12 hours early, it's 2011

December 30, 2010 11:00 pm • Last Updated: December 31, 2010 4:58 pm

By Claire Bessette
Day Staff Writer

Krista Geer, right, laughs as her daughter Emma, 7, battles other girls with party noisemakers as a capacity crowd fills the Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut for an early New Year celebration Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. At noon the crowd of children and their caregivers gathered around and counted down as a mirrored ball was lowered following by the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

East Lyme – The New Year's party started early for about 200 people at the Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut today.

The museum hosted its annual popular Countdown to Noon party with a capacity crowd inside and dozens more people blowing bubbles and climbing playground equipment outside as they waited for the big event. A shiny silver globe suspended on a pulley from the ceiling dropped to the floor precisely at noon as children wearing freshly crafted party hats blew their noisemakers as loud as possible.

The museum used an international theme with hands-on play stations to allow children to celebrate the New Year in customs of Nigeria, Japan, Vietnam and the Caribbean.

"This is awesome," said Christy Thomas of Gales Ferry, mother of Lucy, 2, and Cally, 4. "There's no way my kids can make it to midnight."

Rilynn Pollard, 2, of Quaker Hill, right, models her party hat to Ryleigh Butterworth, 3, left, and her mother Karen, center, of Oakdale, in the craft room at the Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut prior to an early New Year celebration Friday, Dec. 31, 2010.

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