Minute to Win It Games are the perfect choice for birthday parties, holiday events, and family reunions. They work well with large groups and small ones. Because of the countdown element, they make a great addition to a New Year’s Eve bash. These games work for a school or class party, a youth group event, or just a fun family night.
People of all ages can play Minute to Win It games together. I love how a family can come together and include everyone from toddlers to grandparents.
What are Minute to Win It games?
Minute to Win It started as an NBC game show where contestants would battle the clock to win prizes. Players were given 60 seconds to complete each challenge. The original host of the show was Guy Fieri and when it came back on air, Olympian Apolo Ohno was its host.
Since the games all used inexpensive and accessible household items and were simple to set up, it quickly spread to homes across North America and the world.
Families battled head to head in the living rooms. Employees challenged each other in break rooms. The phenomenon soon made its way to camps, teen get togethers, family reunions, and parties of all kinds.
These games are simple to set up, inexpensive, easy to play, and so much fun!
They work well for connecting as a family or for team building at the office.
Our family has had a lot of laughs over the years thanks to these activities. We started playing them years and years ago after first watching the TV show. We had a Minute to Win It themed Family Fun Night and the results were hilarious.
That led to us using Minute to Win It games at birthday parties, on camping trips, for New Year’s Eve, at homeschool get togethers, and many other events. Some of our favourites include our Christmas Minute to Win It and Dollar Store Minute to Win It.
One of the things I like most about this style of game is that I usually have enough of the items needed on hand so that I can pull these ideas out as a boredom buster on a rainy day or when I have grouchy kids. Yes, they work great at parties, but they also work on a blustery day in the afternoon in your living room. It’s a great way to turn everyone’s spirits around.
How do you play Minute to Win It games?
There are 3 main ways to play this style of game as far as scoring or prizes go.
- Man vs. the Clock – This style involves one player competing against the timer to complete the challenge in under one minute. The prize or advancement in the game depends only on if the player is able to beat the clock.
- Team Member vs. Team Member – In this style, a player from one team competes head to head against a player from the other team. They each compete in the same game and the first one to complete the challenge wins. This works even if there are more than two teams. The winner’s team then gets a point or advancement in the competition.
- Team Competition – For larger groups, you can allot a point system. Once the group is divided into teams, one person from each team competes in the challenge. The first to complete earns 5 points for their team, the second earns 3 points for their team, and third place earns 1 point for their team.
In all versions, those who are not playing can cheer on the competitors. This creates a really fun atmosphere.
Prizes for Minute to Win It:
The actual prize for winning doesn’t need to be anything impressive. Playing is so much fun that other rewards are hardly needed, though a hand made trophy and bragging rights seem quite motivating to most. You can also buy inexpensive medals to hang on the necks of the winning team members.
Food prizes also work well.
Of course, in the TV version of the show, a million dollars was up for grabs, so if you have that to spare, you’re welcome to make that your prize! For those of us who don’t, we will stick with small tokens.
What supplies do you need for Minute to Win It games?
The supplies needed are going to vary depending on which individual games you choose, but there are certain supplies that allow you to play a lot of the games.
Our staple supplies:
- ping pong balls
- plastic drink cups
- panty hose
- Oreo type cookies
- kleenex boxes
- plastic spoons
- pompoms or cotton balls
With those simple supplies, you are actually able to play quite a number of games.
Minute to Win It Challenges:
Click on any of the links below to find full game instructions, supply lists, and pictures of each activity. You’ll also find a Minute to Win It video for almost all of the games so that you can easily see how to set things up and how to play.
Dollar Story Minute to Win It Games
Family Fun Night Minute to Win It Games
Christmas Minute to Win It Games
Minute to Win It Camping Games
Minute to Win It Thanksgiving Games
Minute to Win It Build Edition
Check back for updates as we are adding new games often.