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 Minute To Win It 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 Minute To Win It games first is the winner. Our list of 75 Minute To Win It games for kids and teens features some hilarious and challenging games that will definitely be a hit with your class.

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Easy Minute To Win It Games for Kids

These games are simple enough for players of any age, and winning them often relies more on luck or effort than skills.

1. Baby Rattle

Prep for this game by filling an empty two-liter soda bottle with marbles or gumballs. Place another bottle upside down over the top, neck to neck, and tape them firmly together around the necks. Repeat to make a second “baby rattle.” When the game starts, players turn the bottles over, one in each hand, and shake, shake, shake to move all the marbles from the top to the bottom.

2. Keep It Up

Tape off a square on the floor, then have a player stand inside. Toss in three inflated balloons. The player must keep all three balloons in the air without leaving the square, using any parts of their body. To make this game easier or harder, change the area that students are working in to be smaller or larger. All three balloons must stay in the air for the whole minute for students to win the game!

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3. Sticky Note Challenge

Divide students into pairs and give one player in each pair a pack of sticky notes. When the time starts, that partner has one minute to place as many sticky notes as possible all over their partner. The player who places the most notes wins. Tip: Up the challenge by requiring that the sticky notes do not overlap.

Buy it: 16-Pack of 3″x3″ Sticky Notes at Amazon

4. One-Handed Bracelets

Provide students with a paper plate filled with Cheerios (or Froot Loops, etc.) and a pipe cleaner. Using only one hand, players must string as many pieces of cereal as possible onto the pipe cleaner in 60 seconds.

Buy it: 200 Multi-Colored Pipe Cleaners at Amazon

5. LEGO Tower

Kids love building with LEGO bricks, so they’ll love this challenge: Build the tallest possible tower of bricks in 60 seconds. The catch? They can only use one hand, and the tower only counts if it stays upright!

Buy it: Box of Building Bricks at Amazon

6. Speedy Bowling

Set up pins (you can use a bowling set or empty soda bottles or cans), and give each student five balls. They’ll knock down as many as they can in one minute. The fun of this version of bowling is in the strategy—do students try to aim just right or just roll the ball as many times as possible?

7. 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 in your classroom or home.

8. Plastic Egg Match

Although you could play this anytime, a plastic egg match is one of the perfect Minute To Win It games 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.

Learn more: Cool Ways To Use Plastic Eggs in the Classroom

9. Marshmallow Tower

This is kind of a STEM-challenge-turned-Minute-To-Win-It-game. Kids compete to build a tower from mini marshmallows and toothpicks, making it as tall as possible in 60 seconds.

10. 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.

11. Rhyming Race

Assign a word and then see who can come up with the most rhymes for it in a minute. This is a fun way to sneak a little learning into game time!

12. Mad Dog

Glue two boxes of Tic-Tacs to the end of a wooden ruler. Open the lids, then have students shake the ruler in their teeth to empty out as many mints as they can in one minute.

13. Color Sort

This is one of the perfect Minute To Win It games 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. Students can do this at their tables or using a relay format running to and from a pile of M&Ms and bowls.

14. Junk in the Trunk

Fill a tissue box with Ping-Pong balls. Then, stick the tissue box onto someone’s backside (with a belt or tape). Students have to shake all the balls out of the tissue box in one minute in order to win. The only rule: Students may not touch the box with their hands. 

15. Balloon Stomp

Blow up balloons to the same size, and attach one to each player’s ankle on a string. At the word go, players try to stomp each other’s balloons and pop them, while protecting their own balloon. Last one with an unpopped balloon wins!

16. Nose Dive

Prepare three bowls, one with a little petroleum jelly, one with cotton balls, and one empty bowl. Students dip their nose into the jelly, then into the cotton balls. Then, they run with the cotton ball on their nose to the other bowl and drop the cotton ball into the empty bowl. They repeat for one minute, and the student who transfers the most cotton balls in this Minute To Win It game is the winner. 

Minute To Win It Games for Teens

This is a tricky age—kids aren’t as willing to look silly in front of their friends as they were when they were younger. These games let them keep their dignity while offering just enough of a challenge to keep them engaged and having fun!

17. Ball Drop

In this Minute To Win It game, students try to get a ball into a cup, but from a vertical drop (instead of a horizontal throw). Students stand over a cup and drop a ball into the cup. It’s harder than it sounds! 

18. Stack It Up

Give students a bowl of 25 pennies and set a timer for 60 seconds. They have one minute to pile up the pennies into a single stack—but they can only use one hand!

19. Puzzle Race

Pick up a few preschool puzzles at the thrift store, each with around 25 pieces. Teams race to see who can complete their puzzle first.

20. Ping-Pong Tic-Tac-Toe

Line up nine cups in a 3 X 3 grid. Give each player a different color of Ping-Pong balls, and have them face off one on each side of the table. At the word go, players begin bouncing balls off the table, trying to land them in the cups to get three in a row.

Buy it: Box of 100 Colorful Table Tennis Balls at Amazon

21. Cup Stacking

Stacking and unstacking cups is a sport (honestly!). Each player starts with three sets of three cups each, stacked. When the timer starts, players race to set up three mini pyramids, then stack them back down into single stacks again. There are other variations of the game too, for kids who really get into it.

22. Cup and Coins

Give students an empty paper cup and eight coins that will fit around the edge. They have 60 seconds to balance each of the coins around the edge of their cup, making a complete circle. If the coins fall in the cup, they’ll have to dislodge their balanced coins to get them out! At at the end of 60 seconds, if no one has managed all eight coins, award the prize to the player who balanced the most.

23. 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 in that final minute of class. At least all the paper will be in or closer to the garbage can!

Buy it: Blindfolds at Amazon

24. Spin Doctor

All you need for this game is a level surface and some coins. Students compete in pairs. One partner sets a coin spinning and the other has to stop it, then send it spinning back. Keep track of the number of times each pair sends the coin from one end of the table to the other.

25. Stare Down

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! Players are allowed to make faces or do anything they like to get their competitor to laugh, as long as they don’t touch them or break eye contact. It’s harder than it seems!

26. 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.

27. Ponginator

Place a large egg crate (18 or 24 egg holders) in the center of a table. Give each player a basket of different-colored Ping-Pong balls. At the word go, players have 60 seconds to bounce Ping-Pong balls off the table and into the egg crate spots. The player with the most in when time is up wins!

28. Matchmaker

From a deck of playing cards, pull two of each number or face-card type (two queens, two aces, etc.). Mix them up and lay them face-down in a grid on the table. Players turn over two cards; if they match, leave them face-up. Otherwise, turn them face-down and try again. Players have 60 seconds to make as many matches as they can.

Hard Minute To Win It Games

Looking for something a little more challenging? These Minute To Win It games require a bit more skill, whether it’s balance, coordination, or problem-solving.

29. Ready Spaghetti

Set up a row of empty soda cans. Give pairs of students dry spaghetti noodles. Students hold the noodles in their mouths and use them to move soda cans from one spot to another. No hands allowed!

30. Dice Stack

Give each player a wood craft stick to hold in their mouth. When the timer starts, they stack three dice onto the stick, one on top of the other. They must hold all three on the stick until the timer goes off to win.

31. Yank the Cards

Set up five upside-down plastic cups, with an index card between each set of cups. Players quickly pull the index cards one at a time, allowing the cup above to fall onto the one below. If the cups fall over, players must restack them before they can keep on going.

32. Shoe Flick

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 they’re successful, they can attempt to throw it onto the next table, and so on until the minute is over. The player to get their shoe the farthest wins.

33. House of Cards

Give each player a pack of cards. They have 60 seconds to build a house of cards at least three stories tall. This tricky one requires steady hands!

34. Blow It to the Other Side

Set up soda cans in pairs as shown in the video, and set a Ping-Pong ball on one can in each pair. Start the timer, and give each player 60 seconds to blow the balls from one can to the other. If the ball falls onto the table, they skip that set and keep on going. The player who manages to move the most balls successfully in 60 seconds wins!

35. Obstacle Course

Set up a DIY obstacle course using everyday objects, then have kids maneuver their way through the course in less than a minute. Create a graph of the time it took in seconds for each student to complete the obstacle course for an extra math component.

36. Book Balance

Set up a course for students to walk through and have them complete the course with a book balanced on their head.

37. Toilet Paper Pull

You’ll need a long table for this hard Minute To Win It game, and one roll of toilet paper for each player. Roll out each roll from one end to the other, and weigh down the loose end with a cup full to the brim with water. Players sit at the other end holding the toilet paper roll. At the word go, they race to pull the cup toward them until it crosses the finish line. Any water that spills will cause the toilet paper to break, so this one takes a lot of patience and finesse!

38. 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 (no hands!) while a teammate races to see how many blocks they can balance on top in 60 seconds.

39. Thread the Needle

Give each player a spool of thread and five drinking straws. They have 60 seconds to feed the thread through each of the five straws. This is another one that’s trickier than it looks!

Best Minute To Win It Games With Food

Give players a treat, even if they don’t manage to win the game!

40. Cookie Face

This is probably one of the most popular Minute To Win It Games around! Players sit in a chair and lean their head back, balancing a cookie on their forehead. At the word go, they race to move the cookie down their face to their mouth, using only the muscles in their face—no hands. If the cookie falls on the floor, give them a new one to start over from the forehead.

41. Donut on a String

Tie donuts (or snack of choice) to strings dangled from the ceiling. Players race to be the first to eat their whole donut. Tip: Adjust the lengths of the strings so the donut hangs around eye-level for each player.

42. Worm Diving

Moisten gummy worms to make them sticky, and tie each to a string. Players “dive” the worm into a bowl of pretzels. When one sticks, they “reel it in” to their mouth and chow down. The player who catches and eats the most pretzels wins.

43. Suck It Up

Give each player a drinking straw, a plate of M&Ms, and another empty plate. Players have 60 seconds to move M&Ms from one plate to the other, using only the suction from the straw!

Buy it: 200 Biodegradable Paper Straws at Amazon

44. Whipped Cream Worm Search

Hide gummy worms in piles of whipped cream, and give players 60 seconds to find as many as they can using only their mouth. (This one makes a mess, so be prepared.)

45. Cookie Unicorn

Here’s a twist on Cookie Face: Players have 60 seconds to stack as many cookies on their forehead as possible. If the cookies fall off, they must start over from scratch!

46. Marshmallow Toss

Break players into pairs. Give one player a cup of mini marshmallows, and the other an empty cup. Space them about 10 feet apart, and let the marshmallows fly! The team with the most marshmallows in the second player’s cup wins the game.

Winter Minute To Win It Games

Stay warm with these games themed around the winter months, including Valentine’s Day Minute To Win It games.

47. Scoop the Snowballs

Give players a big bowl of cotton balls (“snowballs”), an ice cream scoop, and an empty bowl. Blindfold the players, and give them 60 seconds to use the scoop to move as many “snowballs” as they can from one bowl to the other.

48. Blizzard Blow

On a table, mark a starting line and finish line with tape. Line up white pom-pom snowballs along the starting line, one per player, and give each a drinking straw. At the word go, they race to be the first to get their pom-pom across the finish line by blowing through their straw.

Buy it: Jumbo White Pom-Poms on Amazon

49. Ice Block Balance

Each player gets a tray of ice cubes and 60 seconds to stack them as high as they can. If the cubes fall over, they have to start all over again. Tallest tower wins!

50. Kiss Race

Give each participant a pair of oven mitts and a bowl of Hershey’s Kisses. They have 60 seconds to unwrap as many of the kisses as they can, wearing the mitts. We love this one for a Valentine’s Day class party because players can eat the treats when they’re finished!

51. Sweet Scoops

Give each player a bowl full of Valentine’s Day conversation hearts, an empty bowl, and a spoon. They have 60 seconds to move the candy from one bowl to the other—holding the spoon in their mouth (no hands allowed).

52. Stacking Hearts

Each player has 60 seconds to stack conversation heart candies into a tower, starting over if the tower falls. These candies tend to be a little wonky, making this game pretty challenging. If the games seems too easy, limit players to one hand or require them to use chopsticks instead.

Spring Minute To Win It Games

Welcome the warmer days of springtime with these fresh, fun games!

53. Spring Cleaning

Tape off a square in the middle of the floor, and scatter Ping-Pong balls around it. Give the player a broom. They have 60 seconds to sweep as many Ping-Pong balls into the square as possible. It’s downright tricky!

54. Bug Catcher

Provide each player with a bowl of plastic bugs or flies, an empty bowl, and a flyswatter. They have 60 seconds to use the flyswatter to scoop up the bugs and transfer them to the empty bowl. They can’t use their hands to touch the bugs or place them on the flyswatter. Make this game harder by moving the bowls farther apart.

55. Upside-Down Umbrella Catch

Try this spring Minute To Win It game when you’re stuck inside on a rainy day. One player opens an umbrella and holds it upside down by the handle. Their partner has 60 seconds to toss Ping-Pong balls into the umbrella from 10 feet away. The team who gets the most Ping-Pong balls in wins!

56. Butterfly Flight

Cut out butterfly shapes from tissue paper and lay them flat on one end of a table. Give each player a fan made of folded paper. They have 60 seconds to try to get their butterfly from one end of the table to the other, using wind made by flapping their fan.

57. Seed Swap

Give players a bowl of sunflower seeds and a pair of tweezers, and challenge them to move as many seeds as possible to an empty bowl in one minute. Count them up to find the winner!

58. Plant the Seeds

Each player stands with an empty 2-liter plastic soda bottle between their feet. At the word go, players hold a sunflower seed at the level of their forehead, and try to drop it into the mouth of the bottle. Whether it goes in or not, they grab another seed and keep going. The player who gets the most seeds in their bottle in one minute wins.

Summer Minute To Win It Games

These outdoor Minute To Win It games can get a little wet and wild, making them perfect for the hot days of summer.

59. Bottle Flipping

Kids adore this bottle flip challenge! Fill three plastic water bottles about a third of the way, recap them, and set them on a table. Players grab each bottle by the neck and try to flip it over once, so it lands flat on its bottom again. Once they finish with one bottle, they move on to the next. Only experienced players can get all three in a single minute!

60. Human Ring Toss

This is one of those Minute To Win It games that’s perfect for gym class, field day, or as an extra-special outdoor activity. It’s just like regular ring toss but with a fun twist: Hula-Hoops or pool rings are the rings and students are the “sticks.” Students choose someone to throw and someone to stand, and see how many “rings” they can toss over their partner in one minute.

61. Egg and Spoon Race

What could be more fun than a good old-fashioned egg race? If you’re using real eggs, this is definitely an outside game. Players balance an egg on a spoon and race to be the first to cross the finish line. Tip: Cut down on the mess by hard-boiling the eggs first.

62. Find the Cup

You’ll need 25 plastic cups for this game. Start by placing a sticker on the bottom of one, or marking it with an X. Lay out all the cups and fill them with water to the brim. A player has 60 seconds to lift up each cup until they find the marked one. This one guarantees kids will get wet, so you’ll certainly want to take it outside.

63. Sprinkler Spin

Here’s another one that’s bound to get everyone a little wet. Each player holds two cups filled to the brim with water out to their sides at shoulder level. At the word go, players spin around and around for 60 seconds (watch the water fly!). When the timer is up, measure the water to see who still has the most in their cups, and they win the game.

Fall Minute To Win It Games

When the leaves start to change, bring out these ideas for a little autumn fun. They include some Thanksgiving and Halloween Minute To Win It games too.

64. Applestack

Players can work in partners or on their own for this game. Each player or team gets five apples. They have 60 seconds to stack the apples into a tower. You’ll be surprised at how hard this is!

65. Dizzy Mummy

Give each pair of students a roll of toilet paper, and choose one to be the mummy. This player holds the end of the toilet paper against their side, while the other stands a couple of feet away holding the toilet paper roll. At the word go, the mummy begins to spin around, wrapping themselves in the paper. The first to finish their roll wins. So much fun at class Halloween parties!

66. Witch Hat Ring Toss

One player wears a pointy witch’s hat, while the other has 60 seconds to toss as many rings onto it as possible. Want a bigger challenge? Use rings made of glow sticks and turn down the lights!

67. Pumpkin Pop

Start with a bunch of inflated orange balloons (the “pumpkins”). When the timer starts, players compete to pop as many balloons as they can in 60 seconds by sitting on them!

68. Apron Race

This is a fun Thanksgiving Minute To Win It game. Players put on an apron with pockets. They have 60 seconds to fill their pockets with as many dried beans as possible, then run from one end of the room to another. If any beans fall out of the pockets, they’re out. Count up the beans at the end to find the winner.

69. Traffic Yam 

Before you cook up your sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, try this game! Lay out a line of tape on the floor, and lay a sweet potato at the start. A player has 60 seconds to use a spoon to roll the potato down the line and back to the beginning again. The unusual shape of the sweet potato makes this a real challenge!

Christmas Minute To Win It Games

Add some extra merriment to your holiday party with these holly jolly games!

70. Wrapping Presents

Give each team of two a box, wrapping paper, tape, and a bow. Teams race to wrap their gifts the fastest—but there’s a twist: Each player can only use one hand. One uses their right hand, and the other uses their left. First team to wrap their gift (don’t forget the bow!) wins.

71. Candy Cane Catch

String some garland between two chairs and provide a bowl of candy canes. Players stand a few feet back and toss candy canes, trying to get them to catch and hang on the garland. See how many they can get in one minute!

72. Whipped Cream Christmas Tree

How tall of a “tree” can you build with one can of whipped cream in one minute? This one takes a bit of strategy to get it right.

73. Candy Cane Hook

Give each player a bowl of candy canes and an empty bowl. Holding one candy cane in their mouths, they must hook canes from the bowl and transfer them to the empty one. The player who manages the most in one minute wins the game.

74. Jingle Bell Toss

If you need an easy Christmas Minute To Win It game, look no further! All you need for this one is a plastic cup and bowl of jingle bells for each player. They have 60 seconds to toss as many bells into the cup as they can. Make this game easier or harder by changing the distance the player stands from their cup.

75. Sleigh Ride

You’ll need a big open space with a slick floor for this one (gym floors are perfect!). One player sits on one end of a towel on the floor. The other grabs the other end of the towel and uses it to pull the player to the finish line. It’s not exactly Santa’s sleigh, but it’s a lot of fun!

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