NORMAL - Sporting a sparkly painted tiger face and wearing a party hat she helped make, 3-year-old Anna Cordill was wide awake for the countdown to 12 o'clock on New Year's Eve.

That's 12 o'clock as in noon.

Her father, Mitchell Cordill, said he expected her to be sleeping when others in the Twin Cities count down to the New Year at midnight. Together, the Cordills shared "Noon Year's Eve" with about 400 others at the Children's Discovery Museum in downtown Normal.

The annual event, which was born to welcome 2000, allows the younger crowd to celebrate the New Year with fun activities without staying up past their bedtimes - while also being a great way to spend a few hours out of the house while schools are on holiday break. Countdowns were held at both noon and 3 p.m. Monday.

The Cordills and others gathered around the exhibit areas on the first, second and third floors of the museum. They heard, "Yeah 2008!" and joined in the countdown from 10. On the first floor, at the cheer of "Happy New Year," confetti burst out and showered down on families.

It was the first time the Cordills, of Bloomington, attended the event.

"It gave us a reason to get out of the house and let mom (Margaret) clean up from Christmas," he said, adding their older daughter Alexandra, 8, was visiting a friend.

The Deanne Burnett family of Chatsworth also saw the party as a way to ring in the new year without waiting until midnight.

"Probably they'll be sleeping," said Deanne, who was with her children, Ashley, 6, and Tyler, 8. They were anything but sleepy at the museum's noon event. Ashley made a purple party hat to match her purple shirt. They also blew noisemakers and made goofy 2008 glasses as part of their first visit to the museum on New Year's Eve.

"The kids are having fun," said their mother, amending that to, "We're having fun," as she showed off the crafts they'd made together.

For the museum, the New Year's Eve programs are a way for families to "enjoy the exhibits as well as the special activities," said Shelly Hanover, visitor service and volunteer coordinator. For several families, it was their first visit to the museum, and they enjoyed the permanent exhibits along with the seasonal special activities," she added.

Like a lot of parents, Lori Casner of Normal saw Noon Year's Eve as a chance to get her kids and some of their friends away from the video games for awhile. She said a video game tournament was likely be part of their New Year's Eve celebration at her home - especially for her 12-year-old son, Patrick. He was looking forward to that, but said he also enjoyed watching the confetti shoot out when the clock reached 12 at the museum.

"This is the only New Year's they will see," said his mom of the younger children with her.