New Year's Events for Kids in Indianapolis

In Indianapolis, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations aren't just for adults. The city has a variety of family-friendly events for you and your children, depending on their age and interests. Most of the events or activities won't break the budget, either, which always is so important just after the Christmas season.

Indianapolis Children's Museum

The Indianapolis Children's Museum (childrensmuseum.org) plans a bevy of New Year's Day activities for its young guests. Curators and staff prepare informative historical and scientific presentations, story readings, dramatic plays, sound and light shows, and interactive energetic activities each designed to meet a different age group.

Carriage Tour

Play tourist in your own city and take the kids on a carriage tour through downtown Indianapolis. Both Yellow Rose Carriages (indycarriage.com) and Blue Ribbon Carriages (blueribboncarriages.com) have horse-drawn carriages to take you and your family on a sightseeing trip of Indianapolis. Tours last either 30 minutes, 45 minutes or an hour, depending on the carriage company and the tour you select. Inclement weather cancels the tours.

Ice Skating

The Indiana World Skating Academy (iswsa.org) has year-round skating at Indianapolis' Pan Am Plaza. You can even ring in the new year with your child there because the rink stays open until midnight on New Year's Eve.Sleep in on Jan. 1; public skating starts again in the afternoon.

Conner Prairie Gingerbread House

The Conner Prairie Interactive History Park (connerprairie.org) is approximately 20 minutes south of Indianapolis in Fishers, Indiana. The park has a Gingerbread Village that is open every day in December, including Dec. 31. Children and parents can prepare for the New Year season by creating a gingerbread house and entering it into a competition for various prizes. A visit to Gingerbread Village walks guests through a path of edible treats commemorative of the holiday season. Admission fee is required.