New Year’s Eve definitely calls for fun and games, but coming up with ideas to entertain a mixed crowd until the ball drops can pose problems for many. Thankfully, Jennifer Carver, of Spaceships and Laser Beams, has rounded up a few of her favorite ideas to help you master games for New Year’s Eve party entertainment this year.

Idea #1:  Celebrate with a karaoke sing-off.

Music plays a big part in our lives and can add a lot of fun to a party. Research the top songs for the year and allow guests to sing their hearts out! To add a little more excitement, list song titles on slips of paper and have guests draw their song from a bag or box. Arrange for a prize for the best and worst renditions.

Idea #2: Play “name that tune”.

In a similar vein as idea #1, put together a cd of top songs from the year or even the decade.  Play a few seconds of each song and challenge guests to “name that tune”.  Give away a copy of the cd to the winner!

Idea #3: Play a year in review trivia game.

Compile a list of the top news stories for the year and devise a trivia game from the details. You can approach the game month-by-month or do a general trivia overview.  Questions can come from sports, politics, Hollywood and entertainment, medical news and more! Depending on the news awareness of your guests, you can do open ended questions or multiple choice.

Idea #4: Play favorite board and card games.

Invite your guests to bring their favorite card or board games to share. Set up a few card tables and chairs and let guests enjoy some friendly competition.

Idea #5: Set up some interactive video games.

Adults and children love playing video games. Set up group games like Guitar Hero, Wii Sports or Just Dance (ad) and arrange for a little “play off”.

Idea #6: Incorporate a bake-off or cook-off.

Challenge guests to bring samples of their prized appetizers and desserts to be shared during your party, along with copies of the recipe. Give each guest tickets for recording their favorite dishes and award a prize for the best snack and treat.

Idea #7: Arrange for ice breaker games.

If you are inviting a crowd of people to your party who don’t all know each other, help break the ice by playing a few whole-group games. Ideas can be simple. For example, prepare Bingo style cards requiring guests to find someone who meets certain criteria like:  has blue eyes, has the same number of children, shares your favorite color and so on.

These seven ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to planning fun, and games for New Year’s Eve party entertainment this year. With a little creativity and pre-planning, your guests will be having so much fun at your New Year’s Eve party that they won’t want to go home!