New Year's Eve party bingo

New Year's Eve party bingo tips

• Not every family makes it to midnight. If the kids are going to bed early, run a pretend countdown at 8 or 9 p.m. with a countdown video or a kitchen timer, so the countdown clock, confetti and party popper squares still get marked before bedtime.
• Decide what counts as a sighting. The ball drop on TV and the fireworks are easy for everyone to see, but a sleepy kid on the couch or a feather boa in another room can start arguments. A simple rule works: a square counts once a second person has seen it too.
• Bring your traditions into the game. If your family eats twelve grapes at midnight or bangs pots and pans on the porch, tell players when to expect those moments. Guests from other families may have their own, and the card gives everyone a reason to ask about them.
• Make the noisemaker the bingo call. Whoever completes a line blows or spins one instead of shouting, which cuts through the music and the TV, and shy kids get to announce a win without saying a word. Keep a tally of wins on a sheet taped to the fridge.
• Save the midnight wish square for last. A few minutes before the countdown, hand everyone a slip of paper to write one wish for the new year, fold it and drop it in a bowl. Read a few aloud after the clock strikes twelve, and everyone marks the square together.

Best for

Ages

4 and up, with 3x3 cards for preschoolers and 5x5 for teens and adults

Group size

6 to 20 guests, each with their own card

Duration

The whole evening, from dinner until the countdown