If you’re celebrating New Year’s Eve at home with kids, and you can’t wait until real midnight to get them to bed, we’ve got some fun ideas for you! In 2018, we first shared a series of brilliant Netflix fake ball drop shows, and it was a parents’ New Year’s Eve lifesaver for us. Since then, there have since been a lot more fake ball drop or New Year’s Eve countdown videos for kids and we’re sharing the best ones we’ve found to ring in 2023.

If your kids are too young (or you’re too tired, ha!) to stay up till the new year, just turn one of these family friendly ball drops anytime you want, then tuck your kids in bed way earlier than midnight.

The Best New Year’s Eve Countdown Videos for Kids

Here’s why we consider these the best nNew Year’s Eve countdown videos for kids that we’ve found so far: They look nice, they all have some sound effects or music, they don’t have big commercial messages, they don’t have pop-up ads in the middle, and of course, they all end end with a bang instead of just stopping at 1 (or cutting off short) which a few do.

But not a scary bang. (Don’t worry, parents of little ones.)

Pro tip: If you find the countdown clock video you like, queue it up in advance so you don’t have to wait through a pre-roll ad when you’re ready to get that “ball” rolling. Or uh, dropping.

Related: Fun New Year’s Eve mocktail ideas for the kids that make things more festive

© Skylanders Academy / Netflix

1. Netflix has a Skylanders Academy New Year’s Eve countdown video that’s entertaining and really well done for fans of the franchise. They may have more videos available on December 31 as they generally do each year  — just open the app and see what’s available that afternoon.

2. This 60 second countdown video from All-Design Creative on YouTube is so sophisticated, even adults can use it. Simple and does the job.

3. Twinkle Educational has created a very kid-friendly 10-second New Year’s Eve kids countdown that’s a bit more cartoony and nice for younger kids.

4. This “Make a Wish” New Year’s Eve countdown video (at very top, by magic move) isn’t made specifically for kids, but kids will love it because it asks you to make a wish for the new year. Which is a great idea for all of us.

5. For something really entertaining, but a little different, check out this cute New Year video short from animator Martian Lou, which skips counting, and instead animates the numbers 2-0-2-3 saying goodbye to the 3, welcoming the 4, and culminatingin the fireworks and cheering part. In fact, this could be a great one to show kids as soon as they wake up the morning of January 1 — should you all have fallen asleep before even the fake countdown clock videos could begin