Our New Year’s Eve traditions are packed full of fun competitive Minute To Win It Games for Kids and for the whole family. Today, I thought I’d share some of our favorite Family-Friendly Minute To Win It Games from last year’s party. Come on in and I’ll share 9 of our favorite Minute to Win It Games for your party…
Kid Friendly and Easy Minute To Win It Games for Kids, teens, and even adults…
These Minute to Win It games are hard enough to make it challenging but easy enough for everyone to enjoy. They are our top picks. Come on in, and check them out.
You can really take any party up a notch just by adding these fast-paced Minute To Win It Games. They are always a big hit and so hilarious to watch.
Here’s a fun video sampling some of our favorite and Best Minute To Win It Games.
So, How Do You Play Minute To Win It Games?
- Minute to Win It Games are fast-paced and challenging games. The tasks must be completed in one minute.
- Some games are team games and some only require one player
- Once the game is set up, the timer should be set to 1 minute and the host yells go!
- Players have one minute to complete the task. If they mess up, the timer does not stop. They have to start over and try again
- Award points for completing the games
- Award a bonus point for the team or player that completes it in the least amount of time (This helps with tiebreakers)
- In the end, tally the points and award the players their prize
What are good prizes for Minute To Win It Games?
- The pride of winning the game
- A candy bar
- A trophy
- A ribbon – homemade or ordered
- Money!
Do you need a lot of room for Minute To Win It Games?
- Some of the games require an open space for racing, but most are performed on a table surface
What Kind of Supplies are needed for Minute To Win It Games?
- Most supplies can be found around the house
- Examples are, rubber bands, plastic cups, plates, ping pong balls, pencils, paper clips, paper, balloons, tissue, soda cans, and more easy to find items
Can you play Minute To Win It Games outside?
- Almost all of the games can be played outside
- The surface is the important part of Minute To Win It Games – you’ll need a table top and sometimes a hard floor (a sidewalk would do in most cases)
Finally, Here’s Minute To Win It Game Number 1 for this post…
YANK IT DOWN!
Also Called YANK ME
Difficulty Level – 1 (easy)
Here’s a quick video to see how we played this game…
(1 player per team)
- You’ll need plastic cups and index cards (4 x 6 inch) for each player – We decided that 4 cups plus 3 pieces of cardstock makes this game DOable
- The players – in one minute – have to stack the cups just right so they center on the paper
- Then, they have to pull the paper out from between the cups, so the cups collapse onto each other!
Minute To Win It Game 2
Back Flip
Difficulty Level – 5 (hard) but can be modified for little kids
Here’s a quick video…
You’ll Need:
- Set 6 stools out with 2 pencils on each stool
To play:
- Players will try to – in 1 minute – grab 2 pencils, steady on the back of the hand, flip them up and catch them
- Then, quickly move to the next stool adding 2 more pencils each time and perform the same activity – finally, ending in 12 pencils total
For younger kids…
- This one you’ll have to be super fast, and have really good reflexes for
- Grab 2 pencils per player
- Give them more if they are successful at 2
- Have the players hold them on the backs of their hands
- Set the timer for 1 minute, and Go!
- The player that can successfully toss the most in the air in under 1 minute wins this round
Minute To Win It
Game 3
Tilt A Cup
(2 players from each team)
Difficulty Level: 1
Here’s a short video showing how to play the game…
- You’ll need for each team – 6 plastic cups, and 6 + ping pong balls (you’ll want several in reserve because a lot will fall onto the floor)
- Players have to get on opposite sides of the table
- One player holds the 6 stacked cups and the other has the balls
- IN 1 MINUTE – Player 1 will bounce the ball on to the table, toward the other player – 1 at a time, while player 2 tries to catch it in the cup
- Once the ball is caught in the cup, player 2 takes that cup (with the ball still in it) and moves it to the bottom of the cup stack in their hand to catch the second ball
- Repeat until all 6 balls are in the cups – 1 ball per cup!
- The cups get a little wobbly toward the end and start to TILT
For younger kids:
- When my kids were younger we found that using 4 cups was just the right amount before frustration levels set in
Minute To Win It
Game 4
Kerplink or Kerplunk
Difficulty Level – 2
You’ll need:
- A punch bowl or large bowl filled with water
- 3 plastic cups to float in the water
- marbles – several
How do you play Kerplink or Kerplunk?
- In less than 60 seconds, bounce marbles off of a table and into all 3 cups floating in the bowl of water
- If the marble lands in a cup, you’ll be rewarded with a kerplink sound – If it lands in the water then you’ll hear kerplunk
Game 4 – alternative for younger kids (level 1)
KerPlunk!
(1 player per team)
- You’ll need some short glasses filled halfway with water and 1 or more ping pong balls for each player
- In 1 Minute! Players will bounce the ping pong ball onto the table, so it bounces up and into the water
- We did it until 1 ball was floating in the water. Make it more challenging by requiring 2 or more balls to land in the water
- Our cups were set at 21 inches and 26 inches (to the center of the cup) away from the edge of the table
Minute To Win It
Game 5
Full of Hot Air!
(2 players per team)
Difficulty Level 1
- You’ll need 1 balloon and 4 ping pong balls, and 1 plastic cup per team
- In 1 minute! Player 1 will blow the balloon up and use the air from the balloon to blow the balls over to player 2 who will catch them in a cup!
Minute To Win It
Game 6
Hanky Panky
(1 player per team)
- You’ll need 1 large Kleenex box per player
- In 1 minute players must pull Kleenex out -1 at a time! – from the box
- The first one to empty the box wins!
Minute To Win It
Game 7
Separation Anxiety
(1 player per team)
- You’ll need assorted candies and a cup per team
- optional: 1 sorting tray per player
- Players (in 1 minute) will need to sort out the candy onto a tray or onto the table
- Don’t let the players dump the candy out. That makes it too easy
Minute To Win It
Game 8
Stack it!
(1 player per team)
- You’ll need 6 plastic cups and 3 paper plates per player
- In 1 minute, players will need to stack the cups and paper plates like the above picture
Game 9
This Blows!
Difficulty Level – 1
Here’s what you’ll need for This Blows!
- 15 (16 oz.) Plastic Solo Cups per team – or use the same cups if taking turns
- Long table or countertop
Setting up for the game:
- *Modify the number of cups and the length the kids or adults have to knock them off the table as needed to make it more or less challenging
- Set up the cups on the edge or center of the table
- Place deflated balloons out for each player
How to Play This Blows!
- In under 60 seconds, fill your balloon with air
- Release the air towards the cups – knocking them off of the surface
- Keep refilling the balloon as many times as needed to blow cups off of the surface
More Minute To Win It Games, below…
Happy Holidays!
If you are looking for even more fun and easy Minute To Win It Games…Here’s the link!
There’s even more in this post. Click here
Thank you, Melissa for Yhe Minute to Win It ideas. I am a grandmother who has been racking her brain for some great ideas for my grandson’s birthday party!
You are so welcome. Happy Birthday to your grandson. 🙂
Thanks So Much!!! We used the games at our children church Christmas Party!
It’s my pleasure! I’m so glad to hear that.
I can’t seem to locate your book. It looks so fun. Every year at Christmas our family plays minute to win it games. We have a 6 and 8 year old who plays with the adults.
Your idea’s are perfect for our family.
Should your book be on amazon? I couldn’t find it for some reason.
Sheila
Hi Shiela! Unfortunately, I have not written a book yet. That is something on my “to do” list. Maybe your comment will give me the push I need to finally get one done and on Amazon. 🙂 The best that I can do for now is offer you all of the fun Minute To Win It Games on the site. We’ve tested the games with kids in mind. The ones that bombed or were too frustrating, we changed to fit kids or shelved them for a later time. Hopefully you’ll be able to find many fun Minute To Win It Games here on the site to play with the kids.
THANK YOU!!!!!!
I was looking for something different to do for my classroom Christmas party. My first graders will love these activities!! Thank you!
I’m so glad that you are planning on playing these games at your classroom party. How fun! Happy Holidays!