APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) -The clock wouldn’t strike midnight for several more hours, but that didn’t stop one area children’s museum from celebrating like the New Year was already upon them.

“It’s really fun and I’m really happy that I get to do it,” says 9-year-old Alexander Markley.

On New Year’s Eve, he was at the Building for Kids Children’s Museum in Appleton for their annual countdown to New Year’s event.

Markley and other kids that came out, spent the day making noise-makers, doing crafts, painting pictures, and even taking in a replica of the Times Square crystal ball employees at the museum had made.

At three times during the day, there was a pretend countdown to New Year’s followed by kids shaking their noisemakers and throwing confetti up into the air.

Last year, the museum was unable to hold the event because of the pandemic instead, opting for a virtual version. But museum employees say having it in person is much more fun.

“We’re so excited to have our celebration in person again, you can’t really throw confetti virtually so it’s a lot of fun to do it in person and see all the kids get excited about it and to welcome in 2022 with a lot of excitement and fun,” says Marketing Manager for the Building for Kids Children’s Museum Casie Holdcroft.

To keep things safe, the museum requires masks and for people to pre-register to come to the event.