New Year’s Games: Traditional Play and Fun Activities That Excite Everyone from Kids to Adults
New Year’s is a special time when family and relatives gather.
But are you wondering, “What should we all do together?” In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of ideas to liven up the New Year, from nostalgic traditional games to easy, DIY activities you can make and play with everyday materials.
There’s a wide variety—games everyone can enjoy across generations and active ones that use a large space! There are also many activities you can enjoy while spending time with grandparents.
How about creating special New Year memories together as a family?
- New Year party games that get everyone excited: a fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY
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- Let's get excited with a New Year quiz! General questions about the Japanese New Year
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- [Part 2] Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for December
- Party games to liven up your New Year’s celebration: a fun collection that will keep everyone laughing non-stop
- [Perfect for New Year Parties] Recommended Psychology Test for January
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
New Year’s Pastimes: Traditional Activities and Games to Excite Everyone from Kids to Adults (11–20)
Battledore and shuttlecock
Hagoita, which were originally used in Shinto and Buddhist rituals such as talismans against evil and fortune-telling, are said to have their roots in religious ceremonies.
These days, we tend to picture cute hagoita decorated with anime characters, so it’s surprising to think of them as charms against misfortune.
I’ve heard that it became a New Year’s pastime starting in the Muromachi period.
This New Year, let’s liven things up with hanetsuki and enjoy that satisfying ‘ka-kooon!’ sound.
I think the old-fashioned, fun penalty game of painting ink on the face of the person who makes a mistake is a great idea too! Just be careful not to get carried away and stain your clothes with the ink.
menko (a traditional Japanese card-and-coin-flipping game)
With the unprecedented Showa retro boom, old menko cards can fetch unexpectedly high prices.
I’ve even heard rumors of some old menko going for as much as 600,000 yen.
Menko featuring Dragon Ball or Kinnikuman are said to be pricey too.
You might even have some old menko tucked away in the back of a drawer.
Putting the money talk aside, it’d be nice to play menko over the New Year while reminiscing about the past.
There are many ways to play: you win by flipping over your opponent’s menko, or by knocking it out of a designated area, and more.
It’s a great way for adults and children alike to have fun together!
omikuji (a Japanese fortune slip typically drawn at Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples)
https://www.tiktok.com/@hoikushi_bank/video/7175083434849635586Omikuji—the fortune slips you almost always draw at the first shrine visit of the New Year! If something good is written, it feels like you’ll have a happy year; if it’s bad, the New Year can start off with an unsettling mood…
pretty scary, right? (lol) With homemade omikuji, you can freely choose what to put inside, so you can enjoy them with family and friends without dampening the mood.
They’re easy to make by combining familiar materials like paper cups, plastic bottles, and wooden chopsticks, so give it a try!
Ohajiki (traditional Japanese coin-flicking game pieces)
Ohajiki is a game played with flat glass pieces.
Most are slightly over 1 cm in diameter, and they come in various types, including ones with colorful patterns.
The way to play with ohajiki is very simple: line the pieces up on a table, then flick your own piece to hit your opponent’s pieces one by one.
If you hit one successfully, you get to keep it.
In the end, the player who has collected the most pieces wins.
If you don’t have ohajiki, you can substitute marbles or plastic bottle caps.
ball-bouncing game (traditional Japanese game played with a ball)
Temari, a ball-shaped toy, might not be very familiar to the younger generation today.
Store-bought temari are often slightly larger than a softball and usually made of rubber.
Maritsuki is a simple game where you keep bouncing the ball—dropped to the ground—off your palm like dribbling.
It’s perfect for taking your mind off daily studies or work and refreshing yourself.
Give it a try during the New Year to clear your head and feel renewed!
Othello
Othello is a game that uses black and white discs—simple yet perfect for enjoying a battle of wits.
It’s ideal for family time and is highly recommended as a game to play during the New Year holidays because the rules are easy for anyone to learn and enjoy.
Originating in Japan, Othello is so popular that world championships are held, and it’s widely enjoyed by people of all ages, from the young to the elderly.
Gathering for the New Year and playing together while crafting flexible strategies will add an exciting touch to the start of a new year.
Bozu Mekuri
This is one of the games that uses the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, a collection of waka poems by one hundred poets.
A major feature is that it only uses the picture cards, so it’s easy to enjoy even for people who find the rules of standard competitive karuta difficult.
The shuffled picture cards are stacked face down in the middle of the players, and they draw in turn.
If the card shows a man, you keep it in your hand.
If the card shows a monk (a “bōzu”), you discard all the cards in your hand and place them next to the draw pile.
If the card shows a woman, you take all the cards that have been placed next to the draw pile into your hand.
You repeat these actions, and when the draw pile runs out, the player who has collected the most cards wins.
There’s a long-standing joke about not being sure whether Semimaru—who wears a head covering—is a monk or not, so there are local rules that treat Semimaru in a special way.
It’s worth looking them up.
Hyakunin Isshu
Have you ever read Chihayafuru, the manga drawn by Yuki Suetsugu? Many of you have probably seen the Chihayafuru film series starring Suzu Hirose as well.
That razor-sharp tension unique to the matches is indescribable.
Some of you might also remember being forced to recite the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu in high school Japanese class—and finding it torture.
With all the joys and sorrows mixed in, let’s enjoy the New Year with Hyakunin Isshu.
There are many older folks who love Hyakunin Isshu too, so be sure to invite them!
Hanafuda
Hanafuda is a type of Japanese playing cards, using a total of 48 cards depicting Japan’s seasonal beauty—flowers, birds, and landscapes—from January to December.
One of its charms is that you can enjoy various games with it, including the popular Koi-Koi.
That said, many people find the rules hard to learn.
In this video, the ways to play the cards and how to score are explained very clearly and simply, so it should help dispel the notion that “Hanafuda is complicated”! Why not learn the rules in time for the New Year?
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
New Year’s is the perfect time to celebrate a fresh start and spend time with family and friends.
This Oshikura Manju is highly recommended as part of the festivities! It’s a wonderful game where everyone works together and shares warmth and laughter.
You’ll move enough to forget the cold and have fun, and it’s great for getting some exercise too.
However, if you really get into it, be careful to avoid injuries.
Let’s kick off the new year with energy through Oshikura Manju, a game you can play tirelessly.