60 New Year's Eve Games To Zhoosh Up The Celebrations

For this one, think of and write down well-known couples from history (Bonnie & Clyde), pop culture (Tarzan & Jane), or the present (Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively). However, use separate sticky notes for each name. Then, place one sticky on each player's back. As players go about the party, they engage in yes-and-no conversations with each other to learn their identities and subsequently find their soulmates. For just this game, at least!

Note down the easily recognizable lyrics to the year’s top pop tunes, then cut them in half. You should have a bunch of different songs’ lyrics cut in half. Fold those notes in half, then put them inside a bowl. Let each player draw one. Players should then try to find the person who has the "missing half" of their song lyrics.

For this game, you will get to play your favorite tunes and hits of the year. Have people dance and randomly press the pause button. The game’s premise is that dancers must stop moving simultaneously as the music stops playing. The person with the slowest reaction gets eliminated. The last left standing on the dancefloor becomes the winner!

One is never too old to enjoy some sparklers during the holidays! Place a bucket full of sparklers on a balcony or terrace as a fun way to keep guests of all ages entertained. Sparklers are a much safer (and more dog-friendly) option than fireworks. Additionally, they make excellent photo props!

Hold a cluster of long, same-color ribbons so that the ends hang loosely. Tell each dancer to grab one ribbon end, then you should release them all at once. Dance partners will be the two people hanging on to the same ribbon. It’s a terrific game to get everyone involved and create the most unexpected dancing duos! Also, you may make it a rule that the couple should dance to at least one song together.

To play this game, you may want to start gathering empty soda cans before your party. Also, you will need a bag of party blowers. The goal of this game is to use a party blower only to overturn six drink cans without using your hands. The person who knocks over all the cans first wins!

An activity to ensure your guests have sung their hearts out before midnight and won't disturb your elderly neighbors during the early morning hours! To host a karaoke sing-off, look up the year's best songs, put their titles on slips of paper and ask your guests to pick one to perform.

Make a batch of transparent slime before the shindig. Divide equally among bowls, one for each kid joining the party (kids over the age of 20 also count). Once the guests arrive, let the children use food coloring, glitter, and confetti to create their own slime. Also, have plastic bags available for them to take it home!

The little guests of the party will undoubtedly be amazed by this fun scientific game! You'll need oil, water, food coloring, and clear glass jars for this one. First, fill the jars with water to about 3/4 full, then give it to each child. In each bowl, add a few tablespoons of oil. Then, after adding a few drops of different food coloring, children can gently stir the mixture with a fork. Each child can then pour this mixture into a glass jar to see the liquid fireworks ignite!

This fun dice game for the whole family is a lovely way to remember beautiful moments from the now-ending year. The game contains sweets, so the little ones will surely enjoy this one. A bag of candies, one dice, and the free printable that you can download from here is all you need to play. The game's premise is that you roll the dice and, depending on the outcome, you will have to take the appropriate amount of sweets and answer the question related to the previous year.

Get into the mood by listening to some festive bangers! Simply hum a part of a well-known New Year’s song (you are welcome to throw in some Christmas tunes), and let your family or friends guess the song within 20 seconds. Those who guess the tune, get the point and move to the next round. And you better include ABBA’s “Happy New Year” in this one!

Jeopardy is one game that really brings out everyone's inner foe and prizefighter! Clearing a category in this renowned trivia game shows intelligence and that you can perform brilliantly on the show — you just choose not to. Right? You can hold the competition at your own home during the New Year's Eve party with a free-to-download New Year's edition of the game!

Give each party guest a specific amount of bells as they arrive. Explain to your guests that the game's goal is to get rid of their bells by midnight. But there's a twist to it — without getting caught! The bells are hung on a clothesline you set up somewhere inside your house before the party. If someone witnesses another player trying to get rid of their bell, they must remove it from the clothesline. In addition, they must also take another bell currently hanging on the clothesline and add it to their collection as a punishment. By midnight, the person with the fewest (or zero) remaining bells wins!

To play this game, you will have to set up any upright object (a chair leg, broomstick, or kitchen roll holder) so players can have something to toss their tiaras around. Hand the first player three New Year-themed tiaras. The players play one after the other, so to make it fair, each must be given the exact same time to ring their tiaras. A player who rings all three tiaras the fastest or before the time is up wins.

Each player should be handed five balloons filled with confetti. The contestants must then pop each of the five balloons within the specified time while wearing thick winter gloves. You may want to divide your players into teams to encourage support for their teammates. But beware, things will get messy!

Create a list of 20 questions about recent events and popular culture ahead of the party. Here are some examples: "Who won the Grammy for best song?", "What movie won an Oscar for best picture?", "In which country did Eurovision take place this year?" and so on. Just make sure you know the answers!

While not exactly a game, a very fun activity for New Year’s Eve nonetheless. You may want to rent out a photo booth or set up a designated photo station for the big night. This is an excellent way to keep guests occupied; you better believe they will be! For an effective photo background, you may equip your red curtains or purchase tinsel foil fringe curtains which look great in flash pictures! Before the party, you may also want to purchase some photo booth props or DIY them.

For the purpose of this game, you may pop the champagne a little earlier than you are supposed to. In this festive game, players compete in teams to fill a champagne flute with bubbly as quickly as possible. But there's a twist to it — only using a teaspoon! Just don't use the expensive branded champagne for this one. The sparkling wine will do just fine, and you won't have to be so upset about the spillage! You may relay the bubbly straight from the bottle (more challenging) or any other container.

Pay attention since this one can be challenging. As the game is played, all the players sit in a circle. The first person to pick a celebrity will then have to be followed by the next person to name another famous person whose first name begins with the first letter of the prior celebrity’s last name. Surely, we could have worded this better but have an example: the first player names Alex Turner, the second one names Tim Burton, the third one names Beyoncé, etc. You may also use celebrities better known for their stage names rather than full names (like Pink, Beyoncé, or Madonna) to boost the stakes!

To play this silly yet hilarious game, place ping-pong balls inside a tissue box or any small box with a small opening (yet big enough for a ball to easily fit through), then tie the box around the player’s waist using a belt or rope. Make sure to turn the box’s opening outward. The player must then shake their bum to release every ping-pong ball before the time runs out. Believe us when we say you better have your camera ready for this one.