Staying up late. Throwing confetti. Making noise. What part of New Year's Eve wouldn't the average child love?

To prove this holiday isn't just for grownups, we scoured magazines, books and Web sites for ideas to make New Year's Eve a family event. Some options:

Have nothing but appetizers and finger foods for supper. It doesn't have to be difficult — think mini pizzas, pigs in a blanket, tater tots, mini sandwiches, veggies and dip, cubed cheese, etc.Be sure to use lots of little umbrellas, swords and froufrou toothpicks. Get out the wine glasses or fancy goblets and serve sparkling juice. Make wishes for the new year.

Sometime before Saturday, buy a large 2006 calendar. Use a white crayon to write secret messages, appointments and other fun stuff on the squares. Make a date to eat supper in the back yard in July, for instance, or to wear purple on Feb. 6. Present the "magic calendar" to your children as a New Year's Eve treat.Each day of the new year, let your child color the square with a marker or crayon to reveal the secret message. (Just be sure to make a master copy for yourself, so you'll know what to expect.)

For a few bucks and a trip to a packaging supply store, you can have a New Year's noisemaker that's fun and safe.Just before midnight, spread several yards of plastic bubble wrap (large bubbles work best) on a hard surface such as a wood or tile floor. When the clock strikes 12, everybody jumps on the bubbles, and the pops sound like firecrackers.

Special occasions call for fancied-up play dough, don't you think? Here's a recipe for "glitter dough" that keeps for weeks in a sealed bag or container:Ingredients:3 cups flour1½ cups salt6 teaspoons cream of tartar3 cups water3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oilFood coloringGlitterMix together the dry ingredients (except the glitter) in a big pot. Add the water, oil and food coloring, and whisk until all lumps are gone and the food coloring is incorporated. Heat over medium heat and stir until the dough thickens and gathers into a big ball. Let cool completely. Knead in the glitter.

This one takes a little work beforehand, but the results will delight young partiers. How to do it, from FamilyFun.com:Line up two rectangular paper tablecloths and punch holes every two to three inches down one long side of each. Stitch the tablecloths together with yarn, leaving a foot or so at the end for a rip cord.Tape the cloth to the ceiling on three sides, leaving the side opposite the rip cord open. Tape the cord up separately, so it's accessible. Let the center of the cloth hang down to allow space for the balloons.Inflate lots and lots of balloons (75 at least). Stuff the cloth with balloons, then add confetti and thin streamers on top. Tape up the last side of the cloth.At the stroke of midnight, let her rip! One strong pull tears through the paper, releasing a cascade of balloons and confetti, followed by stomping feet and lots of smiles.

If the children are too young to stay up until midnight to ring in the New Year, head to a museum the next day.