Minute to Win It Challenges That Make Great Party Games - Minute to Win is fast becoming a prime time favorite.

This Blows

As seen on previous Minute to Win It episodes, contestants have been challenged to compete in a game called This Blows in which the player has to blow up a balloon and use the air in the balloon to blow 15 cups off of a table. The balloon can be blown up as many times as necessary to accomplish this task in 60 seconds.

Bottoms Up

The Bottoms Up game challenges the player to knock 6 cans off of 6 different tables with a yo-yo. The yo-yo is attached and hangs down the back side of the player with a belt at their waist. The player uses body momentum to swing the yo-yo to knock down each of the 6 cans in 60 seconds. This game requires a large open space as it is sometimes hard to control the yo-yo from behind.

Johnny Applestack

Stacking 5 red delicious apples in a tower fashion, called Johnny Apple Stack is another game that is easy to duplicate at home. Using several red delicious apples, the contestant must stack the apples end on end to create a tower that is 5 apples high. The tower must remain standing for 3 seconds.

Mega Bubble Challenge

The Mega Bubble Challenge is another game that is easy to duplicate at home. The player is given children's bubbles and has to blow bubbles and move one across the room by blowing on it. The game is won when the player gets one bubble from point A to point B and through a large ring, like a hula hoop. This is not as easy as it sounds as you have keep blowing bubbles until you have one that is dense enough to move across the room. If the bubble is blown to high in the air, it cannot be controlled and more bubbles must be blown.

The Candy Elevator

The Candy Elevator game will require a step stool and possibly a ledge to lean over. It would be best to practice this in the area you want to play to insure you can achieve the proper position to stand. To prepare for this game tie two pencils together at both the top and the bottom (the tip and eraser end) and attach long strings to the pencils creating a shelf. The contestant then wraps each of the long strings over each of their ears and 3 small pieces of candy, like M&M's or skittles are placed on the pencil shelf. The object of the game is to move the candy to their mouth by pulling the strings and raising the pencils to their mouth. (Think about a window washer's scaffolding - it is the same principle) The contestant will need to lean over so that the candy is not knocked off by bumping into their body. It is important to keep those pencils level so the candy does not fall off. This one will be difficult for smaller children but will great for tween-agers to adults.

Don't Blow the Joker

Don't Blow the Joker is another more difficult challenge. Stack 5 full decks of cards on 5 soda or beer bottles, with a joker on the bottom of each stack. The object of the game is to blow all of the cards off of the bottle except the last card which is the joker. If you blow to hard, you blow the whole deck off. If you don't blow hard enough, nothing happens. This game is appropriate for the older child and adult. The player has 5 tries to achieve this challenge in 60 seconds.

Moving on Up

Moving On Up is a simple game that requires 39 large plastic cups of the same color, (like SOLO 32 oz cups) and one cup of the same style in a different color. Stack the 40 cups with the odd color on the bottom. The object of the game is to move each of the 39 cups to the bottom of the stack, which will move the position of the odd colored cup, using alternating hands and then the odd color cup back to its original place at the bottom. This challenge is great for all ages.

Wheel of a Deal

Wheel of A Deal requires 5 small tables set in a circle and a table in the center. On the center table spread out 4 of each, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 from a deck of cards, face down. The object of the game is to sort or separate 20 of the cards into 5 piles, each with the like cards on a different table. All of the aces on one table, the kings on the other and so one. This is a great game for all ages and can be adjusted in number of cards or sets for younger children.

All of the challenges seen on the show are fun, these challenges

were selected for their adaptability to children and are easily

incorporated into children's party games with a minimal effort and

cost.

Baby Rattle 

The Baby Rattle challenge is perfect for a child's party and simple

to replicate at home. You will need 4 empty two liter soda bottles

200 gum balls. Pour gum balls into 2 of the bottles (100 in each)

and attach the other two bottles on top, spout to spout. Duct tape

works well, just make sure you get a tight even seal of the two

bottle tops. The object of the game is to shake the gumballs from

one bottle to the other. The contestant should empty the gumballs

from one bottle to the next, in both sets of "rattles" within 60

seconds. Once they pick up the rattles, they can't change hands.

The must continue to shake the rattles simultaneously to avoid a

bottleneck jam of gumballs. This game is great for young children

and can be adapted with less gumballs if needed. You can make

several of these "rattles and have many children busy at the same

time.

Dizzy Mummy 

This challenge is a Minute to Win It favorite. The object of the game

is to unwind an entire roll of toilet paper, mummy style without

tearing it. The only material you will need is a roll of toilet paper

and a pole of some kind to hold the roll of paper. Set up a pole, and

drop a roll of toilet paper over the pole. A plunger works well on a

table top for a child's height. Attach the plunger to the table so it

does not fall over. (Again, Duct Tape works.) The child must hold on

to the end of the toilet paper and spin around, unrolling the toilet

paper, wrapping it around themselves, mummy style. If the toilet

paper tears, it is game over.

Breakfast Scramble 

This challenge is great for children and easily adapted based on the

age. Collect the front of various cereal boxes. Cut them into 16

pieces of the exact same shape.This can be adapted for younger

children by cutting less pieces or using different shapes, puzzle

style. Everyone has a Minute to Win It by putting together the front

of their cereal box. Be sure and collect and cut one cereal box front

for each child, this one is not as much fun to watch as it is to play.

Defying Gravity 

Challenge each contestant to defy gravity by keeping 3 balloons in

the air at the same time by gently tapping them. Depending on the

child's age, you can use fewer balloons. It is harder than it sounds.

There are no special requirements or prep work for this other than

blowing up the balloons. If you have more than one child playing at

a time then assign specific color balloons to specific children. If a

child touches the wrong color balloon they are out.

Nose Dive 

The only supplies needed for this challenge are 2 bowls, cotton

balls and petroleum jelly. The contestant dips their nose into the

petroleum jelly then moves 5 cotton balls from one bowl to another,

one at a time. Place the bowls on two tables about 5 feet apart. Too

little petroleum jelly and the cotton ball will fall off, too much and

they won't be able to shake it off their nose. Be sure and "clean" the

petroleum jelly before the next child sticks their nose in it. You can

also adjust the number of cotton balls based on the age of the child.

Grape toss

The entire family can enjoy this simple yet fun game. All you need

are two plastic bowls, a table or two chairs, some tape, and of

course some grapes. To play this fun game you will want to place

the bowls on a table. Put the tape on the floor several feet away

from the location of the grape bowls. Each player will get a

sandwich bag full of grapes to toss. They cannot cross the line

where you have put the tape on the floor. From the designated line,

they need to toss the grapes and try to land them in the bowl. The

first player to make at least five in the bowl wins. The winning

family member can then go on to play the other family members. To

make it even more challenging why not set a timer for this game,

and see who could beat the clock. If you do not want to use grapes,

you can always use something else to toss into the bowl.

Knock over the box

The next game requires about seven small square shaped boxes.

Small cardboard gift boxes usually will work best for this game. You

will want to stack them on a table in the shape of a pyramid. Make

sure that the boxes are empty. You will then need to knock the

boxes off the table using just a rubber band. Fill a cup with a bunch

of rubber bands and whoever can knock over the most boxes in

under a minute wins, or who ever knocks over the most boxes by

the time all the rubber bands are used up.

Marble race

Using a piece of construction paper, you will need to balance a

marble on the paper and race from one side of the room to the

other. You have to keep your hands on the very end of the

construction paper. You must use both hands, and it cannot be held

in the middle of the paper. Once you get to the finish line on the

opposite side of the room, you need to quickly roll the marble from

the construction paper into a plastic cup. You can only use your

hands to manipulate the construction paper but not to touch the

marble.

Minute to Win It GamesMinute to Win It Party Games   

Dizzy Mummy  

In this minute to win it game a player will take one end of the toilet paper and hold it in their hand. The roll is held on a holder, broom stick, or by another player next to them. When the clock starts the player must spin around as fast as they can as the toilet paper wraps around them. On the game show the goal was to have the toilet paper completely removed from the roll and wrapped around you at the end of the minute. For party purposes I would just time each player and award places based on

who did it in the fastest time.

Minute to Win It Party Games   Balloon Head

(adapted from the minute to win it game “ Keep it Up”)

In the game Keep it up players must work to keep two feathers in the air using only their breath for one minute. In our version the players must keep an inflated balloon in the air using only their heads. They cannot touch the balloon with their hands, feet, or any other body part from the neck down. If the player’s balloon touches the ground they are out. Places are

awarded by who keeps their balloon in the air the longest.

Minute to Win It Party Games   Skittle Skurry

(adapted from the minute to win it game “ Suck it Up”)

In skittle scurry a large bowl of skittles is sat at one side of the table while a cup it placed on the other end. The player is given a straw and on the start of go they have one minute to suck as many skittles as they can onto their straw (one at a time) and race it over to drop it in their cup. At the end of one minute their skittles are added up and the places are given based

on who collected the most.

Minute to Win It Party Games   Extreme Hanky Panky

On the show players have one minute to empty out two tissue boxes full of tissues using one hand for each box and pulling the tissues out one at a time. In our party version each player was given one tissue box. They must put one hand behind their back and on the start of go start pulling the tissues out of the box. Just like on the game show a players hand is not permitted to enter into the box. Places are awarded by who empties their tissue boxes the fastest. This game can be played by everyone all

at once or by players one at a time with a timer.

Minute to Win It Party Games Pretzel Diving

(adapted from the minute to win it game “ worm diving”)

On the show players have one minute to empty out two tissue boxes full of tissues using one hand for each box and pulling the tissues out one at a time. In our party version each player was given one tissue box. They must put one hand behind their back and on the start of go start pulling the tissues out of the box. Just like on the game show a players hand is not permitted to enter into the box. Places are awarded by who empties their tissue

boxes the fastest. This game can be played by everyone all at once or by players one at a time with a timer.

Minute to Win It Party Games   Mega Bubble Blower 

Players have one minute to chew a piece of bubble gum and blow the biggest bubble they can. They had the choice between how many pieces of gum they wanted to chew. The winner is the person who blows the biggest bubble in under a minute. For this game I let all contestants play at the same time because it was easier to judge bubbles this way.

Minute to Win It Party Games Cup Hands

(adapted from the minute to win it game “ High Roller”)

Each player must place a party cup over each hand and try to stack as many dice as they can on top of each other in a minute using only their “cup hands”. At the end of the minute the dice tower must be free standing and the player with the highest tower wins.

Minute to Win It Party Games Elephant Ring

 (adapted from the minute to win it game “ Elephant March”)

This game is not only fun to try, but absolutely hilarious to watch. The “ring” in this game is a ring of party cups set up with about a 5ft radius. The “elephant” is the player. The player uses a pair of panty hose to create the “elephant”. They place an orange in one foot and wear the other end over their head, letting the empty leg hang free. Place a small mat in the center of the ring. The player must stand on the mat and on the start of go they have one minute to knock down as many cups as they can using only the hanging orange. They must not touch the panty hose or orange with their hands but only use their head to propel it around the ring to knock down the cups. The players who knock down the most

cups are the winners.