• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • College Loans
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • College Loans
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise

You are here: Home / Party / 18 NYE Party Ideas to Kiss 2018 Goodbye

18 NYE Party Ideas to Kiss 2018 Goodbye

December 27, 2018 //  by Codi Elliott//  Leave a Comment

Shares2FacebookTweet

Stuck hosting the annual New Year’s Eve party this year? We carefully curated this guide just for you. Packed full of the eighteen best party activities, wholesome games and even some drinking challenges for those of you over 21, you will find a fun way to keep your guests entertained while bringing in the new year.

Check out these 18 New Year’s Eve party ideas to kiss 2018 goodbye and welcome 2019 with open arms.

1. Bonfire

new year's eve party bonfire
pexels.com

Ring in the new year by letting go of all the disappointments and hardships that came with 2018. “Write down sorrows of 2018 on cards or strips of paper and burn it in a bonfire,” William and Mary junior, Maddie Talnagi, said. This exercise will leave your guests with a sense of peace and excitement for the new year. A bonfire offers a great way to stay warm. Oh and very important: don’t forget the s’mores.

2. Drinking games

drinking games new year's eve party
fickr.com

Have all of your guests write down positive or negative things that happened in the past year and put all of the slips of paper in a bag. Then have your guests draw out of the bag and whoever accomplished the task on the piece of paper (good or bad) has to drink. This game offers a fun way to reflect on the good and bad that 2018 brought and celebrate it with your friends. Also, NYE offers the perfect excuse to get trashed and kiss someone you’ll regret kissing.

3. Have best of 2018 on a poster

2018 cut out new year's eve party
pixabay.com

Hang a large poster on the wall and have guests write positive things they accomplished in 2018. Then everyone can see all their friends impressive accomplishments and celebrate all the progress everyone has made so far in their lives. You will look back on it next December and laugh, smile or maybe even cry.

4. Paper lanterns

lanterns new year's eve party
flickr.com

You can use paper lanterns in two ways: either have your guests write down their hopes for 2019 or write down the rough moments from 2018, so they can watch their worries float away. There are also eco-friendly lanterns available that are 100%  biodegradable, so lanterns will literally disappear into the atmosphere. They will make a beautiful addition to your party.

5. Photo station

new year's eve photo booth
Kelli Elliott

A photo station will allow you and your guests to document the last moments of 2018. Get gold Happy New Year balloons or 2019 balloons and hang streamers, garland or twinkly lights all around the house. “I think my favorite NYE memory was at a family friend’s party, they hung up colored lights everywhere, so everything was glowing. It was a very wholesome moment,” Sarah Lawrence College sophomore Olivia Hoefling said. Depending on your craft skills, you could paint a banner that says: ‘Happy New Year’ or ‘Ringing in 2019.’ Run to the nearest Party City for fun photo accessories like glasses or boas. If you have a polaroid, hang up the pictures people take in real time, so everyone can see the photos before they take them home.

6. Great Gatsby themed party

great gatsby themed new year's eve party
pixabay.com

Almost every high school in the United States require students to read The Great Gatsby and if people have not read it, they’ve seen the movie, so everyone will recognize this iconic theme. “A Gatsby themed party,” sophomore at William and Mary Katie Gibson said. Have guests dress up, decorate with gold and black balloons, banners and streamers. You could even make feather centerpiece if you have time and the skill set. This lavish party idea will dazzle all in attendance.

7. Printable New Year’s Eve card game

business card box new year's eve party
maxpixels.com

You can download a free printable card game  or make your own. Basically, each card says something like “Biggest lesson learned” or “most memorable day” and guests can talk about a moment in 2018 they identify with each label. This can be either a fun wholesome game where people draw positive and kid friendly cards or the cards can reference hilarious, obscure or chaotic moments. Tailor this game to your party and your guests, and find the perfect cards to keep your guests engaged and entertained.

8. Champagne and dessert bar

booze in chiller new year's eve party
pixabay.com

Decorate a table with fringe, balloons, lights or whatever your heart desires. Bake or buy deserts or ask guests to bring deserts with them. If champagne is not your jam, substitute it with sparking cider or pink champagne cake pops. “Freed food and human interaction. The luxuries of life,” College of the Holy Cross Freshmen Rachel Mallet said. Either way a desert bar looks adorable and serves a practical use. You can throw in popcorn and other easy snacks as well.

9. Confetti party poppers

confetti new year's eve party
pixabay.com

You can easily make them at home using crepe paper, confetti, cracker snaps, toilet paper rolls and ribbon. Creating these poppers should take less than an hour, won’t break the bank to make and you can personalize them to your theme. Your guests can use these poppers at midnight to loudly ring in the new year. They will love it, however, your neighbors may not.

10. Disco ball pinata

disco ball new year's eve party
pixnio.com

Can you ever go wrong with a pinata? Not really. A silvery sparkly disco ball should be at every NYE celebration. Fill it with candy, mini bottles of alcohol or cards with hopes for 2019. Have guests swing their worries away. Just be cautious with who you hand a bat to.

11. New Year’s resolution cards

new year's resolutions new year's eve party
flickr.com

Set up a jar with “Make a New Year’s Resolution” label. Next to it, put out pens, pencils and cards for guests to write their resolutions down before the ball drops. Give them the opportunity to make it anonymous or write their name. Guests watch as the jar fills with the hopes and ambitions for the new year, proving a great way to cultivate a positive party atmosphere.

12. Glam DIY champagne glasses

champagne glasses new year's eve party
pixabay.com

Regardless of what you drink, everyone can appreciate fancy champagne glasses. Decorate them with different colors of glitter to fit your theme. Clean the champagne flutes, then apply a layer of glue. Sprinkle glitter or roll the glasses on a plate of glitter. Then apply mod podge to seal it. If glitter doesn’t match your aesthetic, paint works too.

Dab paint on them with a foam pouncer. It will most likely require two or three coats. “I really like popping the bottle of champagne,” William and Mary Senior Lawrence Bourland said. Your guests may just end up stealing these festive glasses for themselves at the end of the night.

13. Two resolutions and lie

resolutions new year's eve party
commons.wikimedia.org

Each guest lists three resolutions: two honest resolutions and one lie. As everyone shares their three resolutions, the other guests listen and attempt to guess which is true. Award a prize to the most correct or have people drink if they guess incorrectly. Bring out this game if you want to liven things up and engage your guests.

14. Party favors

new year's eve party favors
commons.wikimedia.org

Decorate paper bags with gold 2018 stickers or happy new year stickers. If you’re feelin’ bold, attach some noise makers. Include candy, tiny alcohol bottles or homemade treats. Tailor it to your theme and friend group. It will leave guests with a fuzzy feeling when they leave.

15. Resolution guess game

new year's eve party
pexels.com

Match a resolution to the person who made it. As your guests enter, have them write down a New Year’s resolution and their name on a slip of paper. Later on in the night, give your guests a piece of paper and have them number it with a number for each guest. (This works better with smaller groups). As you read the resolutions aloud, write numbers on the back of each slip of paper starting with one. Your guests should attempt to guess who wrote the resolution. Read the correct answers and the guest with the most correct answers, wins this game. Your guests are sure to engage and have fun with this game.

16. Call out game

confetti throwing new year's eve party
pexels.com

This game can be tailored to a group of new buddies or a close friend group. During this game call out questions and they can harmless, innocent questions or targeted funny questions. For example, “Who is the funniest guest?” or “Who in the circle has hooked up?” You can offer prizes for whoever has the most correct answer or funniest answer.

17. Any activity while drunk

puzzle new year's eve party
unsplash.com

New Year’s Eve offers an ideal chance to celebrate and drink champagne with your friends. “I’d say turn a mundane activity with your friends into something alcohol related like puzzle night becoming drunk puzzle night,” anonymous said. Try Jenga, Uno, baking, Twister or other generic games and activities and make it a little more chaotic. “The best New Year’s Eve stories are always spontaneous things you do with friends. Things normally won’t go as planned but being open to spontaneity makes it more fun and memorable,” Sophomore at the University of Florida Skyler Haber said. In the pursuit of fun, memorable chaos, having a looser agenda maybe with some random activities planned may be ideal. See where the night leads you.

18. Game/Movie Night with Close Friends

movie night new year's eve party
flickr.com

Instead of a party, have a wholesome night in with close friends. Especially if you go to school far away or out of state and don’t get to see your friends from home as often as you’d like, an opportunity to see them will warm your heart. “Reconnect and reunite with people you don’t normally get to see,” William & Mary student Meg Zink said. Connect with your high school pals by watching an old favorite.  “I really liked spending time with friends [on NYE], whether at a party or at home,” Hobart and William Smith College sophomore Carling Landeche said. This offers a low-key way to relax and not stress about decorations or fancy snacks.

Shares2FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Party Student Life Winter

About Codi Elliott

Sophomore at William and Mary studying Neuroscience. Fan of astrology, breakfast food, and trekking back home to Florida whenever it gets cold.

You May Also Like

college party

10 Tips for Your First College Party that Will Get You Lit and Get You Home Safe

10 College Party Themes that Guarantee a Lit AF Night

PSA: Staying Safe at Night While Still Having a Nightlife

dance marathon

Top 10 FOMO Events at Penn State University

What to Wear to a Frat Party When You Don’t Know the Theme

party

Nacho Average Fiesta

anchorman turning 21

10 Things That Will Inevitably Happen to You When You Turn 21

Rager Essentials: The College Party Checklist

21st birthday ideas

21 Stories of 21st Birthdays Around the Midwest

I Used to Be All Play and No Work—And I Regret It

madrid for students

Top 10 Shots Spots in Madrid for College Students

10 Steps To The Perfect Galentine’s Day

My First New York Penthouse Party

21st birthday ideas

6 Ways to Throw the Best Outdoor Party

new years eve movie

10 White Elephant Gifts for Only $10

new year's eve party guy dancing

18 NYE Party Ideas to Kiss 2018 Goodbye

beerpong drinking games

10 Drinking Game Tips from the Champs (for the Rest of Us)

The 15 Best Ugly Christmas Sweaters to Rock at Any Party

best college party

8 Steps to Throwing the Best House Party in College

Ohio State game day football tackle

10 Game Day Rituals at Ohio State University

Should You Stay in or Go out This Saturday Night?

If You Think U.S. College Students Party Hard, You Haven’t Been to the UK

fomo

10 Ways to Avoid FOMO in College

halloween do's and don't's

The Top 10 Do’s and Don’t’s of Halloween

Previous Post: «long distance What My Long Distance Relationship Taught Me
Next Post: Penn State Wasn’t Always My Dream School penn state campus foliage fall»

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

good books for college students
228

10 Inspiring Books All College Students Should Read

friends
31

21 Gifts for the Artist in Your Life

sue and lexie the middle gifts for college students
26

Top 10 Gifts Every College Student Actually Wants

college party
18

10 Tips for Your First College Party that Will Get You Lit and Get You Home Safe

Your guide to the best backpacks for college
14

CM’s Top 10 Backpacks for College

Featured Chapter: University of Florida

University of Florida Football Stadium

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2019 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.