Originally Posted: 4/2/2020
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My daughter recently turned 11 and she asked for a birthday sleepover with a few friends. We decided to make it a fun night by setting up these gameshow-inspired Minute To Win It games for kids.
If you’re not familiar with the game, it features a team of contestants that have to complete challenges in under a minute for cash prizes. The great part is the challenges use common household items so they are easy to set up at home too!
Kids these days are so stuck on their devices and screens. These Minute To Win It games for groups are a fun way to boost energy and decrease screen time.
These are great for birthday parties, game nights, sleepovers, and play dates with kids. So let’s dive in andlearn all about how to play Minute To Win It with household items.
9 Minute to Win it Ideas
In our research, we found some great ideas around the web. We also used some ideas inspired by the show to add to our party game night.
We had 3 teams of two kids each and did 10 games. FYI, this took around 2 hours so it was the perfect amount of time for kids to stay engaged, not too long and not too short.
You can enjoy all of these Minute To Win It Games with household items either as indoor or outdoor activities. Here are the games we played and the setup/items you will need.
Shake The Balls
This fun Minute To Win It game will see your kids shaking it out as they try to get rid of as many balls as possible in the shortest amount of time. Who can wag their bum faster?
- You will need an empty tissue box paper, pantyhose, and ping pong balls
- Create two holes on both ends of the tissue box, thread your pantyhose through and tie it to a kid’s waist with the open part of the tissue box opening facing out.
- Stuff the ping pong balls inside until full (remember the count as each team will need the same).
- Shake as many balls out in 60 seconds!
- The winner is the one who shakes the most balls out in the shortest amount of time.
Balance the Die
This game is no easy feat. Even just getting the dice in the correct position can take some skill. Stack up the dice and see who can last the longest in this fun Minute to Win it game.
- You will need at least 8-10 dice
- Popsicle sticks (the slightly wider ones are great)
- The winner is the one who can balance the most die in the shortest time.
Roll the Marble
This is one of the easiest challenges on our Minute To Win It games list, but don’t take it too lightly – those marbles can move pretty fast.
- You will need a plastic spoon and marble
- A slanted base, you can use a slanted long cardboard box
- Use the back of the spoon to keep the marble from rolling off.
- The winner is the one who can keep the marble on the ramp for the longest time.
Stack The Apples
You only realize how unsymmetrical apples are when you start trying to stack them. This game is both fun and challenging and will end in a lot of laughs as you try-and-fail your way to victory.
- You will need 5 apples.
- The winner is the one who can stack all 5 apples in the shortest time.
Don’t Drop the Donut
Kids Minute To Win It games wouldn’t be complete without a tasty snack in-between. But what if you could combine eating donuts with a fun challenge?
- You will need two chairs, string, donuts
- Thread the string around two chairs and the donut.
- The winner is the one who can eat the most donuts in the shortest time without having them fall down.
Thread the Pasta
Although there is food involved, you won’t be eating these raw pieces of pasta. Instead, try to thread them as fast as you can and see who wins.
- You will need spaghetti and penne pasta
- Lay out some penne on a table and give each child a piece of spaghetti to place in their mouth.
- The winner is the one who can thread the most penne pasta in the shortest time only using their mouth.
Eat the Cookie with No Hands
Another tasty Minute to Win it for kids challenge that involves food. If you’re good enough, you’ll be rewarded with a tasty reward.
- Place a cookie on your forehead and try to eat it without hands.
- The person who can catch the cookie in their mouth in the shortest time wins.
- Note this was extremely difficult with an Oreo cookie which is what we used! Try it with a smaller cookie (maybe animal cracker).
Transfer Goldfish Crackers with a Straw
This is one of the simplest Minute To Win It games at home, involving a straw and some goldfish crackers.
- You will need two bowls, Goldfish crackers, and a straw
- The winner is the one who can transfer the most Goldfish crackers using only a straw.
Guess How Many Pennies Are In The Can
These easy Minute To Win It games mostly involved speed or balance, but this is about guessing weights. See who has the best intuition amongst you.
- You will need 8 soda cans
- Add one penny to one can, two pennies to the second and so on until each can is filled.
- Players must line up the cans in consecutive order and number of pennies.
- The winner is the one who is closest to the right answer.
Note: In the video, we do show an additional game where we throw Goldfish Crackers in the air and see how many we can catch but because of potential choking hazard we can’t recommend this on the post.
PLEASE ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION WHEN PLAYING THESE GAMES AND USE COMMON SENSE!
What Was Your Prize Structure For The Minute To Win It Party Games?
Great question. We didn’t follow the same structure as the show since it usually follows just one team. Here we had multiple two-player teams. We kept the scoring very simple.
Each game was worth $10 (of course you can use any denomination, $1, $5, etc). Each team had a scoreboard and team name. For every game they won, the team won $10. At the end of the games, you just tallied how many games each team won and split the winnings.
We did do something extra fun at the start of the game, however! We had a “pre-bet” where each team decided if they wanted to bet that they would win. IF they were the biggest winners (most cash won at end of all games) they would get a total of $10 added to their winning pot. BUT if they lost, $10 would be subtracted.
Of course, you can keep score any way that makes sense to you. And you don’t need to dole out cash. You can do small trinkets, toys, favors, or just play to have bragging rights as the winners.
Enjoy Easy Minute To Win It Games to Play At Home
These great Minute To Win It games at home are the perfect way to entertain your kids indoors. Not only will they enjoy it, but they’ll be practicing some great skills. But after these fun games, don’t be surprised if your kid wants to watch Minute To Win It like ours did.
We hope you have as much pleasure with these Minute To Win It challenges as we did! We highly recommend these as a good old-fashioned way to play.