In this classic variation of charades participants must act out phrases or words in order for team members to guess the correct phrase. The essence of Charades is pantomimes: you must act out a word or phrase without speaking or making any sound effects. For a New Year's Party Game, use events from the past year for items. You can still use the typical categories of charades like TV shows, Movies, books etc, but use those that were released in the previous 12 months!

1. New Year's Charades
In this classic variation of charades participants must act out
phrases or words in order for team members to guess the
correct phrase. The essence of Charades is pantomimes: you
must act out a word or phrase without speaking or making any
sound effects. For a New Year's Party Game, use events from
the past year for items. You can still use the typical categories
of charades like TV shows, Movies, books etc, but use those
that were released in the previous 12 months!
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2. Introduction
In this classic variation of charades
participants must act out phrases or
words in order for team members to
guess the correct phrase. The
essence of Charades is pantomimes:
you must act out a word or phrase
without speaking or making any
sound effects. For a New Year's
Party Game, use events from the
past year for items. You can still use
the typical categories of charades
like TV shows, Movies, books etc,
but use those that were released in
the previous 12 months!
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3. Game Description
Participants split into teams of 6 or
more members and try to guess the
events from the person acting them
out.
Game Materials
The key words
Game Preparation
You will need to create a list of items
relating to events, and things that
were done within the past 12
months. For inspiration look to the
internet, the newspaper, magazines,
etc. Print them on slips of paper and
put them in a bag to be drawn from
during the game. CreativeHolidayIdeas.com

4. Game Play
1. Divide players into two teams.
2. High die roll decides which team
will play first.
3. The first team selects a person to
mime the phrase; all other first
team players are then the
Guessers. The mime must rotate
so that everyone is required to
mime a clue before someone can
go again.
4. Each time a new mime begins, he
must draw a new name or phrase.
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5. 5. A timer is used... an hourglass can
be used or a 2 minute timer. (The
opposing team keeps track of the
time limit.)
6. As one team mimes and guesses a
name or phrase, the opposing
team watches.
7. As the mime pantomimes the
words his teammates start
shouting out what they think is
being portrayed. Players can guess
as many times as they want.
Guessing is NOT done in turn!
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6. 8. First, indicate to your team
through motions (no words
allowed) whether you're going to
mime the title of a movie, book,
TV show, book, or Newspaper
Headline (event) etc.
o to indicate a movie, pretend
to crank an old-fashioned
movie camera
o to indicate a book, pretend
to be reading
o for a tv show, draw a square
in the air for a tv screen.
o for a newspaper headline,
pretend to be reading with
your hands wide apart as if
to read a newspaper. CreativeHolidayIdeas.com

7. 9. Indicate how many words are
in the title by holding up the
same number of fingers as
words. You might also indicate
which word you are miming
first by holding up a finger for
that word. Usually you put the
number of fingers flat against
your arm to indicate the
number of syllables in a word.
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8. 10. Use clues along the way to
guide the answers:"sounds like"
--cup your hand around your ear
o "little word": bring your thumb
and index fingers close together.
o "Longer version of the word":
pretend to stretch an elastic.
o "Shorter version of the word":
chop with your hand.
o "close, keep guessing!":
frantically wave hands to keep
the guesses coming.
o "Knows": Point to you nose to
indicate that someone "knows"
the word and is correct.
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9. 11.Continue until all the words in
the phrase are correct.
12.If the Mime's team guesses
correctly before the timer is
emptied, the Mime's team gets
one point and marks the score
on a piece of paper. It is now the
opposing team’s turn to mime
and guess a new name or
phrase from a new slip of paper.
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10. 13.If the Mime's team does not
guess correctly before the timer
is emptied, they do not win the
point. The opposing team then
gets ten seconds to make one
guess to win the point. If the
opposing team guesses correctly,
they win the point and mark the
score on a separate sheet of
paper. It is then their turn to
mime and guess a new name or
phrase. If the opposing team
does not guess correctly, no one
wins the point. It is now the
opposing team’s turn to mime
and guess a new name or phrase.
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11. 15. Play alternates between teams
with each phrase to be mimed.
16.At the end of game play or the
end of your clues, the team with
the most correct guesses wins!
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12. Discussion
• What were the key events in
your personal life during the
past year?
• What were some of your
achievements?
• What dreams and goals did you
have? Did you reach them?
• Did you make any New Year's
Resolutions at the beginning of
last year? Did you keep them?
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13. Closing Application
What are some of the things you
want to do in the new year? What
will the new year will look like for
you? On a separate piece of paper
make a list of some things you
would like to see in the upcoming
year. If you want to, you can share
it with someone in the group to
help keep you accountable to
achieve it, or if it is personal, that is
also ok... Seal it away in an
envelope and write the date on it.
Put it someplace where you can
see as a reminder of the resolution
you have made for the upcoming
year! CreativeHolidayIdeas.com

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