When it comes to New Year’s Eve, I’m generally so worn out from Christmas, that all I want to do is curl up in bed with the husband, watch a few episodes of Parks and Recreation, and fall into a deep slumber…by 9:00. Oh, and somehow the 5 kids are all in bed sleeping, too. That’s how fun I am, at this time of the year. But, I keep hearing about all of these hilarious and fun group games, and I’m thinking I might… MIGHT…summon my inner wild-child and do the whole New Year’s thing. Midnight, pots, pans, kissing, and all. Ooooh, crazy. I know.

5 Fun Group Games for New Year’s Eve

I’ve been getting after my friends to share with me their favorite group games, check it out…some fun stuff!

1. Cheetos Head

Have the group split into two evenly numbered teams, preferably with the same number of men on each team.  Each team will need a can or two of shaving cream and a container of cheese puffs or bag of puffy Cheetos.  Have two chair set up across the room and a line of tape on the floor several feet away (your preference.)  For round 1, each team chooses one man to sit in the designated chair, across the room.  That man will then get a hefty dose of shaving cream on his face, as if he had a full beard.  The remaining team members have to stand behind the tape line, on the floor, and toss Cheetos at their teammates face, for one minute.  Whichever team gets the most stuck Cheetos, wins round 1.  Move on to round 2, with another teammate to take the chair.  Obviously, the Cheetos beard could be done on a woman, but you can keep that information private, if you want.  The team with the most Cheetos on the face, after totaling the rounds, wins!  This is one of those games where a camera is so necessary!

2. Rain in the Face

Everyone sits in a circle, with a designated “it” person standing in the middle.  Whoever is in the middle is holding a cup with a small amount of water in it.  They will announce that they are thinking of something.  Such as, “I’m thinking of a country,” or “I’m thinking of a famous woman,” or “I’m thinking of an animal.”  They will walk around to each person in the circle, and that person gets one guess as to what “it” is thinking of.  Basically, you DON’T want to guess the right answer, if you do, you get “rain in the face,” or a cup of water in the face (only fill the cup a little, unless you’re feeling crazy-nuts.)  So, what’s funny is everyone will be trying to come up with the most obscure answers to be able to avoid the water.  But, you never know…maybe “it” came up with an obscure thing in their mind.  They keep going around the circle until someone guesses, and that person will be “it” next.  You may want to have a limit of how many times “it” can go around the circle, before they have to think of something else.

3. Cookie on My Forehead

You may have heard of this one, and there are a variety of ways to set up the game.  But, here’s mine…have everyone split into two teams.  Each team send a member to the middle of the room and is given a cookie to place on their forehead (they will have to tilt their head back).  You can just use Oreos or Chips A’hoy to make it easy.  At the count of 3, the opposing team members have to try and maneuver the cookie from their forehead to their mouth.  Whoever gets it first, earns a point for their team.  If it falls on the floor, they can pick it up and start over.  Or, you can say “they’re out,” whichever you prefer.  This is another fun game to pull out the camera.  You will see some crazy body contortions going on!

4. Left Center Right Dice Game

My sister-in-law was just telling me about this dice game, Left Center Right (or LCR), that sounds like a riot!  It’s also a fast-paced game that is easy enough for kids to play too, assuming they know “right” and “left.”

To play, you need at least 3 players with 3 chips each.  To take the intensity up a notch, many people suggest using quarters (or dimes), rather than the chips, so there is a fun reward for the winner.  If you’re not into playing with money, you could even use pieces of wrapped candy.  When a player has all 3 chips, they roll all three dice.  The number of “L” dice that show up determine how many of the chips/quarters are passed to the left.  The number of “R” dice determine how many chips/quarters are passed to the right.  And, “C” means a chip/quarter is placed in the middle of the table.  A player can only roll the number of dice that reflect the number of chips they have.  Everyone is anxious to have new chips/quarters passed to them, because it ensures they stay in the game longer, giving them a chance to win the pot in the center.  The player who is last left with chips, wins the pot. Whoo! I have seen this game sold at Target, or if you get it from Amazon, they have the two-day shipping or overnight available.

5. Mating Season

Do you like that name?  I made it up.  So, this is a fun game for big groups.  For every person playing, you will need a piece of paper with an animals name written on it.  Each animal needs to be written two times.  Have everyone stand in the middle of the room and toss all the paper pieces (with the animal written on it) into the air.  Once they fall, everyone scrambles to grab one.  They immediately need to start acting like the animal and making their sound, while looking for their mate.  Once they have found their animal mate, they hurry and sit down.  The last pair standing is “out.”  And, round 2 begins…

And, there you have it.  I would love to hear about some of YOUR favorite party games!

Here’s a couple of my very favorite party munchies:

Caramel Toffee Dip (great with cut Granny Smith apples!)

Fried Avocado with Salsa Ranch Dip (I’m obsessed!)

You can find even more group games at “Or so she says…” like Psychiatrist, Secret Adverb, Word Nerd, and M&M Pass.  See you there :)

Have a fantastic New Year!

*image via Annie Spratt