NORMAL - Brothers David and Daniel Timm, dressed in New Year's regalia, took a deep breath and listened to the countdown.

At precisely 12 o'clock they blew their noisemakers, and cheered for the New Year.

It wasn't difficult for 9-year-old David, and even 6-year-old Daniel to stay awake to greet the New Year.

They were celebrating Noon Year's Eve at Children's Discovery Museum at noon along with about 500 parents and kids at event that allows children to take part in New Year's Eve festivities without staying up too late.

"It's exciting," their mom, Karla Timm, shouted over the riot of noise makers.

The whole family including, dad Wayne Timm, wore glow-in-the-dark "2006" glasses that museum staff handed out to the party-goers.

Everyone gathered at the clock tower in the center of the museum to do the countdown 10 seconds before noon. The clocks - almost 20 of them - are part of a permanent display at the museum and include a funny, frog clock, a train, and comic character clocks.

Cassie Parent, 5, and her sister Megan, 2, of Normal were just warming up for the New Year's Eve celebration.

Their parents Paul and Lea Parent said this activity would be followed by a nap so the children could wakeup and celebrate the New Year again at midnight with friends and family at their party at home.

"They'll be up. We are even having our own balloon drop," Lea Parent said.

Other children dropped in and out at the Children's Discovery Museum throughout the day, making crafts and celebrating with a beach theme.

Some made water bracelets from plastic piping and colorful beads, others including 3-year-old Patrick Haas of Normal blew big bubbles.

Other activities included making pinwheels, fashioning festive visors and other fun things to wear, and having snacks.

Jo Schmidt, a volunteer from Noodles & Company, helped children make colorful pasta necklaces. Other volunteers and museum staff assisted with the variety activities.

Shari Buckellew, museum manger, painted colorful 2006 on children's faces and chatted with the children about the museum and about New Year's.

When adorned in all their newly completed finery, everyone made a New Year's parade to the central square on the first floor.

Parents also participated in many activities. Marty Davis said he opted not to try the limbo. He and his daughters Tori, 7, and Anna, 10, were among many who had been to the museum before but were attending their first New Year's celebration here. It was the museum's second Noon Year's Eve.

"This is it," said Jill Benson during the hubbub of the celebration. She brought her two children, Natalie, 8, and Sophie, 4, to the celebration and said they would be sleeping at midnight.

"We are usually in Florida this time of year. It's nice to have something to do here," she said.

The activity centers lasted all day. By noon alone 537 people had visited the museum, and another big batch was expected to take part in a second countdown at 4 p.m.