Entertainment ideas for year-end and New Year parties: games everyone can enjoy together
Are you struggling to decide on entertainment to liven up your year-end or New Year’s party? Bingo and karaoke are classics, but having games that make everyone smile can really boost the energy of the event.
If the rules are simple, easy to prepare, and anyone can join right away, it keeps things light for everyone.
In this article, we’ve gathered a wealth of ideas—from acts that instantly lift the mood to a wide variety of games that work regardless of group size.
You’ll find everything from show-stopping performances to conversation-sparking mind games and energizing activities that get people moving—plenty of variety to keep everyone engaged!
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Entertainment acts for year-end and New Year parties: Game ideas that everyone can get excited about (151–160)
Toilet paper roll roll
The Toilet Paper Roll-Up Game is charming for its simplicity and fun.
Since all you need is toilet paper, it’s easy to prepare.
Another plus is that people of all ages—from kids to seniors—can enjoy it.
The rules are simple and easy to explain, so organizers can suggest it with confidence.
It also strengthens bonds among friends and helps encourage active communication.
Panty Panty Game
It’s a super lively rhythm game.
The quickest way to get it is to watch the video, but here’s how it works: the chosen person says “Panty panty, panty panty” in time with the hand motions, and the people to their left and right say “No panty, no panty,” also matching the hand motions.
If you say the wrong line or forget to do the hand motion, you lose.
It gets more exciting with a faster tempo.
Handbell performance
When it comes to wintry, Christmas-like instruments, music bells come to mind.
Their “clang-clang” chime brings a soothing sense of calm.
Each bell can produce only a single note, so you need multiple people to perform a song.
Conversely, the more performers you have, the richer and more powerful the sound becomes.
It’s great to tackle classic tunes, but if you can pull off the latest hits, the audience will likely be thrilled.
If possible, a collaboration with piano or a band would also work well.
King’s Game
Make the classic drinking party game even bigger. The rules are simple!
- Each participant draws a lot.
- In response to everyone’s shouts like “Who’s the King?”, the person who drew the King lot steps forward (ideally, there should be exactly one King).
- The king issues “orders” such as “Number ○ does ○ and does ○○” or “Number ○ and Number ○ do ○○.”
- The person who is chosen steps forward to the call of “Who’s number ○?” and carries out the given command.
- At that point, collect the tickets and proceed to the next round.
Simple yet guaranteed to get everyone excited!
Telephone game on the back
This is the perfect game for people who aren’t very close yet to quickly break the ice! The rules are simple: everyone stands in a line, and in order, each person writes the prompt word on the back of the person in front of them.
It sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly tricky.
You’ll definitely get excited during the answer reveal, saying things like, “Where did it change!?” Words and letters are manageable, but when it turns into drawings, the difficulty shoots up! It’ll become a nonstop-laughter kind of activity.
One note of caution: it’s best to play with people who are comfortable with physical touch.
Memory and Drawing Quiz
This is a game you play using an app.
You’re given a prompt, and you draw it from memory.
It tests not only your memory but also your drawing skills, so I think it’ll get everyone really excited! You can also play without the app using a small sketchbook, so give it a try!
Entertainment acts for year-end and New Year parties: Group-energizing game ideas (161–170)
Wani Wani Panic
It’s a toy where you press the teeth lined up inside an open crocodile’s mouth one by one, and the person who presses the tooth that makes the mouth close loses.
Because it’s a simple game of seeing whether the mouth closes when a tooth is pressed, it’s great to link it with other activities, like using it to decide turn order.
As long as you add a mechanism that links the teeth to the mouth, you can even make your own version themed after popular characters, like a homemade Crocodile Dentist.
If you’re making it yourself, players might be able to tell which teeth are linked to the mouth by touch, so have them choose a tooth by intuition without touching first.
