Family Games

Almost everyone of all ages loves playing with building blocks. This fun Minute to Win It Build Edition combines Lego or other building blocks with the challenge of trying to beat the clock.

The way Minute to Win It style games work is that each game is designed to be done in under a minute. These ones all involve building challenges. And as an added bonus, there are some fun Christmas themed ones too which makes this the perfect family activity for during the holidays.

Our family loves Minute to Win It games. In the video below, you can see our Minute to Win It Christmas Edition games. We pretty much use any reason to play these kinds of games though. Camping, Thanksgiving, or just for fun!

This Minute to Win It Build Edition also makes a great birthday party idea. Just add some decorations and food and you’re all set. 

Decorations:

The great thing about these particular Minute to Win It games is that the decorations are kind of already done for you. Just sprinkle some Legos here and there. If you want to take it up a notch, you can add brightly coloured balloons, napkins, and tablecloth.

Food:

While you can of course just set out some popcorn or chips, if you want to go with the theme, you can use some of these fun ideas:

• building block candy
• Lego shaped yogurt snacks
• Easy Lego cupcakes
• Building Blocks Cake

Prizes:

Prizes are certainly not necessary as this is just fun to play, but if you want to offer prizes to the winners, some cute ideas that would go along with the theme are:

• Lego minifigures 
• bag of building blocks
• small Lego set

Minute to Win It Build Edition:

One of the things I like the most about Minute to Win It games is that they use supplies you likely already have on hand or are very inexpensive to get. Another benefit is that they work for a wide range of ages. If you want to play as a family, grandparents and parents can join in with the kids.

These particular games do involve building blocks which can present a choking hazard to young children, so adult supervision is recommended. 

Supplies needed:

• classic Legos or similar building blocks
• Minute to Win It Building Challenge Cards (download them here)
• one minute sand timer or timer on a phone or watch
• a glass
• box or bucket

How to Play:

1. Print out the challenge cards on card stock. 
2. Set out the building blocks.
3. Each person or team draws a card and has to complete the challenge on the card within a minute. The directions for each game is written on the card.

Players or teams can go one at a time or you can do a head-to-head style of play where two players or one person from each team attempt to complete the challenge at the same time and the first to complete it correctly is the winner of that round. That adds some competition.

The Christmas themed cards (there are 12 holiday challenges) can be used along with the regular game cards or on their own. Get your free printable Minute to Win It Build challenge cards by entering your email below. You will also be entered into our email series 5 Secrets to Powerful Family Connection. 

5th Day of Christmas Giveaway:

Today’s giveaway is designed to help you create family time during the holidays. I’m including our printable Christmas Minute to Win It kit, a puzzle (may not be exactly the one pictured depending on availability), and Quirkle (a board game for preschoolers up to grandparents). Quirkle is my mother-in-law’s favourite game and she is in her 80s but it’s also a favourite of our youngest daughter’s, so I thought it would be a good one to choose for a wide range of ages and abilities. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find all 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways here. You can enter them all!

Check out some of our other Minute to Win It Games:

Minute to Win It Family Night

Christmas Minute to Win It

Minute to Win It Dollar Store Edition

This is such a fun party game! The Saran Wrap game is great for all ages. It can be played at holiday gatherings, office parties, birthday parties, or even in the classroom.The great thing about this game is that everyone is a winner as each person is able to keep the prizes that they unwrap. There will of course be some people that end up with more treats that others, but that’s all part of the fun!

In case the ball doesn’t make it all the way around the circle, you can keep a few prizes to the side to give to anyone who doesn’t end up with a treat.

Saran Wrap Ball Game:

Supplies needed:

• 1-5 packages of Saran Wrap or Glad Cling Wrap (you want to use brand name plastic wrap for this to ensure that it sticks to itself)
• candies and small treats (there’s a list of prize ideas below)
• optional: a large prize such as cash for the center
• dice

How to make the Saran Wrap ball:

1. Begin by placing the best prize on some of the plastic wrap. Wrap it around the prize and continue to wrap around.
2. Continue wrapping the plastic wrap around to create a ball and every few layers, add a candy or treat and continue wrapping.
3. Continue wrapping until the ball reaches the desired size. You can make a smaller ball for smaller groups using just one roll of Saran Wrap or make a larger ball for a big group or to make the game last longer using two or three rolls. You want to ensure you make the ball large enough that each person will get at least one turn to play.

Hint: If you want to make it more difficult to unwrap, you can periodically cut the plastic wrap and then start wrapping the other way with the next piece.

How to play the game:

1. Have all the players sit in a circle.
2. Give the ball to the first person. In our house, the house rule is that the youngest player goes first always. 
3. That person can begin to unwrap the ball, keeping every treat they unwrap as they go. 
4. In the meantime, the person to their left rolls the dice and continues to roll until they roll doubles. 
5. Once they roll doubles, the ball passes to them and the dice passes to the person on their left. 
6. The game continues until the entire ball in unwrapped with the last person being able to keep the prize at the center of the ball. 

Saran Wrap Ball Game Variations:

• For Christmas, you can use red and green cling wrap to add more of a holiday feel. Choose holiday treats such as Christmas mini erasers, small candy canes, and stickers.
• Choose prizes according to the theme of your party.
• Use this game as a way for party goers to fill up their treat bag at a birthday party.
• Instead of having the person to the left roll repeatedly until they get doubles, you can have them roll only once and then pass the dice if they don’t get doubles and have everyone roll one time each turn. The person who rolls the doubles gets to “steal” the ball and so on.
• In this variation, if a 7 is rolled, the direction the ball passes in is reversed.
• Add some gag gifts to the ball. This adds a funny twist.

What prizes can I put in the Saran Wrap ball?

Here are some ideas of what you can include in your Saran Wrap ball:

• candy (mini sizes as well as full size)
• small toys such as those you would put in a treat bag
• cash (bills and/or coins)
• gift cards or gift certificates
• makeup or lotion samples
• stickers
• costume jewelry
• movie tickets
• bouncy balls
• small fidgets
• face mask packets
• mini Kleenex packs
• scrunchies or hair ties
• craft supplies
• action figures
• toy cars
• items from Toobs like plastic animals

This activity doesn’t have to cost much to put together. You can look for sales on small candies the day after Valentine’s Day or Hallowe’en or right after Christmas or you can purchase things at the dollar store. 

Sign up for our email series 5 Secrets to Powerful Family Connection for other great ideas. 

You may also be interested in these party game ideas:

Minute to Win It Games

The Flour Game

The Put Away Scavenger Hunt

Moms…you are going to love me after reading this! It’s so easy to do and costs nothing. No planning ahead required. The Put Away Scavenger Hunt is my go-to for turning grumpy days around. We have been doing put away scavenger hunts for at least a decade now and they never seem to get old. I usually just do them on an ordinary day with my own kids to change the mood, but I’ve also done them in place of an Easter Egg Hunt or as a birthday party game. It’s always a big hit.

Our family really enjoys scavenger hunts such as our photo scavenger hunt, sensory scavenger hunt, or Opposite Day scavenger hunt.

The Put Away Scavenger Hunt:

Supplies needed:

• random items you already have around the house
• a prize. This can be candy, a full Easter basket, party treat bags, or something like staying up an extra hour at bedtime or getting a free pass on chores.

How to play:

1. To set things up, choose one item you will give your child to start with. In this example, it will be the spatulas. Set this item aside.
2. In the place where this item should go, place another item that doesn’t belong there. (In this example, a fidget toy was in the drawer where the spatulas should be.) 
3. Continue to do this with items around the house.
4. In the place where the last item should go, put the prize.
5. To play, hand your child (or children) the first item to put away. 
6. When they discover something in that location that isn’t where it should be, have them put that away and so forth.
7. In the last location, they will discover their prize.

To give you an idea of how this works, I’ve taken pictures of a sample Put Away Scavenger Hunt to walk you through.

• spatulas handed to child
• spatulas get put away in the kitchen drawer
• fidget toy where spatulas should be
• fidget toy put away in its place
• keys where fidget toy should be
• key ring put back on its hook
• dishcloth where keys should be
• dishcloth put in its drawer
• decorative “R” shouldn’t be there
• in the place where the “R” belongs, an expanding ball sits
• expanding ball put where it goes
• toilet paper discovered there

• toilet paper put back in its cupboard
• shoes discovered there
• shoes replaced near shoe rack
• decorative sailboat sits on the floor
• sailboat replaced on dresser
• remote control shouldn’t be there
• remote placed back in the living room and some treats are discovered in its bowl!

Put Away Scavenger Hunt Tips:

• For older kids, place items in a way that has them running all over. I put an item upstairs and the next one downstairs and the next outside and the next on the main floor and then next in the garage. That way, it’s more challenging, lasts longer, and gets in some exercise for them.
• If you’re hiding large prizes like treat bags for a birthday party or Easter baskets, the dryer is a great place. Just put dryer balls in the second-last place and when the kids go put them away, they will find their prize. The garage is another area we’ve used to end the game if it was a larger prize. 
• Add some humour. My kids think it’s hilarious if I put a pair of underwear in like a kitchen drawer or something. Be sure it’s clean underwear of course, but this always makes them roar with laughter!
• Toothbrushes, books, kitchen utensils, photo frames, pencils, candles, and oven mitts all work great for this game. 
• This scavenger hunt is a fantastic teaching tool as it helps kids learn where things belong and how to put things where they go. Think of this as a skills development activity for chores!
• Kids can also participate in setting this up for siblings which helps with critical thinking as they plan ahead to which item will go where. 
• Adult supervision should be used of course and your child’s age and abilities should be considered when you choose what to hide where.

Let me know how your family enjoy this. 

If you’re looking for similar activities, you can download our free printable Outdoor Scavenger Hunt. Just enter your email address below.

You may also be interested in:

Outdoor Sensory Scavenger Hunt

Photo Scavenger Hunt