FOR THE KIDS / NEW YEAR’S EVE : The Night Is Young for These Revelers : A teen-age bash in Thousand Oaks and a children’s slumber party in Oxnard are two safe ways to greet 1994.

New Year’s Eve is generally an adult holiday, but in Oxnard and Thousand Oaks this year kids will be partying the night away in safe, nonalcoholic fashion.

Both cities are sponsoring all-night affairs that will give parents a worry-free night out and give their children a chance to share in the New Year’s Eve merriment.

In Thousand Oaks, high school students can party-hearty all night at the Teen Center, which will have a little bit of everything going on--including a Las Vegas-style casino.

The party begins at 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve and ends at 6 a.m. with a pancake breakfast. The cost is $10 per person and includes everything.

At least 500 students are expected to come, according to Brenda Coleman, director of the Teen Center. They won’t be bored.

The lobby will be transformed into a casino with a crap table, roulette wheel, and four blackjack tables. Dealers will wear formal attire. Kids can play with chips and trade them for prizes donated by people from the community.

Or, they can dance until they drop. A battle-of-the-deejays will be going on among three deejays who will hold lip-syncing and break-dancing contest. Comedians will do their thing from 1 to 2:30 a.m.

If all that is too rowdy, they can chill out in the coffeehouse created in one of the classrooms. There, they can sip espresso, hear poetry or mellow entertainment.

At midnight, though, the place will rock. A thousand balloons will drop from the rafters of the gym. The countdown will appear on the basketball scoreboard.

No one is expected to bring a sleeping bag and get some sleep, Coleman said. The idea is to stay up all night.

Kids will be expected to stay at the Teen Center once they get there, and no one else will be admitted after midnight. During the night, two Sheriff’s Department deputies will be on hand, and members of the Thousand Oaks PTO will oversee the casino operation.

The Teen Center has held a New Year’s Eve party for seven years, but this is the first time it’s been an all-nighter. More than $3,500 in cash and merchandise has been donated for the huge party by people in the community.

It makes more sense to have the kids stay all night, Coleman said, than to send them home shortly after midnight when drunk drivers are on the road. This party will be similar to the all-nighter the Teen Center sponsored for high school graduates last spring, she said.

Oxnard’s all-nighter is billed as a slumber party for kids 6 to 11 years old, a program the city has offered for some eight years. But sleep isn’t a top priority. In fact, the kids try their best to stay awake all night, according to Paul Ronan, recreation coordinator.

“No one gets a good night’s sleep--especially the staff,” Ronan said. The party starts at 7 p.m. on New Years Eve and ends at 9 a.m. the next morning. “By that time, they’re a tired group of campers,” he said.

The slumber party is designed for children whose parents attend parties and other events on the big night. This way the kids won’t be home alone or with a sitter past midnight.

The fee is $25 per child and includes everything. The children need only bring a sleeping bag, pillow, toothbrush and stuffed animal, if they wish.

The party will be at the Oxnard Community Center, 800 Hobson Way. During the evening, the kids will play games, do crafts, and watch videos. They’ll munch popcorn and pizza and toast in the new year with soda and party favors.

Usually the slumber party draws 20 to 30 kids with a maximum limit of 35. Three or four adult staff members will be present. In the morning, before leaving, the weary youngsters will be served a breakfast of cereal and a sweet roll.

Details

* An all-night New Year’s Eve bash for high school students will be held at the Thousand Oaks Teen Center, 1375 E. Janss Road, for high school students. The party runs from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning. Cost is $10 per person. Tickets are available at the Teen Center and at Thousand Oaks high schools, or at the door. For information, call 494-5156.

* An all-night New Year’s slumber party for kids 6 to 11 years old will be sponsored by the city of Oxnard at the Oxnard Community Center, 800 Hobson Way. The party runs from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Cost is $25 per child. Preregistration is required. For information, call 385-7995.