20 New Year's Eve Games to Keep the Party Going Until Midnight
You won't want to stop until the ball drops!
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The new year is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start planning your December 31 celebration. If your family likes to keep things cozy and stay in on New Year's Eve, there’s no reason the night can’t be just as exciting as a big night out. After all, there are so many fun things to do on New Year's Eve! With a little creativity and the right games, you can plan a memorable evening that everyone will enjoy.
Whether you’re into classic board games, lively group activities, or something a bit more unique, these fun New Year's games will bring laughter, friendly competition, and plenty of joy to your New Year's Eve party as you ring in 2025 together. They'll probably even become a New Year's tradition! You could go the DIY route and craft an activity that will make your kids giggle. Short on time? It's incredibly easy to bust out some printable games, either available for free from bloggers or from affordable Etsy sellers.
Board games are a tried-and-true standard you can’t go wrong with if you're up for some friendly competition. You can even download virtual versions of game shows, setting the scene for a night of New Year's Eve trivia. No matter which New Year's Eve games you decide to play, these fun ideas for adults and kids are guaranteed to keep your entire family busy until the ball drops!
These ideas will add even more fun to your celebrations:
'Who Is Most Likely to...' Game
How well do you really know your friends and family? Put your knowledge to the test where players decide who in the group is most likely to do something—whether it's winning the lottery or being afraid of the dark. Guess right, and you get to pick the next topic!
Get the tutorial at Skip to My Lou.
New Year's Eve Word Scramble
Everyone loves a good word game! This festive version asks players to unscramble 15 mixed-up holiday words for the perfect blend of fun and learning!
Get the tutorial at Happiness Is Homemade.
New Year's Eve Candy Dice Game
What a sweet idea for the whole family. This game is simple: Just roll dice and either take or put candy back according to the card. The first person to get ten pieces wins!
New Year’s Eve Scavenger Hunt
Great for guests of any age, but especially the kiddos, this free printable scavenger hunt focuses on spotting things that will most likely appear at your New Year's Eve party, like balloons, confetti, and party horns.
Get the tutorial at Toddler Approved.
Friendly Feud
Like the famous TV game show, you can download this virtual game, split up into teams, and compete to see who will win the 12 rounds of themed questions. It's even customizable to have answers connected to those playing!
Left Right Game
Sort of like Hot Potato, the Left Right game is a funny story read aloud while an object is passed around. Each time the words "left" and "right" are read, you switch directions. It's great for all ages!
Let's Mingle
If you have a lot of people at the party who don't know each other well, this game is a fun ice breaker! It will challenge people to small talk over simple questions and get the conversation flowing.
Get the tutorial at Skip to My Lou.
DIY Toss the Bubbly Game
It’s just like that ball toss game at the county fair, only this time, there’s a champagne twist! See who can get the most ping pong balls into the jumbo glass during this game of “Toss the Bubbly.”
Get the tutorial at Crafterward.
New Year’s Emoji Pictionary
Who doesn’t love Pictionary? This printable version features emojis relating to the holiday. You and the kiddos can just guess the phrases from the emoji clues.
New Year’s Eve Jeopardy
Instead of sitting around and watching Jeopardy, you and your family can actually play it together on New Year’s Eve! This downloadable version of the beloved game can be played on a computer or iPad. Each category has a New Year’s theme.
New Year’s Word Search
If word searches are a thing in your family, then you’ll definitely need to print these for your New Year’s Eve festivities. Use glitter pens to channel the celebrations even further!
Get the tutorial at Happiness is Homemade.
Finish the Phrase Game
Have someone at your New Year’s shindig fill out this printable as an answer key—then everyone has to guess their answers!
New Year’s Memories Game
New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to share your memories from the past year, something that you can do with the help of this printable game.
Get the tutorial at Alice & Lois.
What’s on Your Phone? Game
The game is simple, fun, and just the thing for a party—see what images or videos you have on your phone, and the one with the most points wins.
New Year’s Eve Scattergories
This is a fun game to play as a couple on New Year’s Eve. It works just like the classic Scattergories game, except this one is New Year’s-themed.
Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.
New Year’s Eve Charades Game
What’s New Year’s Eve without a game of fraths? This printable will make playing so easy, since all you have to do is cut out cards and drop them in a hat.
New Year’s Pom Pom Toss
Here’s a game that the littlest members of your family will love! The player will try to toss in as many pom poms as they can into a hat, either over a partner’s head or by simply facing one another.
Get the tutorial at Days with Grey.
New Year’s Eve Bingo
Turn New Year’s Eve into bingo night! The added bonus of this game? You get to play with Hershey’s Kisses and eat them, too!
Get the tutorial at Pretty Providence.
Would You Rather Game
We bet your kids will really have to ponder these questions during this Would You Rather game—with a New Year’s twist. Use black-eyed peas to track points in a festive way!
Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.
New Year’s Trivia Night
Perhaps your family’s idea of fun is sitting down for a full evening of trivia. Make it the star activity of New Year’s Eve with this downloadable game.
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