New year games for family parties

Have you seen it before? You put these devices in your mouth, and then try to read what is on the card. The other player tries to guess what you are saying. This year, make it something you can actually stick to. Photo Credit: www. Photo Credit: Amazon. What's more fun than a Jenga building game? Wrap it thoroughly in plastic wrap, then add more items as your wrapped ball gets bigger, trapping them in layers of wrap.

To make the game more challenging, tear the wrap into smaller sheets as you go. Once you've used a whole roll of wrap or more, if desired , you're ready to play. Gather in a circle or around a table. Give one person the wrapped bundle; give the person next to them a pair of dice. The person with the saran wrap bundle must unravel as much of the ball as possible before the person with the dice rolls doubles. Any prizes that fall out during your turn are yours to keep.

Once the person with the dice rolls doubles, they pass the dice down and receive the bundle. Repeat until the ball is completely unwound. For alternative versions, have the person with the plastic wrap ball wear oven mitts, or set a timer for each turn instead of using dice. You'll need a stack of sticky notes and a pen.

Write a name of a well-known public figure or character on each note, then pass them around until everyone has one. Without looking, each person should stick their note on their forehead or back. Have everyone mingle, or sit in a circle and take turns asking yes or no questions to discover your assigned identity.

Play until everyone has correctly guessed their identity, or pass out prizes to the people who guess correctly first. Pick one person to be "It" and send them from the room. With the people remaining, select a common trait: hair, articles of clothing, or body parts all work.

When the person returns, they'll ask someone, "How's yours? Itchy, thick, and stretchy all work for shirts, for example. Repeat until the person asking guesses the trait. This party game works best for close groups of friends or family members. Gather in a circle.

Begin with one person asking, "Who's most likely to trip over their own feet? Count down from three performing a drumroll with your hands is encouraged and then have everyone point at who they think would be most likely to do said act.

Whoever has the most fingers pointed at them is out. Go around the circle asking "Who's most likely to…" until all but one person is out. You can skip the eliminations to make the game last longer. Sit in a circle. Begin with one person saying, "Never have I ever…" and finishing with something they have never done. Traveled to Africa, eaten escargot, and the like all work. If someone has done it, they must hold up one finger; if no one in the group has done it, the person saying "Never have I ever…" must hold up a finger.

Continue around the circle until one person has three fingers up: They're out. This party game can get as racy as you make it, so play carefully and set ground rules ahead of time if grandparents or other conservative guests are involved.

Ask the person next to you, "Would you rather…" and include two challenging situations. After their response, it's their turn to ask the person next to them. Continue until you can't think of any more scenarios. Okay, it's a popular party game for kids, but adults can get in on the fun, too.

Set chairs or seat cushions in a circle, facing outward, with enough seating for everyone playing, minus one. Designate one person the music player and have everyone else stand in a circle around the circle of seats. When the music starts, walk around the seats; when the music ends, everyone must find a seat. Whoever doesn't is out. Remove one more chair and begin again, until two people are fighting for one seat.

To make musical chairs more interesting, add your own rules. Allow people to sit on top of each other as long as their feet are off the floor , for example, or make your own alterations. This game requires an app: The Heads Up!

After the 99 cent purchase and download, though, you have hours of entertainment on-hand at all times. The best part about this is you can personalize it to the age of your family or guests.

Balloon Pop Countdown — This is another fun version of a midnight countdown. Fill some balloons with papers with different activities and games, and pop the balloons every hour until midnight! Marshmallow Poppers — Combine some cheap and easy supplies with some mini marshmallows, and your kids will be entertained all night long.

Fizz Countdown — Work your way into the new year with this exciting science project-turned game! Bubble Jump — Let your inner child loose for the night and do what we all want to do with bubble wrap—make some noise! The first person to wins have a look at the website for more instructions. Marshmallow Game — A fun sensory game that helps kids with fine motor skills, too.

Popcorn Olympics — Such a unique idea for building your whole night around a simple and versatile theme. Guess the Resolution — This game is a fun way to share your resolutions and learn what your guests are planning for the New Year. It also works as an easy ice breaker for guests who may not know each other. Two Resolutions and a Lie — A fun holiday twist on a classic! Simply have everyone reveal two real resolutions and one lie, and everyone guesses which one is the lie!

Visit the site for more details about this fun idea. Get all your kisses in the correct cups before the countdown is over! Cover balloons in shaving cream and have guests try to shave them without popping them. The player who collects the most in their cup wins. Everyone who plays the latter game wins because participants get to eat what they collect. The Cotton Ball Race is somewhat akin to a relay race. Divide the players into teams of six to 10 participants. Use masking tape to create a starting line for each team.

Put some cotton balls on paper plates near the starting line and then put empty paper plates at the other end of the room. To play, participants should put dabs of Vaseline on their noses. One by one, players from each team should stick their noses in the first plate with the goal of picking up at least one cotton ball. The team that relocates all the cotton balls to their formerly empty plate first is the winner. Contestants who were successful won money and moved on to a successive challenge.

You can adapt some basic tasks to create your own DIY version of the show. If you choose the latter, get a dry-erase board so you can keep score.

Each team will pick one team member to compete head-to-head against players from the other teams. To keep score, give the team that completes the task at hand first five points, with second and third place finishers receiving three points and one point, respectively. The team with the greatest number of points is the Minute to Win It champion. A few of the games you might want to consider include:. Everyone loves a treasure hunt, after all. Take your surprise- and air-filled balloons and stash them in secret locations around your house.

Make a map that will lead treasure hunters to each balloon in succession if they can solve the riddles that will take them from one balloon to the next. The player or team that collects the most balloons is the winner. What you should put in each balloon depends on the ages of the people who will participate in the treasure hunt.