48 "Minute to Win It" Games for Kids to Banish Boredom

Mix up your next family game night with this list of 48 Minute to Win It games perfect for the whole family.

Minute to Win It was a game show that had a short run on NBC from 2010 to 2012 and a revival in that year due to popularity.^[1] Players compete in timed stunts that seem like they will be simple but are more complicated and intricate than meets the eye. These family games are good chances to compete in solo or as a team, and they’ll help your kids beat boredom on a rainy day or over summer break! 

Whether for your next birthday party, or family get-together, or your kids just need a quick break, Minute to Win It party games are fast and easy, and can quickly spark a little friendly competition.  

Not only are they fun, but they typically involve very little preparation, are inexpensive, and are easy to plan around any party theme. If you only have a few minutes to spare, each game really only takes one minute (sometimes one minute per player), but you can play as many rounds as you like if you want to extend the fun.

Related: The Best Board Games for Kids and Family Game Night

Here are our favorite Minute to Win It Games for kids to try at home with your family. 

How to Play Minute to Win It Games

Playing Minute to Win It Games individually or in teams depending on how many people plan to get involved, and you can up the ante with a prize for the most points at the end of the game night. Each game can be worth certain points, which means there doesn’t have to be a winner or a loser. 

By the end of the night tally all the points collectively from your fun games and see who earned the most points overall by completing the games within the time limit. Get your stopwatch out and keep some tissues handy, chances are you will end up laughing so hard you end up crying!

Best Minute to Win It Games for Kids

Designed to be played within one minute, these games are not only thrilling but also a great way to enhance coordination, speed, and quick thinking among kids. Below, we've curated a list of our favorite Minute to Win It games that are sure to be a hit with the younger crowd, ensuring laughter and creating memorable moments.

1. Cookie Face 

A fan favorite, this should definitely be on your list of go-to party games. Place a cookie on each player's forehead, the object is to be the first person to get the cookie to your mouth without dropping it, no hands allowed! 

This is all about balance and facial control. Even the smallest of children will think this game is hilarious and fun, and regardless of who wins, everyone gets a cookie!

2. Balloon Defying Gravity 

The object of this game is to keep the balloon from touching the ground for a full minute.  You may use any body part, but you cannot hold it in your hands and the balloon must continually be moving.  

Have super agile kids who need a challenge?  Mix up the rules, such as only allowing one hand, or no hands at all, or you can add in more than one balloon. 

For younger kids, keeping one balloon from touching the ground for a full minute will be a challenge enough!  If you have multiple people playing at the same time use balloons in different colors so that players don’t get confused.

3. Bottle Transfer 

Fill one two-liter soda bottle with an item (Cheerios, jelly beans, corn kernels, etc.) and tape it to another empty two-liter bottle. See if you can transfer all items to the empty bottle before the timer rings!

4. Stack ‘Em Up 

Each player gets 36 plastic cups, the object is to stack all 36 into a pyramid and unstack back into a single tower before the minute is up.  If you have teams it might be easier to play several rounds rather than trying to stack them together.

5. Marshmallow Toss 

For this game, you need one cup and a bag of marshmallows.  One player's job is to hold the cup and the other player's job is to toss marshmallows.  Determine how far they stand apart based on age and skill level, make it challenging but not impossible! 

The team to get the most marshmallows in the cup after the minute is up wins.  This is an easy minute, but be prepared for a mess since likely a lot of the marshmallows will miss the cup!

6. Puzzle Race 

Divide into teams, and see if you can put together a simple puzzle before a minute is up. If you don’t have a kids' puzzle around, save your recyclables. Turn an empty cracker box or cereal box into a puzzle before the party.  This is an easy way to get everyone regardless of skill level engaged in some family fun.

7. Wrap it Up 

As far as game ideas go, a “mummy wrap” is a classic. Give each team a roll of toilet paper or a roll of streamers. The object is to see which team can wrap a member up with the most material in one minute. 

If you are playing individually, see who can unwrap the roll of toilet paper or streamers the fastest. Get ready for a fun minute, cheer each other on, and then see if you can work together to clean up the mess!

8. Back-to-Back 

You need partners for this game. Have them sit on the ground back to back and link arms. The object of this game is to see how many times partners can stand up and sit back down within a minute without unlinking their arms.  Height differences will definitely make this challenging!

9. Penny Tower 

All you need for this game is pennies. The object is to see how many pennies a player can stack into a tower in one minute, but the catch is they can only use one hand.  If you think it’s still too easy, have players use their non-dominant hand.

10. Pom Pom Race 

The only supplies you need are plastic straws and a bag of pom poms. Use your straw to blow as many pom poms across a marked finish line before the minute is up. Take the age of your players into consideration when deciding how far away to make the finish line.

11. Oven Mitt Race 

Give each player a pair of oven mitts and a bowl of Hershey’s Kisses. The object is to see how many Hershey’s kisses they can unwrap before the minute is over.  As a bonus, once they’re unwrapped, someone’s got to eat them!

When looking for party ideas, add this to your list, they are perfect for any theme considering Hershey’s Kisses come out every season with festive wrapping and special flavors. 

12. Egg Race 

This is a classic, and can definitely get messy if you’re not careful! Each player needs an egg and a wooden spoon. See how many times they can make it across the room while balancing an egg on their spoon before the minute is up.

13. One-Handed Bracelets 

Give each player a pipe cleaner and a pile of beads or Cheerios. They have one minute to string as many “beads” onto their pipe cleaner as possible, but the catch is they are only allowed to use one hand!  In the end, you get a cute DIY bracelet, and if you used cereal a little something to snack on while waiting for your next turn.

14. Human Ring Toss 

Gather hula hoops or circular pool floats and divide into teams. One person stands as the ring toss “post” while the other player(s) toss hula hoops and tries to see how many they can get onto the post. The wider the height range the trickier this game becomes!

15. Noodle Pickup 

For this game, you need uncooked spaghetti and uncooked penne pasta. Each player has a hard spaghetti noodle in their mouth and has to try and pick up six penne noodles without using their hands. Get ready for some laughs with this one!

16. Dice Balance 

Each player needs a popsicle stick and six dice, the object is to balance all six dice on the end of the popsicle stick that you are holding in your mouth.  The first player to balance all six or whoever has the most is the winner.

17. Marshmallow Transfer 

Grab a couple of straws, mini marshmallows, and two dishes. The object is to see how many marshmallows players can transfer from one dish to the other just by using the suction of their straw.

18. Ping Pong Balance 

Measure out a distance of six feet. Players must pick up a ping pong ball and balance it on a spoon while walking the six feet... backward!  The player able to transfer the most ping pong balls by the end of the minute wins.

19. Fun Pong 

Set up 10 plastic cups in a triangle at the end of a table, and fill them partially with water for extra stability, the player stands at the opposite end of the table and tries to get as many ping pong balls into cups as they can before the minute is up.  

For an extra challenge, remove each cup they sink a ball into so their options get smaller as they sink more balls.

20. Backwards ABCs 

Have each player attempt to recite the alphabet backward, anytime they make a mistake they have to start all over again. Whoever gets the furthest after a minute wins the points.

21. Cotton Ball Scoop 

The object of this game is to see who can scoop the most cotton balls into the bowl on their head, blindfolded, in one minute. 

Put a bowl full of cotton balls on the ground or on a table in front of the blindfolded player, have them hold another empty bowl on their head, and use a spoon to scoop as many cotton balls as they can into the empty bowl on their head before the timer rings.

22. Pantyhose Bowling 

This game is sure to get some laughs.  All you need is a pair of pantyhose, a tennis ball, 6 full water bottles, and a sense of humor. 

 Line up the six water bottles, place the tennis ball down the leg of the pantyhose, and place the waist over the player's head. They now need to bend over, swing the ball, and try and “bowl” over the water bottles.  The player who knocks over the most water bottles wins the game!

23. Water Bottle Flip 

Each player has a partially full water bottle in front of them on a table. They have to see how many times they can flip the water bottle and have it land perfectly on the table in one minute.

24. Junk in the Trunk 

This is another one that is sure to get everyone laughing! Take an empty tissue box and fill it with 8-10 ping pong balls. Strap the tissue box around the player's waist and they have to try and remove the ping pong balls just with movement, no hands allowed!  Whoever finishes first or removes the most balls after the minute is over is the winner.

25. Keep ‘Em Up 

Each player gets a straw and a tissue, and the object is to see if they can keep the tissue from touching the ground, with just their breath through the straw, for a full minute. Whoever lasts the longest, or makes it a whole minute scores points.

26. M+M Matching 

Give players a bowl of M+Ms and a set of colored cups. They have to see how many M+Ms they can correctly sort into the colored cups in one minute.

27. Rhyming Race 

Provide each player with a word, and they have to see how many rhyming words they can come up with in one minute.  Make sure they are real words and not just nonsense unless you are playing with little kids!

28. Moving on Up 

You need two different colored cups for this game, but that’s it. Stack 20 cups of color A with one cup of color B on top. When the minute starts move color B to the bottom of the stack and keep restacking, see if you can get color B to the top of the stack again before the minute is up!

29. Stone Face 

Add this game in after laughs have already started flowing. Pair off players, and they have to stare at one another for a full minute without laughing. Funny faces and gestures are allowed to try and get your opponent to make the first laugh!

30. Chopstick Race 

Grab a pair of chopsticks and a bowl of something to transfer, you can tailor this based on the age of the players.  You can use anything from cotton balls to dry rice and everything in between. The ultimate goal is to transfer as many items as you can before the minute is up using one hand and the pair of chopsticks.

31. Whipped Cream Worm Search

This game is messy and also makes for a great dessert, so play it after dinner! Gummy worms are hidden in a plate covered in whipped cream. Players use their mouths to search for the worms, and whoever has the most when time is up is the winner.

32. Johnny Applestack

For this game, you only need a flat surface and at least five apples. In one minute, the goal is to stack up five apples on top of each other so they stand freely without support for at least three seconds. Contestants choose their apples but said apples cannot be modified.

33. Stack Attack

This cup stack game requires quick thinking with a slow, steady hand. Using a red or blue cup pack, this cup stacking game is a challenge of balance. Players need to stack 36 cups into a triangular tower on a table and then take it down in diagonal lines starting from the top cup and working toward the bottom. If the cups fall at any point in the process, you’ll have to start over and will likely be out of the game.

34. Skittles Separation Anxiety

The goal of this game is to stack and reorganize different colored candies. You will need 50 candies—10 of five different flavors of Skittles. After stacking them up, each player will work to quickly put them into contains by color, using only one hand. M&Ms also work for this.

35. Shoe Flick

All that’s needed for this game is shoes and tables. Players use the front half of their shoe and try to throw it onto a table at least 10 feet away. If they make it, they aim for a second table. If they drop it, then have to keep trying until it reaches the first table.

36. Pretzel Dive

Players put one chopstick in their mouth and use it to collect as many pretzels as they can within a minute. Only the chopstick can be used in this salty short snack game.

37. Mad Dog

Players get to pretend to be puppies in this game featuring Tic Tacs containers and a ruler. The two mint holders are attached to the end of a ruler, and players open the full Tic Tac cases and shake them like their heads to empty out as many as possible before the timer goes off.

38. Goldfish Spoon Relay Race

Update egg and spoon by using Goldfish crackers. Each player will get one plastic spoon and one goldfish. They will have a minute to walk a distance and back, starting over if the goldfish falls off.

39. Go Fish

Another Goldfish game, this time players will suck on a straw to pick up crackers and move them from one plate to the other. Only the straw can be used — no hands. Whoever moves the most over when the timer is up is the winner.

40. Face the Cookie Game

Show the strength of your face with this game for all ages and skill levels. Using cookies — like the classic Oreo — the player leans their head back and puts the cookie on their forehead, away from their eyebrows, and uses face muscles and gravity to attempt to relocate it to their mouth before time is up. If the cookie falls, the player must start over with a new cookie.

41. Pile of Kisses

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love this game. Players have one minute to unwrap as many Hershey kisses as they can. Whoever has the most unwrapped is the winner. When you’re done, you get to eat them, so even if you don’t win, you still get a reward for your effort.

42. Spray Off

With balloons and spray bottles, this game is a race to the finish line. Players guide the balloon through the air, to a trash can without letting it hit the floor. First to get the balloon in the bin wins.

43. Thread It

For older kids, teens, and adults, this game requires precision, speed, and accuracy. The goal is to thread as many needles as possible in one minute, with the winner being the one with the most completed needles when the timer goes off.

44. Rubber Band Shooting Gallery

This game just requires rubber bands and old soda cans. Players compete to fling rubber bands and knock down as many cans as possible in one minute while standing 10 feet away.

45. Doughnut Chew

Another game where everyone gets a treat. Doughnuts are tied with a string, and players work in teams of two to eat the donuts before the timer is up.

46. This Blows

This is a great game for tweens and older. Players blow up a balloon and then release air to knock over plastic cups, repeating as the balloon is emptied while the clock is still going. Whoever knocks over the most balloons is the winner.

47. Sponge Run

With a kiddie pool on one side of your yard and an empty bucket on another, players soak a sponge and then run across the yard with it on their heads and dump it into the bucket. The team whose bucket has the most sponges at the end of the timer wins.

48. Penny Hose

This game requires pennies and a pair of pantyhose. Each kid will get a pair of pantyhose with two pennies placed inside. Both hands are placed inside the top of the pantyhose before the clock starts, and when the timer begins, only those hands can be used to pull the two pennies out of the bottom.

What to Keep On Hand for Minute to Win It Games

Stock up on essential Minute to Win It game supplies so you can whip any of these out the next time you hear the dreaded “I’m bored…” Having these items on hand will save you so much time and energy when thinking of ways to keep kids entertained.

We’ve created this quick shopping list to make things easier.

• Balloons.
• Beads.
• Blindfold.
• Chopsticks.
• Dice.
• Empty bottles and cans.
• Hula Hoops.
• Marshmallows.
• Paper Plates.
• Ping Pong Balls.
• Pipe Cleaners.
• Plastic Spoons.
• Plastic Straws.
• Pom Poms.
• Simple Puzzles.
• Solo Cups.
• Stop Watch or Phone Timer.
• Streamers.

You can get most of these things from your local Walmart, party store, dollar store, or even Amazon! It's great to have these items on hand for whenever it's a good time to play Minute to Win It games with your kids.

What Is the Most Popular Minute To Win It Game?

There are many popular Minute to Win It games, and it's hard to determine the most popular one as it often depends on personal preferences. However, "Cookie Face" is a common favorite among kids as it combines speed, dexterity, and a love for cookies! Participants must place a cookie on their forehead and use only facial movements (no hands allowed!) to move the cookie into their mouth within one minute.

What Can Kids Do in 1 Minute?

Kids can do a lot in one minute! From completing simple tasks to showcasing their skills, one minute is enough time to have some fun and create memorable experiences. Some ideas for what kids can do in one minute include:

• Complete a puzzle or build a tower using blocks
• Sing or dance along to their favorite song
• Do as many jumping jacks or push-ups as they can
• Write or draw something creative
• Play a quick round of charades with friends or family members

The possibilities are endless, and with Minute to Win It games, kids can challenge themselves and have a blast at the same time! Looking for more game ideas? Check out our favorite Printable Games for the Whole Family.