If there’s one thing kids love, it’s games! If you’re looking for brain breaks, icebreakers, team-building activities, field day games, or just ways to fill the last few minutes of class, Minute To Win It games are the answer. Many of these 60-second games involve common items found around the classroom while others require no equipment at all. There are games for kids as little as preschool and others that will keep even adults entertained. Whoever finishes the game first is the winner. Our list of 50+ Minute To Win It games for kids features some hilarious and challenging games that will definitely be a hit with your class.
1. Chopstick Pickup
Split your class up into teams and give them each two paper plates, a set of chopsticks, and 20 pieces of candy or another small item like math manipulatives. Whoever moves the candy from plate to plate fastest is the winner. The real challenge will definitely be figuring out how to hold the chopsticks. Great for building fine motor skills.
Learn more: Chopstick Pick Up at Happy Mom Hacks
2. Scoop the Snowballs
One player from each team has to scoop cotton balls into a bowl while blindfolded. Whoever scoops the most cotton balls within 60 seconds wins the game. Watch as the chaos unfolds!
Source: Fun Activities and Party Games for Kids at Kitty Groups
3. Cereal Box Puzzle
This one is sure to puzzle your students. Arrange the cut-up pieces of the cereal box into the right formation in the allotted time to win this game.
Source: Cereal Puzzle at Happy Mom Hacks
4. Cup Stack
Unstack then restack a pyramid of cups in under a minute. Bonus points to anyone who sings the Cup Song during this STEM challenge.
Source: Cup Stacking at Happy Mom Hacks
5. Human Ring Toss
This is one of those Minute To Win It games that’s perfect for phys ed class, field day, or as an extra-special outdoor activity. It’s just like regular ring toss but with a fun twist. You can also use Hula-Hoops instead of pool rings.
Source: Human Ring Toss Game at Kid-Friendly Things To Do
6. Donut on a String
Tie donuts (or snack of choice) to a string and try to eat it with no hands! For an added challenge, try it blindfolded.
Source: Pinterest: Rebecca Lotz
7. Dice Stack
Kids place a Popsicle stick in their mouths and try to balance five or six dice on the end of the stick for three seconds. It’s more challenging than it looks!
Source: A Bit Dicey at Math With Meaning
8. Pom-Pom and Straw Challenge
Use the straws to blow pom-poms across the finish line. Try to get as many across as possible to win.
Source: Minute To Win It Games for Kids at Paging Fun Mums
9. Stack It Up
Students move 25 pennies into a stack using only one hand in this Minute To Win It challenge.
Source: 10 Awesome Minute To Win It Games at Happiness Is Homemade
10. Baby Rattle
Fill a 2-liter bottle with items of your choice (gumballs, candy corn, beads, etc.) and tape it to another bottle. Kids try to fill the empty bottle in under a minute.
11. Ping-Pong Tic-Tac-Toe
Use trays that will fit a Ping-Pong ball to play a fun spin on tic-tac-toe! The first player or team to get three in a row wins.
Source: 10 Awesome Minute To Win It Games at Happiness Is Homemade
12. One-Handed Bracelets
Another one-handed challenge, this Minute To Win It game uses a pipe cleaner and cereal to make “bracelets” while building fine motor skills. Trying to form the pipe cleaner into a circle using one hand is definitely a challenge!
Source: One-Handed Bracelets at Teach Mama
13. Yank the Cards
Setting up plastic cups with pieces of card stock in between, players will yank the cards out, causing the cups to fall into a tower. Each time a player makes a mistake, they must reset until all the cups fall into each other. This game is a blast!
Source: 10 Awesome Minute To Win It Thanksgiving Games at Kid-Friendly Things To Do
14. Worm Diving
Moisten a gummy worm and tie it to the “fishing line.” Dive that worm into a bowl of pretzels, and then eat the pretzel without using your hands. A delicious yet challenging game.
Source: 20 Family Game Night Ideas at Playtivities
15. Blow It to the Other Side
Blow the Ping-Pong balls from one soda can to the other in this Minute To Win It game. So frustrating yet so much fun!
16. Suck It Up
Using a straw and some chocolate candies, move as many candies as possible to an empty plate. Bonus: Kids get to eat the candy at the end!
Source: Minute To Win It Birthday Party Fun at Runde’s Room
17. Wrapping Presents
Just like wrapping presents, only with a twist. Each team of two has one person using only their right hand and the other using only their left hand to wrap the present. First team to wrap the present, put a bow on it, and address it to someone wins!
Source: Our 6 Favorite Christmas Minute To Win It Games at I Think We Could Be Friends
18. Keep the Balloon Up
This game is a children’s party classic, and adding the time element makes it that much more exciting. Work in teams or individually to keep the balloon up for 1 minute.
Source: Family Minute To Win It Games for Christmas Parties at Happy Mom Hacks
19. Traffic Yam
Using a sweet potato and a spoon, players must move the potato down the line of painter’s tape and back. This one will definitely bring on some laughs!
Source: 12 Hilarious Thanksgiving Games Everyone Will Love at Play Party Plan
20. LEGO Tower
Kids build a tower of LEGO as tall as they can, only with a catch: They can only use their hands to touch one brick at a time, so holding the tower still is not allowed. Prepare for lots of crashing LEGO towers!
Source: Minute To Win It Games With LEGO at Kids Craft Room
21. Sticky Note Challenge
Stick as many Post-its as possible on your partner in a minute or less.
Source: Minute To Win It Games for Kids at Paging Fun Mums
22. Speedy Bowling
Set up pins (empty soda bottles or cans work too) at the end of a table, and give each student five balls to knock them over in the allotted time.
Source: Best Funny & Easy Minute-To-Win-It Games For Adults & Kids at Style Craze
23. Cup and Coin Stacking
Stack coins on the edge of eight cups, and don’t let them fall in!
Source: Fun Minute To Win It Games at Kid Pillar
24. Bottle Flipping
Younger students are sure to love this game. The popular water-bottle-flipping challenge was made into a Minute To Win It game—what fun!
Source: Do the Water Bottle Flipping Challenge at WikiHow
25. Paper Toss
Ball up pieces of paper and attempt to shoot them into a recycling bin. The twist is, you have to throw the paper blindfolded! This is a perfect way to clean up paper and scraps in the classroom.
Source: Fun Minute To Win It Games at Kid Pillar
26. Ready Spaghetti
Players use their “noodle” in this fun Minute To Win It game where partners use just a noodle (no hands!) to move soda cans from one spot to another. The first team to make a three-can pyramid wins.
27. Tea Party
Players wear a baseball hat with tea bags attached to either side of it as they swing the bags around until someone lands them both on the bill of the hat. We love that this Minute To Win It game requires little more than what you already have at home.
28. Bottoms Up
We love games that use toys in an unconventional and inventive way. In this fast-paced game, players hang a yo-yo from their pants and then attempt to swing it around and knock four soda cans over.
29. Antlers
This wacky game will certainly get everyone laughing. Teams are given a pair of nylons and several balloons, which they must then use to make a pair of antlers on a team member’s head!
Learn more: Antler Game at DIY Joy
30. Mad Dog
Before playing this game, you will need to glue some boxes of mints, like Tic Tacs, to both ends of a simple wooden ruler. Players then get to imitate a mad dog as they shake the ruler in their teeth trying to empty the two boxes of mints in under a minute.
31. Egg Race
What could be more fun than a good old-fashioned egg race? We highly recommend using plastic or hard-boiled eggs so there’s less mess afterward.
Learn more: Super Fun Easter Minute To Win It Games for Kids at Mombrite
32. Plastic Egg Match
Although you could play this anytime, it is the perfect Minute To Win It game to play in the spring. Scatter halves of plastic eggs around a room and then have players race to match as many as they can and return them to a basket in the corner of the room.
33. Stare Down
Do you need a Minute To Win It game but don’t have any supplies on hand? All you need for a good old-fashioned staring contest is the ability not to laugh first!
34. Obstacle Course
Set up a DIY obstacle course using everyday objects, then have kids maneuver their way through the course while sitting on a mat using an inchworm technique.
35. Book Balance
Another obstacle course Minute To Win It game, but this time with a book balanced on the head!
36. Backward ABCs
This one is so simple, but don’t let that fool you. First, see who can say the alphabet backward in a minute. Of the people who can do it in a minute or less, see who can do it the fastest.
37. Spin Doctor
Minute To Win It games that can be played with a few coins found in your pocketbook or wallet are the perfect thing to play on the fly. Grab 10 dimes, get them all spinning, and then challenge players to stop all of them from spinning using just one finger in under a minute.
38. Cookie Face
What’s better than cookies and friends? See who can get a cookie off their face and into their mouth in under a minute.
39. Toilet Paper Pull
Before playing, unwind several rolls of toilet paper across a table with a heavy-ish object on one end. Then, place some painter’s tape down on the end where the players will sit. Finally, have players race to roll up their toilet paper without breaking it or knocking the object off the paper.
40. Ear, Nose, Pinch
Another Minute To Win It game that requires nothing more than your own two hands. See who can repeat the pattern of alternating hands between pinching their nose and ear, clapping, and switching sides the most times in 60 seconds.
Learn more: Indoor Games at @thefundoor/Instagram
41. Whipped Cream Christmas Tree
Grab some friends and cans of whipped cream and then see who can build the tallest Christmas tree in a minute’s time.
42. Plate Head
The premise of this game is so simple, but it will be sure to have kids laughing. One player balances a paper plate on their head while a teammate races to see how many objects they can place on it without it falling.
43. Bite It!
Cut up paper bags to various heights and place them around the room. Players race to pick up as many as they can in a minute using just their mouth.
44. Dizzy Mummy
We love an unconventional use for a roll of toilet paper! Players must unwind a roll of toilet paper without it breaking by executing a series of 360-degree turns.
45. Mega Bubble
Players attempt to push a bubble across the room and into a hoop using only their breath.
46. Shoe Flick
To play, simply set up a series of tables 10 feet or more from where participants are standing. Everyone attempts to throw a shoe onto the first table. If successful, they can attempt to throw it onto the next table.
47. Oven Mitt Race
Simply give each participant a pair of oven mitts and then see how many Hershey’s Kisses they can unwrap in a minute. For extra motivation, let them eat whatever they can unwrap!
48. Color Sort
This is the perfect Minute To Win It game for the littlest competitors since it reinforces color recognition and gross motor skills. See who can sort the most M&Ms or similar candies by color in a minute.
49. Rhyming Race
Assign a word and then see who can come up with the most rhymes for it in a minute.
50. Whipped Cream Worm Search
Since this one is messy, you’ll want to come prepared with a plastic tablecloth and wet wipes. Kids race to find the gummy worms in a plate of whipped cream using only their mouth.
51. Sharp Shooter
Before playing, set up three playing cards on three separate tables by attaching them upright to clothespins. Players stand 8 feet away and attempt to knock the cards over by shooting an elastic band.
If you like these Minute To Win It games, check out these active math games and activities for your young learners.
Plus, sign up for our free newsletters to get all the best teaching tips and ideas!
