Party Whammy

26 New Year bingo calls

Print these words and picture descriptions, then add matching drawings to the caller cards and boards. The picker can repeat earlier calls; use a shuffled paper deck when you need each call only once.

Family gameSuggested ages 3 and up, with help as neededUse whisper calls and raised hands for a quieter round

How to play

  1. Give each player a prepared picture board and markers. Cover the free Midnight Clock center on full-size boards.
  2. Show the winning pattern before you start. For the mini-board, cover all nine pictures to win.
  3. Shuffle the paper caller cards. Draw one, show its picture for at least three seconds and say the word twice.
  4. Players cover the matching picture. Aim for one call every 20 seconds, pausing when someone needs more time.
  5. Set each called card aside. When a player finishes the pattern, check their pictures against those cards; players finishing on the same call share the win.
Random call card

Draw one when the room is ready

Midnight - a clock face with both hands pointing straight up

Caller deck - 26 New Year picture calls

The word is for the caller; use the description to draw the picture players will see.

  1. Midnight - a clock face with both hands pointing straight up
  2. Fireworks - three dotted bursts over a dark roofline
  3. Countdown ball - a glittery sphere lowering on a pole
  4. Party hat - a polka-dot cone with a pom-pom tip
  5. Noisemaker - a bright horn with a curled end
  6. Balloon drop - a net of balloons falling mid-air
  7. Streamers - curly paper spirals hanging from the ceiling
  8. Confetti popper - an opened tube with paper bits bursting out
  9. Sparkling cider - a plastic flute with rising bubbles and one cherry
  10. Mirror ball - a hanging ball covered in mirror tiles
  11. Calendar flip - a December page turning to a January page
  12. Resolution list - a notepad with three boxes and two checks
  13. Gold crown - a three-point tiara with jewel dots
  14. Glow stick - a bent bracelet glowing green in the dark
  15. Ribbon wand - a short stick with two curling ribbons
  16. Big Ben - a tall clock tower with a lit clock face
  17. Snow globe - a dome with a tiny city and falling flakes
  18. Night owl - a wide-awake owl on a branch beside a moon
  19. 11:59 - a digital clock one minute before twelve
  20. Star banner - a string of stars hung across a wall
  21. Cheering poms - two fluffy pom-poms crossed at the handles
  22. Time capsule - a sticker-covered box with a label
  23. Crescent moon - a yellow moon with three star friends
  24. Cocoa mug - a steaming mug topped with three marshmallows
  25. Paper countdown chain - ten links with the last one torn halfway
  26. Family hug - stick figures with arms around each other

New Year’s Eve bingo to print

Print the 26 caller entries above and the blank grids below, then add matching pictures for a family bingo game. Use a full-size board for a row or pattern game, or a nine-square board for younger children. There are also instructions for a whisper round that finishes ten minutes before your countdown.

These are caller descriptions and blank templates, rather than finished picture boards. You will need to draw or add the pictures before playing without reading. The print control prints the page; there is no separate board PDF here.

What do you need next? Prepare the boards Explain the game Play a quiet round

Count the players before printing. Allow time to add the artwork as well as cut the cards; the amount of preparation will depend on how you make the pictures.

  • Print one board per player plus two spares: 10 boards for eight players, 16 for 14 players, or 18 for 16 players.
  • Print the 26 caller entries. Add each picture beside its word and cut the entries into separate cards.
  • Make matching picture copies for the boards. Keep words off the children’s boards if you want picture-only play.
  • Use 65 lb card stock for the grids if you have it. Number each board in a corner.
  • Count out 25 markers for each full-size board or nine for each mini-board. The original options are pom-poms, buttons or cereal pieces; use what suits your guests and keep extras nearby.
  • Prepare a card showing the first winning pattern. Put it where everyone can see it.
  • Set out a tray for markers, a place for used caller cards and optional sticker prizes.

If another adult will take over calling, leave the rules and used-card pile together. The printable party games guide has suggestions for keeping helper instructions with the game materials.

Prepare your bingo boards

For a full-size board, use a 5x5 grid with 24 pictures and a free Midnight Clock in the center. Choose 24 of the 25 non-Midnight calls for each board. Use the same picture for an item on every board and on its caller card, so children are matching images rather than interpreting different drawings.

Give each player a set of pictures to arrange before gluing. Compare the boards and move a few pictures if two layouts match. Different arrangements can produce different winning times, but tied wins are still possible.

Blank full-size board

Board number: __________ Player: ____________________

Draw or glue one picture in each blank square. Add a clock with both hands pointing to twelve in the center and cover it before play.

__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
____________________FREE: Midnight Clock____________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

For a larger handmade board, draw squares 3.5 cm wide and high, with thick outlines. The grid will be 17.5 cm across before adding margins. Check print preview if you need exact dimensions; the table above is a blank template, not a scale drawing.

Blank nine-square mini-board

Board number: __________ Player: ____________________

Choose nine non-Midnight pictures and arrange them differently on each mini-board. In this version there is no free center: the first player to cover all nine pictures wins. Ages 3–4 are a suggested starting point; show the pictures and help with matching as needed.

______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

Keep mini-board wins separate from full-size board wins because the winning requirements differ. Clear the markers before starting again.

If you need replacement caller pictures, cut up a spare prepared board and call only the pictures in that set. That gives you a smaller deck, not all 26 calls. Use that same picture set on every board in the replacement game so no required square is missing from the deck.

You can laminate finished boards and use dry-erase marks next year. For other ways to give relatives different roles in one game, see family games for grandparents and children.

Call the pictures and check the winner

Shuffle the paper caller cards and show everyone the winning pattern. On full-size boards, players cover the Midnight Clock center before the first call; drawing the Midnight card does not add another mark.

Draw one card, hold its picture where everyone can see it for at least three seconds, and say the word twice. Start with a call about every 20 seconds, but pause while players are still searching. Set each called card aside face up so you can check a winning board.

When someone completes the pattern, they can say “Happy New Year!” or raise both hands for the quiet version. Check every required picture against the used cards. If more than one player completes the pattern on the same call, let them share the win. Offer a sticker if you are using prizes, then let a willing winner draw the next card while the caller continues showing and reading it.

The on-page picker is useful for previewing calls, but it can repeat a card from earlier in the round. Use the shuffled paper deck when you want each call drawn only once. Shuffle all cards back together for a new round.

For a whole evening around this game, use the family New Year’s Eve party plan to decide when everyone will gather for the countdown.

Winning patterns for the full-size board

Show the exact squares to cover before each round. A drawn pattern card is easier to follow than a name alone, especially for the zigzag. These patterns are for the 5x5 board; the mini-board uses all nine pictures.

PatternSquares to cover
Top row acrossAll five squares in the top row. Try this for the first round.
Middle column downAll five squares in the center column, including the free clock.
Four cornersThe top-left, top-right, bottom-left and bottom-right squares.
Corner-to-corner diagonalOne diagonal of five squares through the free clock. Show which diagonal counts, or announce that either counts.
Letter LThe left column and bottom row: nine squares in total.
ZigzagA stair-step path you draw on the pattern card. Mark the exact squares before play.
Border frameAll 16 squares around the outside edge.
Blackout finaleEvery square, including the already-covered free clock. Use this for a final round if you have time.

Allow about ten minutes per round for planning, rather than promising that every pattern takes that long. Twenty-six calls at 20 seconds each take 8 minutes 40 seconds, before extra pauses and checking the winner. A row may finish sooner; a blackout can require nearly the whole deck.

Play a quiet round before the countdown

Keep the same cards and winning rules, but call in a stage whisper and have winners raise both hands instead of shouting. Players can wave their pom-poms instead of clapping. Keep markers on a tray so they are easier to collect, and use lamp light only if everyone can still see the pictures.

End the last round ten minutes before your countdown. Put the boards away and gather the markers before moving to the celebration. Whispering reduces the noise of calling and winning, but it cannot guarantee that a sleeping baby will stay asleep.

If you want music or movement games, play them earlier. The music party games guide includes seated and standing options; quiet party games offers another table activity if guests want a change from bingo.

An example 45-minute bingo schedule

This example runs from 8:15 to a 9:00 countdown. It allows three ten-minute rounds, five minutes to explain the game and ten minutes to put it away and gather. Finish a round sooner if someone wins; if a round is unfinished at its stopping time, end it without a winner rather than delaying the countdown.

  1. 8:15–8:20 · Hand out boards and show one call — 5 minutes. Cover the free centers, show the top-row pattern and demonstrate the picture pause.
  2. 8:20–8:30 · Play the first round — 10 minutes. Use the top row for full-size boards and all nine pictures for mini-boards. Check winners, clear markers and reshuffle within this block.
  3. 8:30–8:40 · Play the second round — 10 minutes. Show the middle-column pattern. Keep the mini-board rule unchanged and announce its winners separately. Reset before the next block.
  4. 8:40–8:50 · Play a whisper finale — 10 minutes. Try blackout if the group wants it, or repeat a simpler pattern. Stop at 8:50 even if the pattern is unfinished.
  5. 8:50–9:00 · Put bingo away and gather — 10 minutes. Collect boards and markers, then get everyone ready for the countdown.

The blocks total 5 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 45 minutes. Move the whole example earlier for an 8:00 countdown, or play fewer rounds. For children who will not stay up for an evening celebration, the Noon Year’s Eve party at home includes a daytime schedule.

Other games for New Year’s Eve

You do not need to fill the whole evening with bingo. New Year’s Eve games for kids includes a seated ball pass, a freeze-dance game and quiet table activities you can play before or after it.

Leave paper and coloring supplies nearby for anyone who wants to stop playing. The low-demand party activities guide offers activities guests can join or leave without a turn or timer. If you need a short activity while someone prepares the countdown, use ten-minute backup games and agree on a stopping signal before starting.

New Year’s Eve bingo questions

Are these finished picture bingo boards?

No. This page provides printable caller words with picture descriptions and blank board grids. Add matching drawings before playing with children who cannot read. There is no separate finished-board PDF supplied here.

How many boards should I print?

Print one per player plus two spares. Eight players need 10 boards, 14 players need 16, and 16 players need 18.

Can three-year-olds play?

Try the nine-square mini-board with matching pictures and help as needed. Show each caller picture for at least three seconds. In this version, covering all nine pictures wins; the mini-board has no free center.

How long should I allow for a round?

Allow about ten minutes, but adjust for the players and winning pattern. Calling all 26 cards at 20 seconds per card takes 8 minutes 40 seconds before extra pauses or checking a winner. A row may finish sooner.

What can we use as markers?

The original suggestions are pom-poms, buttons or cereal pieces. Use markers appropriate for your guests and count 25 per full-size board or nine per mini-board. Keep extras nearby if players eat the cereal.

Can I use the picker for a whole round?

The picker can repeat a call from earlier in the round. For a game without repeated calls, shuffle the printed caller cards, draw one at a time and set each used card aside.