What games do I play?

There are so many minute-to-win-it games out there, and like everything, some are better than others. So, I’m only going to write about the ones that I think everyone should play during their lifetime!

Catch it in the cup

So, this is one of my favourites! All you have to do is get into pairs, then each pair takes lots of ping pong balls and eight plastic cups. One person in each pair stands about three or four meters away from their partner, holding the eight cups stacked up together, whilst the other person has the balls. Once someone says ‘go’, the player with  the ping pong balls must throw them to their partner, trying to get them to land in the cups their partner is holding. If successful, the cup that now has the ball in goes to the bottom of the stack and players have to try and get another ball into the second cup, which then goes to the bottom just like before. 

However, there is a rule: the player with the cups can only hold onto the cup at the bottom. When the stack gets higher it becomes harder to control and wobbles more, you cannot hold onto the stack to steady it though, only hold the bottom cup!

The winners are the first team that get a ping pong ball in every cup! This is such a fun game and you can play with lots of people by having as many teams of two as you need.

Ping pong water race

This is a really easy game to play, as you will only need 8 cups and a ping pong ball for each person, as well as lots of water. To play the game, you fill the eight cups up with water, right to the top. Every player needs to put their cups into one straight line with the ping pong ball in the one closest to them (the cups need to be touching each other at the egdes for the game to work). When someone shouts go, all players must put their hands behind their back, as they are not allowed to use them, and blow the ball across the line of cups. The first one to get the ball to the last cup in the line wins the game!

If at any point the ball is blown off the cups and onto the table, then you are allowed to use your hands to put it back onto the cups, however, you will have to start at the first cup again as a forfeit for blowing it off!

Cups knock over

This game is best played in pairs, but if you want you can have lots of people playing at the same time. Again, you will need eight cups (are you sensing a sort of theme with the cups!), and a pair of tights for each player. This game is much better if you have a weight put in each cup so it is a little heavier (we usually stick a bit of plasticine inside the cup) and also something similar to a weighty ball to put into one of the legs of the tights. Each player puts the tights over their head, so that they have the leg with the weight in coming down. The cups are then layed out in a line with about half a meter between each one, and each player has their own line of them.

 When someone says ‘go’, all players have to try to knock the cups over with the leg of their weighted tights, and no hands are allowed either! The winner is the first person to successfully knock down all their cups!

Santa’s beard

We usually play this on Christmas Eve, and it is so funny! However, this game can be played all year round, because its still fun, and you could just rename it! Players have to get into pairs in order to play this game, where one player in each team needs to volunteer to be ‘Santa’. These players have to make a beard out of shaving foam (my sister usually goes all the way with eyebrows too!). The other players (without the beard!) stand about three meters away from the ‘Santas’, and when someone says ‘go’ they have to through cotton wool buds at their partner, trying to make them stick onto the shaving foam beard!

When the timer for one minute goes off, all players must stop and count how many cotton wool buds have successfully stuck to ‘Santa’s’ beard! The winners are the pair with the most cotton buds on the beard!

Minute-to-draw

This game is probably one of the easiest to set up for, as all you need is a pen and paper plate for each person. Another bonus to this game is that any amount of people can play as it’s more of an individual task that played in teams. Each person puts a paper plate on top of their head and needs a pen at hand. Someone needs to time a minute and everyone has until the timer runs out to draw something (we usually pick something like a witch if it’s a halloween party or a snowman if it’s Christmas for example) on the paper plate. Someone has to decide what the players will draw before hand, so that they all draw the same thing, and the paper plate must be on top of the player’s head so that they cannot see what they are drawing!

When the minute is up, dedicate a judge (probably someone who wasn’t playing so they’re not biased!) and they need to pick which one is the best. You’ll probably find that they’re not as good as you thought they would be, it’s harder than it looks, trust me!

Hungry hippos

This game is so much fun! To play it well, you just need to get rid of any embarrassment and just do it! The equipment needed for this game is a little harder to get hold of, and you’re less likely to have it than in other games. But, if you do have lots of ball pit balls, then this game will be perfect! You will also need a large container /box to put the balls into, and a smaller bucket or box for each player. All players lie down in a circle around the box of balls. They have one minute on the clock to put as many balls into their own box that is placed behind them as they can. However, the only way they can do this is by using their feet! By picking up the balls with their feet, players must then lean backwards to drop it into their box!

This game is so funny and good for all ages, children, teenagers and adults who just want to have some fun! The winner is the player with the most balls in their box at the end of the minute!

Ping pong noughts and crosses

Another water game! Get some tea towels ready beacuse this one can get a little wet! Nine cups are needed for this game (yeah I know, you’ve got to find another cup!), and they need to be layed out on a three by three grid pattern (like noughts and crosses), however they have to be touching one another. The cups then need to be filled to the top with water. This game can only be played in pairs, but if you have lots of people, then the winner in each pair can play each other. Each player needs a collection of ping pong balls, some can be left plain, but one person’s balls need to have dots or a coloured mark on to show who’s who’s. If you’re playing on a table then players must stand at either end with the cups in the centre. Players must then bounce their ping pong balls on the table with the aim of getting them to land on the water, in the cups. 

The aim is to get three of your own balls into three different cups in a row, just like noughts and crosses. If a player gets a ball into a cup, and a player follows after by getting one of their balls into a cup it does not count and all balls are removed except for the ball of the player that got it in first. 

Anyone not playing can mop up any water that might have spilled or collect the ping pong balls that have gone onto the table or the floor!

Nose race

For this game you will need shaving foam and cotton wool balls. The concept, once again is fairly simple; players must get into pairs and stand side by side at one end of the table. A bowl for each player is put at the end of the table, a plate/bowl with shaving foam on and another full of cotton wool buds is placed in front of each person. Players must dip their nose into the shaving foam and then collect a cotton wool bud on their nose. When they have done this they must then run to the other end of the table and shake their head to get the wool bud off and into the empty bowl. 

The trick is in how much shaving foam you put on your nose, too little and the cotton balls will fall off whilst you’re running, but too much and you’ll have a hard time getting the wool balls off and into the bowl! A timer should be on and timing one minute, and in that minute player must  go to and fro and see how many cotton wool ballsthey can get into the bowl at the end of the table. The winner is the one with the most!

Balloon blow-up

This is one of my favourite games! Again, you will need eight cups per person and a balloon for everyone too. Players stand together at the corners of the table with the pile of cups in front of them. With one hand behind their back and the other holding the balloon, players must inflate the balloon inside the cup so that the cup is picked up when they move. They then have to run to the end of the table and place the cup down (at this point you will need to deflate the balloon so that the cup is left on the table). Players then repeat this until all the cups are stacked at the other end of the table and the winner is the first to do this.

But, there is a rule, you are allowed to use one hand but it cannot hold the cup, only the balloon! This is such a great game!

Wine glass game

This is a good one for adults if you want to actually use wine as an insentive to play, or if you’re playing with children water is fine. A great aspect in this game is that so long as you have lots of wine glasses, you can have as many people as you want (or that can fit on the table!). Everyone needs to lay a toilet roll out so that they are holding the roll and the end reaches the other end of the table. At the end of the roll, you place a wine glass filled with water (or whatever drink you want). Everyone stands at the same end of the table together with their own toilet roll and when the game is commenced, all players have to roll their toilet paper up, with the aim of bringing the wine glass towards you.

This may sound easy enough but it’s a lot harder than it sounds, players have to be very careful not to spill the water in the glass, or otherwise it will drench the paper and rip it! The toilet roll will also break if you are too quick, so sometimes taking your time is the best option. However, if you are too slow your oponentes will beat you to it! The winner is the first one to successfully roll the toilet paper back so that the wine glass is at their end of the table and to hold it it their hands!

So, I hope I have inspired you to go off and have a round of minute-to-win-it games. They are so much fun and great for all the family!

Happy minute-to-win-it-ing everyone! Thank you so much for reading this (I know, once again I have created a very lengthy post!). All of your support is appreciated so much, I just can’t wait to share more adventires with you, whether it be a smaller one like these games, or a bigger one!

Hattie

xx