MANKATO — Hundreds of kids and parents got a 12-hour jump on the New Year Sunday at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.
Heather Winters, of Mapleton, was there with sons Tate, almost 2, and Wyatt, 3, watching over Tate as he sprayed water on a large Plexiglass wall and then painted on it.
“Don’t try to eat it,” she had to say several times as Tate put the brush in his mouth.
Winters has a membership at the museum and visits fairly often.
“It’s fun to come here and let them wear off some steam. My kids can easily stay here for two hours and then I have to force them to go home.”
She likes the painting station, an area splattered with water and different colored paints. “At least they can make a mess here instead of at home.”
The Noon Year’s Eve party ran from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a dropping of a lighted ball at noon followed by a one-hour dance party.
The kids took part in a variety of arts and crafts projects and could decorate paper “wishing stars” and then put them in the bottom of the museum’s wind tunnel, which would carry them and then spew them out the top to settle down onto the floor.
Chris Olsen, of Mankato, was there with his son Harvey, 5, and daughter Sadie, 7.
He said the family visits the museum frequently in the winter months.
“We’ve probably been here five or six times during the Christmas break. We were here twice on Thursday.”
Rachel Gemlo, who has been with the museum for three years as director of programming, said the Noon Year’s Eve party is one of the most popular of the year, drawing 500-700 people.
“We have programming a couple of times every day and bigger programs once a month or so.”
She said any visit by animals, including those from Pet Expo and Mending Spirits animal rescue, or when reindeer are brought in, are always a big hit.
They do gingerbread house workshops during the holidays, and on any non-school days they try to ramp up the offerings and events.
The museum is seeing steady membership growth, setting new records in each of the recent years.