Ringing in the New Year is the last gasp of fun during the winter holiday season. And while we adults have lots of ways to do it, it can be a challenge when you’re a kid. There’s no chance in the world that my kids are going to be able to stay up until midnight — and even if they could, I wouldn’t wish the next day on anyone.
That’s where Netflix got smart this year. We’re all familiar with Netflix’s on-demand entertainment, fun stuff anywhere you need it anytime you can manage. When they surveyed parents, they found that over a third of parents said they were planning early parties or fooling their kids into thinking it’s midnight… and they figured, why not make it cooler?
And why not party with one of the coolest party animals this side of Madagascar?
With King Julien, the star of new Netflix exclusive Madagascar spinoff “All Hail King Julien” (that my kids adore… I mean, lemurs?), they’ve put together a custom countdown to play at any point during the night. Get some party hats, put together some jungle style treats, and you’re all set to go.
You can even run a marathon viewing of the show first! My kids love the prequel story style, essentially the origin story of King Julien… and my husband and I appreciate the vocal stylings of Andy Richter and Henry Winkler. You know, as you do.
And don’t forget to open up some conversation about lemurs, too. Maybe it’s because I live near the Duke Lemur Center, but their plight is near and dear to me, and it’s something my kids really respond to. Heck, you could even adopt a lemur for the new year! How’s that for a sweet family resolution?
GeekMom is a Netflix StreamTeam member.
My friend at Dreamworks John Singh brought this idea from conception to completion ! We had a fun time watching it with him and my daughter. 🙂