If you are looking for a New Years left right game, then you’ve come to the right spot! This is such a fun holiday game to play with family or friends!
Every New Year’s Eve, my kids are determined to stay up until midnight, which means they get to stay up several hours past their usual bedtime! Since staying up late is a big deal for them, I love planning fun games and activities to make the evening extra special and give them memories to look back on.
In years past I have made a New Years Scattergories game, NYE scavenger hunt clues, and New Years Bingo to name a few. This year, I created a New Year’s Left Right Game that is perfect for keeping everyone entertained while waiting for the clock to strike midnight!
This free printable features a fun story about a kid who struggles to stay awake until midnight. To play, give everyone a small prize or gift and have everyone gather in a circle. As you read the story aloud, players pass their gifts to the left or right whenever they hear those words. By the time the story ends, everyone will have a fun surprise. It’s an easy game that kids will love.
This post is all about a New Years left right game.
New Years Left Right Game
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Left Right Game Setup
The very first thing you will need to do is get either a treat or a small gift for each player.
You could do various candy bars to play this game with or if you are hosting a New Year’s Eve party you could also ask each person to bring a small item ($10 or less).
Once you have the gifts or treats, download the printable New Years left right game at the bottom of this post. Then, you are all set and ready to play the game.
How to Play
This game is super easy to play and great for all ages. To begin, have everyone gather around in a circle. Then, have each player start the game holding a gift or treat. Next, have someone read the New Years left right story aloud.
Every time the word “right” is said in the story, everyone passes their gift to the right. When the word “left” is read in the story, everyone passes their gift to the left. When the story ends, everyone keeps the gift or treat that they are holding.
New Years Left Right Story
Every year it was the same story. I’d dress up for New Year’s Eve, fill my plate with all the right snacks, play games with my family, and promise everyone that THIS would be the year I stayed up until midnight. And every year, I have failed.
Last year, I made it until right before 11:00 pm. The year right before that, I barely made it past 9:30. Not this year. This year would be different. I was determined to stay awake until midnight, no matter what!
When I woke up on New Year’s Eve, I announced my big plan right at breakfast. “Okay, nobody let me fall asleep tonight.” I told my family. My mom laughed and said, “We’ll see how long you last.”
I spent the entire day preparing. I took a nap right after lunch, drank plenty of water, and even made a list of things to keep me awake. It included dancing, playing games, eating snacks, and absolutely NO lying down on the couch.
By 6:00 p.m., our New Year’s Eve party was in full swing. We had balloons hung left and right, party hats, sparkling cider, and enough snacks to feed the entire neighborhood.
My cousins came over, and we played games while waiting for the big countdown. At 8:00, I had only 4 hours left, and I was feeling great. By 9:00 p.m. I was still going strong.
However, once 9:30 rolled around and there were only 2 ½ hours left to go, things started to get hard. My eyes started to feel heavy, and the couch right in front of me was looking extra comfortable. “Do you want to watch a movie?” my dad asked. “NO!” I shouted right back.
Instead, I jumped up and started dancing around the living room. My cousins joined in, and soon we were having a full-on dance party. I figured there was no way I could fall asleep while dancing.
At 10:15, we made a huge batch of popcorn. There was less than two hours left until midnight. I was so close. To keep myself busy and from falling asleep, we started playing a game of charades.
At 11:00, my mom announced that it was time to get our New Year’s Eve hats and noisemakers ready. I had never stayed awake this long before. There was only one more hour left!
I couldn’t believe I had made it this far. I was starting to feel pretty sleepy, but I was determined to make it until midnight so I grabbed a handful of candy, stood up, and started pacing around the living room.
At 11:30, my dad turned on the television so we could watch the countdown celebrations. Everyone gathered around, and we poured sparkling cider right into our fancy glasses.
With how tired I was starting to feel, I knew the last 30 minutes left were going to be the hardest. My eyelids were getting heavier by the second. I tried everything. I stood on one foot, sang silly songs, told jokes, and even told my sister to tickle me if I started to close my eyes.
Finally, the clock struck 11:59. We all jumped right to our feet and started counting. “TEN, NINE, EIGHT,” I was wide awake now! “SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
Confetti flew left and right, noisemakers blasted, and everyone cheered. I had finally done it! I proudly announced to my family, “I was right, I told you all this was the year!”
As soon as the excitement wore off, I realized just how tired I was. Staying up until midnight was harder than I thought. I smiled, wished everyone a Happy New Year, and headed right to my bed, feeling proud that I finally made it to midnight.
Printable New Years Left Right Game
Here is the free printable New Years left right story for you to download and print.
Other Fun New Years Ideas
- Printable New Year’s Scattergories Game
- FREE Printable New Years Dice Game
- 18 New Year’s Eve Scavenger Hunt Clues To Ring In The New Year
- New Years Charades Game
- Adorable New Years Interview For Kids – Free Printable
- FREE Year-in-Review Printable For Kids
- 25 Free Printable New Years Bingo Game Cards
- Best New Year’s Scavenger Hunt For Kids (Updated Each Year)
- How To Create An Epic Family Time Capsule Your Future Self Will Thank You For
- 13 Memorable Things To Do On New Years Eve With Kids
This Post Was All About a New Years Left Right Game
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