New Year’s Scattergories Game (Free Printables)
New Year’s Scattergories is a quick, low-prep game that brings kids and adults together for plenty of laughs on New Year’s Eve.
This free printable version includes four themed boards, YEAR, TIME, DROP, and WISH, so you can play without needing the official set.
We’ve used it at family parties and even in small classroom groups, and it works well because younger children can team up with older players.
All you need are pens, the printables, and a timer to start making fun New Year’s memories.
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What is Scattergories?
New Year’s Scattergories is a festive twist on the classic word game. Players get a letter at the top of the page and race to come up with answers for each category that begin with that letter.
The catch is that only unique answers score points, if someone else writes the same word, neither of you earns anything.
That’s where the fun comes in, because kids and adults often come up with creative (and hilarious) responses.
With our free printable Scattergories boards, you can skip the official game and start playing right away.
New Year’s Eve Scattergories Printable Game
If you don’t own the original game, this free New Year’s game is all you need for a night of laughs.
It includes four festive boards: YEAR, TIME, DROP, and WISH, so you can start playing right away.
Print the pages on standard paper or cardstock for extra durability, hand out pens, and set a timer.
Each board uses the same categories, which keeps scoring simple while letting the letters add variety:
- Memory from last year
- New Year’s resolution (pairs perfectly with our kids’ resolution worksheet)
- Party hat color
- Favorite party drink
- Party game
- Something to get rid of
- New Year’s decoration
New Year’s Scattergories Rules
The goal of New Year’s Scattergories is to fill in each category with an answer that begins with the board’s starting letter.
For example, if the letter is W, you might write “white” for party hat color or “water” for favorite party drink.
Scoring is where it gets fun:
- Unique answers = 1 point (if no one else writes the same word).
- Duplicates = 0 points (if someone else has the same answer).
- At the end, the player with the highest score wins.
In the official version, players roll a 20-sided die to choose letters. With our printable Scattergories boards, you can skip the die, each page already includes a festive word (YEAR, TIME, DROP, or WISH) that sets the round’s letter. Just hand out the boards, set a timer, and let the creativity begin.
More Free New Year’s Eve Printable Games
If you want a few extra activities to keep kids busy while waiting for midnight, these printables are simple to set up and always get used in our house:
- New Year’s Eve word search – Easy enough for younger kids and a relaxing option for anyone who needs a quiet break from the excitement.
- New Year’s Eve word scramble – Great for a quick challenge; we like to set a timer and see who can finish first.
- New Year’s Mad Libs – Perfect for laughs, especially once everyone reads their silly stories aloud.
We usually mix these games in between snacks and countdown activities, and they always help the evening run smoothly.
Get Your New Year’s Eve Scattergories Game Printable Here!
Ready to grab your free printable? Just pop your name and email into the form below, and it’s all yours!
If you don’t see the form below, click here to get the free game.
More Holiday-Themed Scattergories Printables
If your family loves playing Scattergory categories, you’ll enjoy these holiday-themed versions too. Each one uses festive letters and categories that fit the celebration, making them fun to mix in throughout the year:
- Halloween scattergories – spooky categories and letters perfect for October.
- Thanksgiving scattergories – great for family gatherings while the food cooks.
- Christmas scattergories – holiday traditions and decorations turned into a game.
- Winter scattergories – cozy, seasonal categories that work all winter long.
- Easter scattergories – egg hunts, baskets, and springtime fun.
- Cinco de Mayo scattergories – festive categories inspired by the holiday.
Last Updated on 17 September 2025 by Clare Brown