New Year’s Eve is all about sparkle, snacks, and staying up way past bedtime (or pretending you made it to midnight with a “fake countdown” for the little ones, no shame in that game, moms!). But while we wait for the ball to drop, how do we keep everyone entertained and laughing?

Enter: Minute to Win It Games! These quick and fun challenges are perfect for parties, they’re silly, simple, and soooo much fun for all ages. You don’t need fancy supplies, just some everyday items, a timer, and a whole lot of enthusiasm.

These are the best Minute to Win It games for New Year’s Eve, for kids, adults, and family-friendly games everyone can enjoy together. Let’s make this the most fun New Year’s Eve ever!

Why Minute to Win It Games Are Perfect for New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve can be a looong evening, especially if you’ve got little ones trying to stay awake until midnight, or adults trying not to fall asleep on the couch. That’s where these quick, laugh-out-loud challenges come in.

Minute to Win It games:

• Are short and sweet (just 60 seconds!)

• Can be played in teams or solo

• Keep the energy high while you wait for the ball to drop

• Work for all ages (seriously, Grandma and the 6-year-old can both play!)

You can set up a mini tournament, award silly prizes, or just play for bragging rights. Mix and match from the categories below!

New Year’s Eve Minute to Win It Games for Kids

These games are simple, safe, and packed with silliness, perfect for letting kids burn off that party energy.

1. Marshmallow Toss

What you need:

• Mini marshmallows

• Paper cups or bowls

How to play:
One player tosses marshmallows into a cup held by their partner standing a few feet away. The duo with the most marshmallows in their cup after 60 seconds wins!

Tip: Use bigger cups for little kids and make it easier.

2. Balloon Waddle Race

What you need:

• Balloons

How to play:
Place a balloon between your knees and race to the other side of the room without using your hands. If the balloon drops or pops, back to the start!

3. Cookie Face

What you need:

• Cookies (Oreos work great!)

How to play:
Place a cookie on your forehead. Players must move it to their mouth using only their face muscles. No hands allowed!

This one causes serious giggle fits. Kids LOVE it!

4. Snowball Scoop

What you need:

• Cotton balls

• Two bowls

• A spoon

How to play:
Put one bowl of cotton balls in front of the player and give them a spoon. They have to scoop and transfer as many “snowballs” as possible to the empty bowl in one minute, blindfolded!

5. Balloon Pop Stomp

• Blow up balloons and tie one to each child’s ankle with a string.

• When the timer starts, they have 1 minute to pop each other’s balloons by stomping.

• Last balloon standing wins!

6. Midnight Kisses Stack

• Give each player a pile of Hershey’s Kisses.

• Using only one hand, see how many they can stack in a tower before it topples.

• Count at the end of 60 seconds!

7. Glitter Spoon Relay

• Fill a bowl with glitter or confetti.

• Kids must scoop it up with a spoon and walk it across the room to dump in another bowl.

• Whoever transfers the most sparkles in 60 seconds wins!

8. Party Hat Toss

• Set up cones or upside-down cups, and give the kids mini party hats (or plastic rings).

• See how many they can toss and land on the targets in one minute.

9. New Year’s Cup Tower

• Give each kid a stack of plastic party cups.

• They have 60 seconds to build the tallest tower they can… then watch it crash down. 

Minute to Win It Games for Adults

These games are great for grown-ups who want to be silly but still love a little competition. Add snacks, music, or maybe even a glass of bubbly, because adults should get to play too!

1. Champagne Pop Stack

What you need:

• Plastic champagne glasses (the kind that come in two pieces)

• Timer

How to play:
Separate all the tops and bottoms of the glasses. The goal is to reassemble and stack as many champagne glasses as possible in 60 seconds.

2. Midnight Spoons

What you need:

• Spoons

• Ping pong balls

How to play:
Place a spoon in your mouth and try to balance a ping pong ball on it while walking across the room. It’s trickier than it sounds, and hilarious to watch.

3. Resolution Scramble

What you need:

• Index cards

• Marker

How to play:
Write one word from common New Year’s resolutions (like “lose,” “weight,” “exercise,” “more,” “money”) on separate cards. Mix them up, and the player has to rearrange them to form as many correct resolutions as they can in 60 seconds!

4. Bubble Wrap Stomp

What you need:

• A long strip of bubble wrap

How to play:
Lay the bubble wrap out and challenge players to pop as many bubbles as they can, in one minute, by stomping. It’s oddly satisfying and a total stress reliever!

5. Champagne Pong

• Like beer pong… but make it fancy! Use plastic champagne flutes and ping pong balls.

• Players bounce the ball and try to land it in the flutes. Most points in 60 seconds wins.

6. New Year's Whistle Grab

• Place party blowers/whistles all over the floor.

• Players must crawl and grab as many as they can using only their mouths. Hands behind their back!

7. Tinsel Shake-Off

• Fill an empty tissue box with tinsel, tie it around a player’s waist (like a fanny pack).

• They have 60 seconds to shake all the tinsel out. No hands allowed!

Minute to Win It Games for Everyone

Whether you’ve got a mix of kids, teens, parents, and grandparents, or you just want to get the whole gang in on the action, these games are a blast for all ages!

1. Confetti Catch

• One person tosses confetti (or cut-up tissue paper), and the other tries to catch it in a party hat or cup on their head.

• Switch roles and see who catches the most!

2. Noise Maker Build

• Give everyone a party blower, a paper towel tube, some streamers, and tape.

• Who can build the best noisemaker in 60 seconds? Bonus points for style!

3. Countdown Chopstick Challenge

• Place 10 grapes or marshmallows on a plate.

• Using chopsticks (or tweezers for little kids), move them to another plate. Fastest to move all 10 wins!

4. Disco Ball Drop

• Hang a paper plate from the ceiling with string.

• Players must bounce a ping pong ball off the table and try to land it on the plate.

• It’s harder than it looks!

5. Name That Tune – NYE Edition

• Play 5-second snippets of popular songs from the year.

• Teams race to guess the title and artist. Great for music lovers!

6. Noisemaker Knockdown

What you need:

• Empty plastic cups

• A party horn or noisemaker

How to play:
Line up the cups like bowling pins. Blow into your party horn and try to knock them down! You get one point per cup toppled.

7. Tinsel Tangle

What you need:

• Tinsel

• A spoon or chopsticks

How to play:
Players must transfer as much tinsel as they can from one bowl to another using only a spoon in their mouth or chopsticks, no hands!

Printable Minute to Win It Game Ideas (Great for Seniors or Seated Players!)

Not everyone wants to (or can!) hop around the living room tossing ping pong balls or crawling on the floor after confetti. And that’s totally okay! Minute to Win It games can be just as fun sitting down with a pen and paper, and they still bring that same fast-paced excitement.

These printable Minute to Win It games are a perfect way to include grandparents, quiet teens, tired parents, or anyone who prefers a more chill vibe. They're also ideal for large groups where you want minimal setup and lots of laughs.

1. New Year’s Eve Pictionary

Grab your printable Pictionary sheets or blank paper and split into teams or pairs. One person draws, the others guess!

New Years Eve Pictionary

Goal: See how many New Year’s Eve-themed words or phrases your team can guess in 60 seconds.
No talking, no writing words, just doodles and wild guessing!
Tip: Have a pre-made list of clues for quick play.

2. New Year’s Eve “Make a Word”

New Years Eve Make a Word

Give each player or team a long New Year’s word like “CELEBRATION” or “RESOLUTION.”

Goal: Create as many smaller words as you can using only the letters in that word, all in just one minute!
Example: From “CELEBRATION” you can make "tone," "table," or "rice."

3. New Year’s Eve Scattergories

New Years Eve Scattergories Game

This one’s always a crowd favorite! Use a printable Scattergories sheet with NYE-themed categories (like: Party Foods, Things You Wear, Goals for the Year).

Goal: For each category, write three answers that start with the chosen letter, as fast as you can!
You only get 60 seconds, so think quick and don’t overthink it. 

4. New Year’s Eve Trivia

New Years Eve Trivia Game

Test your knowledge with a quick trivia challenge! Use your printable trivia sheet or read questions out loud.

Goal: Answer as many New Year’s trivia questions as you can in just one minute.
From fun facts to past year events, how many can you get right before the buzzer?

5. New Year’s Eve Word Scramble

New Years Eve Word Scramble

Unscramble those jumbled-up New Year’s words as fast as you can!

Goal: Solve as many as you can before time’s up.
Perfect for word lovers and great for a little friendly competition!

6. New Year’s Eve A–Z

New Years Eve A-Z game

This one’s a brain bender, and a total blast!

Goal: Write a New Year’s-related word for each letter of the alphabet (A to Z)… in just ONE minute.
It’s tricky, silly, and surprisingly addictive. Think “A = Appetizers,” “B = Ball Drop,” “C = Confetti,” and so on!

Why These Printable Games Are So Awesome:

• They’re easy to set up and clean up, just print and play.

• Everyone stays included, even if they prefer to stay seated.

• Great for multi-generational fun, no age limits here!

• Perfect for groups of any size, from 2 to 20+.

Game Tips and Ideas

Here are a few quick tips to keep the party running smoothly:

• Keep score on a whiteboard or big poster,  it adds to the fun!

• Use a countdown timer app on your phone for dramatic effect.

• Create prize bags (candy, mini trophies, dollar store fun) for extra motivation.

• Don’t forget the dance breaks in between rounds!

• If playing with younger kids, let them team up with older siblings or adults for teamwork fun.

DIY Fake Countdown for Little Ones

Got tiny partygoers who won’t make it to midnight? Set up a “Noon Year’s Eve” or an early countdown! Use balloons numbered 1 to 10 and pop one each minute leading up to a fake “midnight” , complete with confetti, hugs, and sparkling apple juice!

Then tuck those little party animals in bed and move on to the grown-up games. 

New Year’s Eve is one of those nights that brings everyone together, full of laughter, good food, and a whole lot of sparkly chaos. Minute to Win It games are the perfect way to turn your gathering into an unforgettable party (with lots of photos you’ll laugh at for years to come).

Whether you’re celebrating with toddlers, teens, or grandparents, there’s a game here for everyone. So grab the glitter, set your timers, and get ready to giggle your way into the New Year!