Christmas Minute to Win It Games
There’s something extra magical about the holiday season, twinkly lights, cozy cocoa, and the sound of laughter filling your home. If you’re planning a Christmas party, classroom celebration, or just want some fun to keep the kids (and adults!) entertained while the cookies bake, Christmas Minute to Win It games are your secret weapon.
These fast-paced games are silly, exciting, and perfect for every age. Best part? You don’t need fancy supplies. Most of these games use things you probably already have lying around the house or in your holiday stash. Let’s get the jingle bells rolling!
What Are Minute to Win It Games?
Minute to Win It games are quick, silly challenges where players have just 60 seconds to complete a task. Think stacking cups, tossing marshmallows, or balancing candy canes. The time limit adds a burst of energy and competitiveness, everyone’s cheering, laughing, and maybe getting a little too into it (in the best way).
You can play one or two games between other activities or plan a whole hour of holiday hilarity. Play individually or in teams. Keep score or just play for the giggles. Totally up to you!
Christmas Minute to Win It Games
1. Snowball Scoop
What You Need: Cotton balls, a spoon, and a bowl
How to Play: Place a pile of “snowballs” (cotton balls) on the table. Set a bowl a few feet away. Using only a spoon, scoop and transfer as many cotton balls as you can in 60 seconds. No using your hands!
2. Candy Cane Hook Up
What You Need: A pile of candy canes and a bowl
How to Play: Hold one candy cane in your mouth by the curved end. Try to hook as many candy canes from the pile and transfer them into the bowl—no hands allowed. This one’s harder than it looks!
3. Christmas Cookie Face
What You Need: A Christmas cookie for each player
How to Play: Place the cookie on your forehead. Using only your facial muscles (no hands!), try to wiggle and move the cookie into your mouth. If it falls, start again!
4. Stack the Presents
What You Need: Empty boxes (wrapped like presents), timer
How to Play: See how many presents you can stack in 60 seconds. The tower must stay standing for at least 3 seconds after the time is up!
5. Jingle Bell Toss
What You Need: Plastic cups or bowls and small jingle bells
How to Play: Set up a row of cups. Stand back and try to toss a jingle bell into each one. Score a point for every bell that lands inside.
6. Ornament Balance
What You Need: Christmas ornaments with hooks and a popsicle stick
How to Play: Hold a popsicle stick in your mouth and balance as many ornaments as you can on it, one at a time. No hands and no dropping!
7. Reindeer Antler Ring Toss
What You Need: Inflatable reindeer antler headbands and rings (or use glow sticks)
How to Play: One person wears the antlers. The other tosses rings trying to hook them on the antlers. Switch roles and see who can score the most.
8. Snowball Toss
What You Need: White ping pong balls, buckets or bowls
How to Play: Stand at a distance and toss the snowballs into the container. You can even make this a team game, one throws while the other holds the bucket.
9. Wrap It Up
What You Need: Wrapping paper, tape, scissors, boxes
How to Play: See who can wrap a present the fastest (and neatest!) in just 60 seconds. Add bonus points for bows and tags!
10. Santa’s Beard Blower
What You Need: Cotton balls and straws
How to Play: Use the straw to blow a cotton ball (Santa’s beard) across the table and into a marked “chimney” area.
11. Peppermint Pickup
What You Need: Mini candy canes and chopsticks
How to Play: Using only chopsticks, pick up as many mini candy canes as possible and transfer them into a bowl before the time runs out.
12. Holiday Cup Stack
What You Need: Red and green plastic cups
How to Play: Stack and unstack 21 cups into a pyramid and back down again. Try to beat your best time!
13. Present Shake Down
What You Need: Small empty boxes, a tissue box, jingle bells, tape, string
How to Play: Tape the tissue box around each player’s waist, fill it with jingle bells. Shake, jump, and dance to get all the bells out, no hands!
14. Marshmallow Munch
What You Need: Mini marshmallows and chopsticks (or toothpicks)
How to Play: Move marshmallows from one bowl to another using only chopsticks or two toothpicks. Keep going until time is up!
15. Elf Hat Toss
What You Need: A cone-shaped elf hat and rings (embroidery hoops or glow sticks work)
How to Play: Place the elf hat on the ground and try to toss the rings to land them on top.
16. Rudolph Nose Race
What You Need: Red pom-poms, Vaseline, and a paper plate
How to Play: Apply Vaseline to the tip of your nose. Pick up the pom-pom using only your nose and transfer it to the plate. No hands!
17. Gift Stack Relay
What You Need: Wrapped boxes of different sizes
How to Play: Stack 5-7 boxes and walk across the room without dropping them. Or walk with a gift balanced on your head! Relay race style for teams.
18. Christmas Card Tower
What You Need: Old Christmas cards
How to Play: Use the cards to build the tallest free-standing card tower you can in one minute. Tricky and fun!
19. Tinsel Tangler
What You Need: Tinsel garland and a partner
How to Play: One person holds the tinsel. The other has to wrap them up (like a Christmas tree) in 60 seconds. Fastest wrapper wins!
20. Gingerbread Man Stack
What You Need: Gingerbread cookies
How to Play: Stack as many cookies as you can in a tower before they tumble down! Aim for height and balance.
Game Tips for a Jolly Good Time
1. Keep it Simple.
Use stuff you already have, candy canes, plastic cups, cotton balls, wrapping paper, and more. No need to spend a lot.
2. Play in Teams or Pairs.
Divide guests into teams and keep score, or just take turns and cheer each other on.
3. Use a Timer.
Keep a timer handy (your phone works great) and keep the energy up with a countdown.
4. Have Prizes or Just Play for Fun.
Small prizes like candy canes, ornaments, or “silly awards” (like Most Dramatic Cookie Face) add to the fun. But honestly, the laughs are the best prize.
5. Adjust for Ages.
Some games work better for younger kids (like cotton ball scoop), while others are more fun for teens and adults (like the reindeer ring toss). Mix and match!
Christmas Minute to Win It Game Night Ideas
Hosting a full game night? Here’s how to set it up:
- Create a game station for each challenge. Let guests rotate through the games.
- Make a scoreboard. Keep track of wins, or hand out stickers for each completed game.
- Play Christmas music in the background. Adds that perfect festive touch.
- Dress the part! Santa hats, elf ears, and jingle bell necklaces are totally encouraged.
Minute to Win It games are the perfect mix of silly and festive. Whether you’re celebrating with family, friends, coworkers, or a group of rowdy kids hopped up on hot cocoa, these games bring people together with lots of laughs and friendly fun.
So dust off your jingle bells, grab the wrapping paper, and get ready for some merry mayhem. And don’t forget to take pictures, these are the memories you’ll love looking back on.
