for Beasts."  
 

Family New Year's Eve Ice Cream Party
 Bayville Winter Wonderland
12:30–2pm
$12.95–$22.95
Celebrate New Year's Eve with the fam at Bayville Winter Wonderland. There's a lunch party from 12:30 to 2pm and a dinner party from 5:30 to 7pm. The package includes pizza, burgers, and chicken fingers; a make-your-own sundae; party favors and balloons; holiday characters; a New Year's countdown with champagne for adults and sparkling cider for children; plus admission to Santa's Toy Factory Fun House; the Holiday Express Train Ride; and the Yo Ho Holiday Light Show.

NYE Matinee
300 
3:00pm - 6:
00pm
NYE Matinee
300 Long Island
Melville
3–  6pm
$21–$ 25
The family bowling party package includes shoe rental and unlimited bowling, a pizza buffet, party favors, and a sparkling-cider toast. 
New Year's Eve Party
Safari Adventure
6:00pm - 9:00pm 
 New Year's Eve Party
Safari Adventure
Riverhead
6– 9pm
$10–$15
It's a New Year's Eve dance party for the kiddies! Party includes noisemakers, hats, glow sticks and necklaces. There's a balloon drop at "midnight" and a New Year's cake. 

 Fishes & Wishes Family New Year's Eve Event
Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center
Riverhead
6:30– 11pm 
$39–$ 85
Your whole family can ring in the New Year with an evening that includes a champagne-and-sparkling-cider greeting, a cocktail hour, dinner buffet, dessert-&-ice-cream bar, a mock-midnight champagne & cider toast, and live DJ and entertainment.
Kids can enjoy their very own Winter Wonderland, which includes unlimited Submarine Simulator rides, animal encounters, Ray Bay feeding, face painting, crafts, and more.
Add $159 to the ticket price and stay the night at the brand-new Hyatt Place East End, which includes a bottle of champagne and Continental breakfast.
 

 Family New Year's Eve Party
United Skates of America
Seaford
6:30– 9:30pm
$20
Celebrate the New Year with a skate party! Price includes admission, skate rental, unlimited pizza and soda, chips and pretzels, 10 game tokens, a light rope necklace, and a countdown to the "New Year." 
 $2$$$$$$$$$$$

 Sunday:
 
New Year's Day Hike and Lighthouse Tower Tour
Fire Island Lighthouse
10am  
free–$ 7
Meet at the Robert Moses State Park Field No. 5 for a National Park Service Ranger–led walk around the western end of the National Seashore. Bring binoculars if you have them. Reservations required.
  
Seal Cruise 2012
Captain Lou's Fleet
Freeport
12:30– 3pm
$19–$ 24
A naturalist will be on hand to talk about the seals or other wildlife encountered on this excursion.