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Fun Minute to Win It Games for Kids
Cookie Face Place a cookie on the player’s forehead. Set a timer for one minute. Once the timer starts, the player has to move the cookie from the forehead to their mouth without using their hands. This task will challenge their facial muscles and their focus under pressure. Great for kids of all ages.
Suck It Up For this game, you need clean drinking straws, goldfish crackers, and two bowls or plates. Set the bowls or plates side-by-side and fill one of them with crackers. Give the player a straw. They have one minute to transfer as many crackers as they can into the empty bowl or plate, using the straw to suck the crackers up and move them. The goldfish crackers are wider than the tip of the straw, so you don’t have to worry about sucking one up or choking by accident. You likely have the supplies for this game in your kitchen already.
Junk in the Trunk To set up, find an empty sandwich bag box or tissue box for each player. Place six ping pong balls inside each box. Use a length of stretchy ribbon to tie the boxes to players’ waists so that the box is hanging off their lower back with the slit facing outward. The player must shimmy and shake to get their balls out of their box the fastest—or, if playing alone, in under one minute. Kids can compete against each other or against adults.
Chopstick Marshmallow Stacking In this game, each player must use chopsticks (in one hand) to stack marshmallows on a plate. If playing against others, the goal is to have the highest stack when one minute is up. If playing against the clock, the goal is to stack a certain number of marshmallows before time is up. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids how to use chopsticks.
Sock Toss Let your kids practice their athleticism—and their cleaning skills. Put a line of tape on the floor that players will stand behind. A few feet in front of the tape, set down an empty laundry basket. Supply the player with around 20 clean sock pairs, rolled into bundles. The player has one minute to toss as many sock bundles as they can into the basket. Move the basket further away for older or taller players. Score this game either by awarding one point for every five socks in the basket, or by giving a point to whichever player got the most in the basket (if playing head-to-head).
Penny Towers All you need for this game is plenty of pennies. Set a timer for one minute. Challenge players to stack as many pennies as they can on top of one another—using only one hand to grab and stack them. After one minute, whoever has the highest stack wins. Only one supply is needed. If only one player is playing, award them one point per every ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) their stack is tall. Or, place only a small amount of pennies (say, 15) on the table for them to stack. Give them a point if they stack them all before time is up.
Penny Hose Get a clean pair of pantyhose for each player, preferably in a sheer color so your players are able to see through them. Place one penny in the bottom of each leg (two total). Task players with retrieving the pennies before one minute is up. They’ll probably look silly as they stretch and scramble to get the coins out. Great for older kids.
Thread the Pasta Let your kids play with their food. Give each player one uncooked spaghetti noodle to hold between their lips. Dump a couple handfuls of an uncooked cylindrical pasta like penne on the table. Give players one minute to thread the penne onto their spaghetti noodle without using their hands—only the spaghetti which they hold in their mouth. Gather the supplies from your pantry. If players are competing against one another, the winner is whoever threads the most pasta before time is up. If players are playing against the clock, award them a point for each piece of pasta they thread.
Gummy Bear Hunt Players will love this sweet Minute to Win It game. In front of each player, set a paper plate with five to seven gummy bears on it, buried in a heaping of cool whip. Players must use their mouth to hunt for and remove the gummy bears. No hands allowed! Keep paper towels nearby, since this game is guaranteed to get messy. Avoid playing with younger children who could choke on the gummy candy.
Foam Cup Shootout Recreate a classic carnival game with a Minute to Win It twist. First, stack foam cups into a tower with the bottom row having five cups across, and each row above it having one less cup until you reach the top row. Supply players with rubber bands equal to the amount of cups there are. They have one minute to shoot the bands at the cups and knock over as many as they can. Great for older children. If players are competing against one another, set up two towers side-by-side so they can play at the same time. Whoever knocks down more cups in one minute wins. If players are racing against the clock, award them a point for every cup they successfully knock over before one minute is up.
Stack the Apples Supply players with five apples. They don’t have to be washed—that could make the game harder. Set a timer for one minute and ask them to stack all five apples on top of one another before time is up. While they can use their hands to stack them, the completed stack has to be able to stand on its own for them to win this game. Only one supply needed. If players are facing off head-to-head, whoever finishes their stack first, or gets a higher stack before time is up, wins.
Donut On A String Gather strong string, a pole (like a clean broom handle), and a donut for each player in this sweet challenge. Tie the string gently through the hole of the donut so it dangles off of it. Tie the other end of the string to the pole. Have two assistants hold each end of the pole, or balance it on the backs of two chairs. The player must sit on the floor, under the donut. They have one minute to eat it off the string using only their mouth. Avoid playing with younger children—this could be a choking hazard. If there are multiple players, tie multiple donuts to strings and suspend them from the pole, evenly spaced. Let all start eating at the same time—whoever finishes their donut first wins.
Towel Race To play this Minute to Win It game, you need a smooth floor—wood works better than tile, and both are better than carpet. Have players sit on a beach towel. Set a timer for one minute and watch them scoot their way to your race’s “finish line” before time is up. You probably already have the supplies in your linen closet. Depending on the size of the room, the race could simply be from one wall to another. If it’s a smaller space, challenge them to race back and forth from the starting point to an end point, twice or three times before time is up. Use tape to mark the finish line so players know where they’re going. If you’re playing with small children, two of them may sit on the towel at a time and work together to win the game.
Kix Chopstick Race Pour Kix or another round cereal into a bowl. Set out a plastic cup for each player next to the bowl. Provide each player with a pair of chopsticks. Within one minute, they must use chopsticks to move as many pieces of cereal into their individual cup as they can. Teach your kids how to use chopsticks to play. If they’re playing against other players, whoever has the most pieces in their cup when time is up wins. If they’re playing against the clock, determine a specific number of cereal pieces they need to collect within one minute to win.
Balance the Die Have each player put a clean, wide popsicle stick in their mouth. Give each player five to eight dice. Set a timer for one minute and ask them to stack as many dice as they can on the end of the popsicle stick. If one kid is playing against the clock, give them a point if they stack and balance a certain number of dice. If kids are playing against each other, the one with the tallest stack or the one who can balance their stack the longest wins. Fun for individuals or teams.
Marshmallow Race This funny Minute to Win It challenge works for players of all ages. Give each player a plastic drinking straw. Have them sit on one side of the table, with a strip of tape running across the other side. Scatter mini marshmallows on the side of the table closest to the players. When the timer starts, they have one minute to blow the marshmallows across the strip of tape using their straw. Perfect for family game night—kids vs. parents! If players are playing by themselves, give them a point for each marshmallow they get over the tape. If players are competing head-to-head, whoever gets more marshmallows over the tape wins. Use two different colors of mini marshmallows, one for each player, to make scoring easier.
Sticky Balls All you need for this game are 10 to 20 marbles and double-sided tape. Place a long strip of tape on one end of a table. Challenge players to roll marbles from the other side of the table so that they stick to the tape. Whoever sticks the most marbles to the tape when a minute has passed is the winner. Can be played in teams or individually.
One-Hand Bracelets Give each player a pipe cleaner and a plate containing several handfuls of loop cereal, such as Cheerios or Froot Loops. Players have one minute to thread as many pieces of cereal onto their pipe cleaner as they can—using only one hand. Before the minute’s up, they must secure the pipe cleaner around their wrist as a bracelet. Only a few supplies.
Nut Stacker For this game, gather five hex nuts (the metal kind used in building) for each player. Give each player one wooden chopstick and a plate with the hex nuts. Set a timer for one minute and challenge them to thread five nuts on the chopstick, then stack them on top of each other one at a time by sliding them off the chopstick. It sounds simple, but it’s much harder than it looks. Great for older kids. When stacking the nuts, it may be easier for kids to stack them flat. For an added challenge perfect for older players, ask them to stack the nuts on their sides, creating a taller tower.
60-Second Scavenger Hunt Think of a specific item that’s somewhere in your house, such as a book with a blue cover or a green towel. Set a timer for 60 seconds and announce the item. Players must race to find it and present it within one minute. If there are multiple players, whoever returns with the right item first wins. If there’s only one player, challenge them to find two to three items before time is up. No supplies needed.
One-Handed Shoe Tie All you need for this game is a shoe with laces—ask players to wear them and have them take off one of their shoes to play. Have players sit on the floor with the shoe in front of them, untied. Set a timer for one minute and watch them try to tie the shoe with one hand, while their other hand is held behind their back. No extra supplies needed—just your sneakers. For an added challenge, make players use their non-dominant hand to tie the shoe.
Backward ABCs Set a timer for one minute. Ask players to recite the alphabet backwards before time is up. If they make a mistake (such as skipping a letter or saying the wrong letter), make them start over from “Z.” Award a point if they make it through the alphabet with no mistakes, or if they make it further than other players by the time the timer goes off. Great way to memorize the alphabet. For older players, consider awarding points for how many times they can make it through the backwards ABCs before the timer goes off.
Math Race You only need common supplies for this game, making it basically “no supplies.” Give players a pencil and sheet of paper with addition and subtraction problems (or multiplication and division problems, for older kids) written on it. Challenge players to solve as many problems as they can in one minute. It’s a great way to test their math skills. Perfect for building math skills in a fun way. After the game, walk them through the problems they got wrong.
Rhyming Challenge Give players a word with a lot of potential rhymes. Set a timer for one minute. Have them list off as many rhyming words as they can before time is up. You’ll have a chance to engage their vocabulary—and if you play in teams, players can brainstorm rhymes together. Help your kids build their vocabulary.
Back-to-Back Stand This Minute to Win It game requires at least two players. Have each player sit back-to-back and link arms. Make sure their legs are bent and feet planted flat on the floor. Set a timer for one minute and see how many times they can stand up together, without unlinking their arms. Each time they successfully stand, they sit back down, then repeat. Needs to be played in pairs. If pairs are playing against each other, the team who stands up the most times wins. If pairs are playing against the clock, award a point for each time (or two times) they stand up before time is up.
Tongue-Twister Challenge Kids will love this silly speech game. Pick out a tongue twister. Tell the players the tongue twister but don’t let them repeat it yet. Set a timer for one minute, and ask players to repeat the tongue twister correctly as many times as they can. When time is up, give them a point for each successful repetition. No supplies needed!
Anagrams Give each player a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Display a word or phrase (either by writing it on their papers, or showing it on a screen). Challenge them to create as many new words or phrases as they can using only the letters from the original word or phrase. These are known as anagrams. After time is up, count out the anagrams to see who wrote down the most—they’re the winner! Help your kids expand their vocabulary.
Rebus Puzzles Print out several pages of Rebus Puzzles—logic puzzles that challenge you to combine pictures and letters to form hidden words. Look for free puzzles online or buy a book of them and tear out pages. Print out the same puzzles for all players—if you don’t have access to a printer, simply copy them down on paper. Give each player a pencil so they can write down their guesses. Set a timer for one minute and see how many puzzles players can solve before time is up. Put your kids’ logic skills to the test. Display the puzzles on a computer or TV screen and have players type their answers on their phones or tablets to avoid printing.
Streamer Mummy Divide players into teams of two to three people. Give each team a roll of streamers and ask them to decide who will be the mummy—the person wrapped in the streamers. Set a timer for one minute. The teammates who aren’t the mummy must scramble to wrap the player from head to toe in streamers, spinning them around or circling them to do so. Needs to be played in pairs or teams. Tell your kids before they start playing that they shouldn’t wrap around the mummy’s face—that could keep players from being able to breathe properly. Try to clear space before starting this game. Since players spin around and may get dizzy, you don’t want them bumping into desks or chairs.
Marshmallow Toss Have players stand in two lines facing each other, so that they each have a partner across from them. Distance them to be two to four feet apart. Hand one line of players 6-8 marshmallows each. Hand the other line of players a plastic or paper cup. Set a timer for one minute. Have the players with the marshmallows try to throw them into their partner’s cup before time is up. Good for large groups, such as classrooms or youth groups. Have the lines switch roles for a second round so everyone has a chance to throw and catch the marshmallows. To make the game more difficult for older kids, use jelly beans or another small candy instead of marshmallows.
Cup Stacking Give players a stack of 36 plastic cups. Set a timer for one minute. Before time is up, task them with stacking all the cups into a pyramid, then unstacking them back into their original stack. The pyramid should have eight cups on the bottom, seven on the next row, six on the next row, and so on, with the final cup at the top. Great for classrooms or groups. Split your group in half or in thirds and let each group pick which member of their team will go head-to-head each round. Cycle through players until everyone has had a chance to play.
Balance the Balls A twist on the classic egg relay, this Minute to Win It game involves speed and grace. Players must hold the long end of a plastic spoon in their mouth. Without using their hands, have them scoop ping pong balls onto the spoon and transfer them from one bowl to another on the other end of the classroom. Start with just three or four ping pong balls. Don’t forget to set your one-minute timer! Perfect for big groups split into teams.
Guess How Many Pennies Are in the Jar Count out a specific number of pennies and write it down in a secret place, such as the Notes app on your phone. Place the pennies in a clear jar or bowl. Set a timer for one minute and challenge players to guess how many pennies there are—without touching the container or the pennies. The closest guess wins. Only a few supplies. If you don’t have pennies, use M&Ms, marbles, or another small object.
Movin’ On Up Gather at least seven red or white plastic cups. Find one plastic cup that’s blue—or color the rim of a red or white cup with permanent marker. Each player will need their own stack. Place the cups inside each other so the blue cup is at the top. Set a timer for one minute. Have players re-stack the cups one at a time by moving the bottom cup into the top one. Keep going until the original cup is on top again. Works individually or head-to-head. One way to make this Minute to Win It game harder is to not let players set the stack of cups down once they begin, forcing them to balance the stack in one hand as they move the cups from bottom to top with their other hands. If you don’t have a lot of plastic cups, have players line up and take turns doing this challenge. Give the three fastest players a point or prize.
Yank Me Gather five sturdy plastic cups and four index cards for each player or team. Stack the cups with their rims down and place an index card between each cup in the stack. Players have to quickly and carefully yank the index cards away from the cups, causing them to fall into one another without knocking over the tower. Keep going until all the cups are stacked together. Best for older children. Don’t forget to give players one minute to complete the challenge.
Hanky Panky If you have extra tissue boxes, use them for a fun Minute to Win It game. Give each player a full, open tissue box. Set a timer for one minute. Tell them to place one hand behind their back. With their other hand, have them pull out the tissues one at a time before one minute is up (or before the other players, if they’re going head-to-head). Best for playing at home, not at school.
Cereal Puzzle (Breakfast Scramble) Split players into three or four small groups. Give each group the cut up pieces of the front of a cereal box in a plastic sandwich bag. Set a timer for one minute and see who can reassemble their cereal box puzzle the fastest. Cut the box into more pieces for older players—about 10 to 16. You probably have the supplies on hand. Ask your kids to save empty cereal boxes so you can recycle them for this fun game.
Paper Toss Turn scratch paper and old worksheets into crumpled up balls for this simple Minute to Win It game. Place an empty wastebasket at one end of the classroom and a stack of crumpled paper balls on the other. Have players take turns tossing their paper balls into the basket—while blindfolded! Whoever gets the most balls into the basket within one minute wins. Great for students.
Post-it Note Cover Up All you need for this game are packs of Post-it Notes—one pack for each pair of players. Have the pairs decide which person will be the sticker and which person will be the canvas. Set a timer for one minute. The players must stick as many Post-it Notes as they can on the canvas player’s face before time is up. Needs to be played in pairs. Remind your kids to be gentle when sticking the notes on, not put them in their mouths, and not poke each other in the eyes.
Defying Gravity There are few things more fun than balloons. Let people play individually or in teams. Distribute one inflated balloon to every player or team. Set a timer for one minute. Have the players keep the balloon in the air the entire time—no holding allowed. If their balloon touches the ground before time is up, they lose. Can be played individually or in teams with multiple balloons.
Pom-Pom Pass Give every player two paper bowls. Fill one of the bowls with craft pom-poms. Hand the players a plastic spoon or a pair of chopsticks. Set a timer for one minute and challenge them to move as many pom-poms from the first bowl to the empty one before time is up. Great for classrooms with craft supplies.
Ping Pong Bounce Set six plastic cups on the ground in a row. Hand players six ping-pong balls. Within one minute, they have to bounce every ping pong ball into one of the cups. If they run out of balls, they have to run to collect them and try again. Can be played indoors or outdoors. Let younger players stand closer to the cups so they have a better chance of making it into the cup. Have older players stand further away.
Minute to Win It Bowling Line up five to eight empty soda bottles—either individual-sized bottles or two-liters. Give players three plastic balls and have them stand at least seven feet from the row of bottles. Within one minute, they must bowl their balls to knock over as many soda bottles as they can. Can be played in teams or against the clock. If they run out of balls, have another player or yourself collect them and hand them back so they’re ready to try again.
Hula Hoop Challenge Give each player a hula hoop and make sure they’re standing a few feet apart from one another. Set a timer for one minute and have everyone start hula-hooping (spinning the hoop around their waist). Everyone whose hoop is still spinning when time is up gets a point or a prize. Best played outside.
Egg Relay You may have done an egg relay race before during an Easter egg hunt, but you probably didn’t have just one minute to finish. To set up this Minute to Win It game, have each player balance a raw egg on a spoon. Have them run a specific distance—for example, from one end of your backyard to the other—without dropping the egg. See how many laps they can do before one minute is up. Perfect for Easter.
Elephant March To prepare for this silly game, place a baseball into the bottom leg of a pair of pantyhose. Tie the pantyhose around your player’s forehead so the baseball hangs down like an elephant truck. On the ground, set up a tower of plastic cups. When the timer begins, they have one minute to swing their head so the baseball knocks over the cups. Best played outside to avoid breaking things.
Numbers in Order On flash or index cards, write down the numbers from one to 25—one number per card. Scatter the cards randomly across your yard or field. Set a timer for one minute and let players run free, gathering the cards and putting them all in order before time is up. Made to be played outside. If you choose to include a zero card, let players know there will be 26 cards in the yard. Otherwise, they could miss one, thinking there are only 25.
Human Ring Toss Divide players into pairs. Give one partner five or six hula hoops or circular pool floats. Set a timer for one minute and have players throw their hoops or floats over their partner’s head, landing around them. It’s like the ring toss carnival game with people—and whichever pair has the most successful tosses when time is up wins. Best played outside to avoid knocking things over.
Candy Cane Pick Up Give each player a pile of eight to 12 candy canes—big ones work better than mini ones. Have them place one candy cane in their mouth, with the hook part sticking out. When the timer starts, the players must use their candy cane to pick up the ones in the pile and place them in a new pile to the side. Whoever moves the most candy canes before time is up is the winner. Perfect for a Christmastime game night.
Christmas Nutstacker Put a holiday twist on a Minute to Win It classic. Give players a plate with 12 hex nuts (the tool kind) that are big enough to fit on a candy cane, as well as a large candy cane. Set a timer for one minute. Task them to thread and stack the hex nuts one on top of the other, using the candy cane to move them one at a time. Great for older children. The winner is either the player with the tallest stack when time is up or the player to complete their stack first.
Christmas Cliffhanger Set Christmas greeting cards horizontally on a table, so they form tent-like shapes. You’ll need one card for each player. Have players line up behind the cards. When the timer begins, players must move the card to the edge of the table using only their breath. The extra challenge is that the card must hang over the edge of the table without falling to the ground. Kids and adults can play against each other. If players are going head-to-head, the fastest player wins. If players are solo, they have to beat the clock.
Reindeer Nose Dive For this Minute to Win It game, you’ll need thin strips of ribbon, petroleum jelly, and small red pom-poms. Tie a pom-pom to the end of each ribbon. Before setting a timer, give each player their own ribbon and put a dab of petroleum jelly on the tip of their nose. Have them hold the ribbon in their mouth so the pom-pom dangles just below their chin. When the time starts, have them tilt their head and shake so that the pom-pom lands on their nose. Great for young children. Players might need more than a minute for this one.
Oven Mitt Unwrap Use extra wrapping paper to wrap empty boxes or cans. Give each player a pair of oven mitts to wear. Set a timer for one minute and challenge them to unwrap as many packages as they can—while wearing their oven mitts. It’s harder than it looks. Perfect for right after the holidays.
Jingle Bell Clock Give each player a wide popsicle or craft stick to put in their mouth. Also distribute six to eight jingle bells to each player. With the timer on, each player has one minute to place and balance all their jingle bells on the end of their stick. Whoever is able to stack the most or balance theirs the longest wins. Great for classroom holiday parties.
Christmas in the Balance For this fun Minute to Win It game, you’ll need an empty wrapping paper tube, a sturdy yard stick, and eight shatterproof ornaments. Each ornament must have a flexible ornament hook attached. Let players work in pairs. The duos have one minute to balance the yard stick over the vertical wrapping-paper tube and string their ornaments along it. Each person should string four ornaments on their end, being careful not to upset the balance. Kids and adults can enjoy this challenge.
Snow Shovel Play this Minute to Win It game when it’s snowy outside. Give each player two bowls, one empty and one filled with cotton balls or white pom-poms. Also distribute a plastic spoon to each player. When the timer starts, they must hold the plastic spoon in their mouth and use it to scoop and move the balls or pom-poms from the full bowl to the empty one. A fun game to play near Christmas. If players are competing against one another, whoever moves all the balls first is the winner. Otherwise, have solo players try to beat the clock. About 15 pom-poms should be manageable within the time limit.
Conversation Heart Stack Around Valentine’s Day, buy boxes of large conversation hearts. Distribute a box to each player. Set a timer for one minute and see which player can stack all their conversation hearts neatly before time is up. For an added challenge, give them more than one box of hearts or make them use only one hand to stack. Perfect for Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Candy Corn Stick Up This Minute to Win It game works for Valentine’s Day or Halloween. Buy pink-and-red candy corn in February or regular candy corn near Halloween. Pour equal amounts on plates for each player. Give them one minute to turn the candy corn pieces upright, balancing them on their wide end with the point sticking up. Whoever stacks all of their candies (or the most) before time is up wins. Great for Halloween parties.
Twizzler Pull Let your kids have fun with their Halloween candy. Buy Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel licorice and give each player a few pieces (two for younger children, or up to six for older children). Set a timer for one minute and challenge them to peel and separate each piece of licorice before time is up. If they’re playing against one another, see who can peel the most within the time limit. As a prize, let them eat their licorice. Can be played individually or in teams.
Lollipop Toss For this game, place a Halloween bucket on the floor. Have players stand at least five feet away from the bucket. Hand them ten lollipops and see how many they can toss into the bucket within one minute. To make the game more difficult for older players, blindfold them before they toss. Kids of all ages can play.
Jawbreaker Roll Set a Halloween bucket on the floor for each player. Place a short plank of wood or strip of cardboard in the bucket and give each player a plate of jawbreakers. Set a timer for one minute and see how many jawbreakers they can roll down the ramp, into the bucket. Perfect for children’s Halloween parties. Make the game more challenging by using a longer or narrower ramp.
What is a Minute to Win It game?
A Minute to Win It game is a one-minute task using household items. The name comes from the 2010 game show of the same name. Players race against the clock or against one another to finish the tasks. Most Minute to Win It games use common household items like chopsticks, candy pieces, cups, and balls. Minute to Win It games are fun for kids of all ages and for adults. Modify the games if needed to give extra time or accommodations to younger players. At the end of a Minute to Win It tournament, give a prize to whoever won the most games or scored the most points.
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