Christmas parties get a lot more fun when everyone is racing the clock. These Christmas Minute to Win It games take 60 seconds, need simple supplies, and work for classrooms, family nights, and office parties. Most use candy, cotton balls, and items already in your home. Grab a timer, set up a few stations, and let the holiday laughter begin!
1. Candy Cane Fishing
Supplies: Candy canes, two bowls, timer
How to Play: Fill one bowl with candy canes. Each player holds one cane by the straight end in their mouth, then hooks others one at a time and drops them into the second bowl, no hands allowed. Whoever moves the most canes in 60 seconds wins. Best for ages 5+ and 2 or more players.
2. Ornament Express
Supplies: Candy canes, unbreakable ornaments
How to Play: Split into teams of 4-8 players. Everyone holds a candy cane in their mouth. The first player hangs an ornament on their cane and passes it down the line to the next cane, hands behind backs. If it drops, the team restarts. Count how many full passes your team completes in one minute. Great for teen and adult groups.
3. Snow Scoop
Supplies: Cotton balls or white pom poms, plastic spoons, two bowls
How to Play: Fill one bowl with “snowballs” and leave the other empty. Players hold a spoon in their mouth and move as many snowballs as possible to the empty bowl, hands off. The player with the most transferred after 60 seconds wins. A great low-cost, indoor game for ages 4+.
4. Reindeer Hooves
Supplies: Marshmallows, plastic cups, bowls
How to Play: Each player puts a plastic cup over each hand to make reindeer “hooves.” Using only the cups, they pick up marshmallows and drop them into a bowl. Most marshmallows moved in one minute wins. Use mini marshmallows for a tougher challenge, or large ones for younger kids.
5. Snowman Stack
Supplies: Mini marshmallows
How to Play: Give each player a pile of mini marshmallows. They have one minute to build as many three-marshmallow snowmen as possible. Only fully stacked snowmen count. Make it harder by stacking with one hand or using only the mouth. For beginners, switch to large marshmallows. Perfect for kids ages 5+.
6. Santa’s Beard
Supplies: Cotton balls, Vaseline, two bowls
How to Play: Dab a little Vaseline on each player’s nose. Players move cotton balls from one bowl to the other, using only their sticky noses, one at a time. Most cotton balls moved in 60 seconds wins. Pro Tip: Add Vaseline to a printed Santa face so the cotton “beard” sticks. This game is hilarious for photos.
7. M&M Straw Transfer
Supplies: Straws, red and green M&Ms, two plates
How to Play: Players use suction from a straw to pick up M&Ms one at a time and move them to a second plate, with no hands allowed. Most candies moved in one minute wins. Variation: Sort the colors into separate plates for an extra challenge. Best for ages 6+.
8. Blindfold Bow Shuffle
Supplies: Blindfold, Christmas bows, two bowls, large spoon
How to Play: Place the bows in one bowl. Blindfold the player, then have them use the spoon to scoop bows into the second bowl. Teammates can shout directions (or stay silent for extra difficulty). Most bows moved in 60 seconds wins. Good for teens and adults.
9. Snowy Nose Swing
Supplies: Cotton ball, string, Vaseline
How to Play: Tie a cotton ball to a string and put a dab of Vaseline on each player’s nose. Players hold the string end in their mouth and swing the cotton ball until it sticks to their nose, hands off. First to stick it, or the most successful sticks in one minute, wins. A longer string makes it harder.
10. Jingle Bell Balance
Supplies: Craft sticks, jingle bells
How to Play: Give each player one craft stick and four or five jingle bells. They put one end of the stick in their mouth and balance all the bells on the other end for one minute. Add more bells each round for an extra challenge. Works well for ages 6+ and any group size.
11. TP Snowman Wrap
Supplies: Toilet paper rolls, hats, scarves, mittens
How to Play: Form teams of 2-3 players. One teammate is the “snowman” while the others race to wrap them in toilet paper and add accessories. When 60 seconds are up, the team with the best-dressed snowman wins. Swap roles and play again. This one is a great team-building game for ages 6+, and the cleanup is easy.
12. Jingle Bell Race
Supplies: Jingle bells, spoons
How to Play: Each player holds a spoon in their mouth with a jingle bell balanced on it. They walk across the room and back without using their hands. If the bell drops, they start that trip over. The player with the most completed round trips in 60 seconds wins. Perfect for classrooms and ages 5+.
13. Jingle Bell Shake
Supplies: Five gift boxes, jingle bells
How to Play: Fill each box with a different number of bells and label the bottoms so you know the right order. Players shake the boxes and try to line them up from most bells to fewest. The fastest correct order wins. This quiet, seated game suits all ages and is a good option for small spaces.
14. Kiss Unwrap Race
Supplies: Chocolate kisses, toothpicks
How to Play: Give each player a pile of chocolate kisses and one toothpick. In 60 seconds, they unwrap as many as they can using only the toothpick. The most unwrapped candies wins. Younger kids can use a toothpick in each hand. Budget-friendly and fun for ages 7+, and winners get to eat the prizes.
15. Candy Cane Face-Off
Supplies: 12 candy canes per player
How to Play: Give each player twelve candy canes. They have one minute to hang as many as possible on their ears, nose, lips, and head. Count only the canes still in place when time is called. Pair players up so partners can count and take photos. This silly game works for any group size and is great for family pictures.
16. Christmas Charades Sprint
Supplies: Christmas charade cards, timer
How to Play: Split into two teams. One player from each team acts out a card, with no words or sounds, while teammates guess. Each team gets one minute per round. The team with the most correct guesses wins. Write easy cards for younger kids, like “reindeer,” and harder ones like “wrapping gifts” for adults. No supplies beyond paper and pens needed.
17. Cup Tree Stack
Supplies: Plastic cups, paper plates
How to Play: Build an upside-down Christmas tree. Start with one cup, add a plate, then two cups, another plate, then three cups, and keep going. The tallest tree standing at 60 seconds wins. If it topples, the player restarts. A calm, low-cost game for ages 6+ that works well for focused kids.
18. Candy Cane Ring Toss
Supplies: Candy canes, tape, pipe cleaners or mini wreaths
How to Play: Tape candy canes upright to a cardboard base, hooks up, to make a mini “tree.” Players stand back and toss pipe-cleaner rings onto the canes. Three tosses per turn; the most ringed canes in a minute wins. Variation: Tape garland in a doorway and toss canes onto it. Great for all ages, indoors or outdoors.
19. Candy Cane Spoon Race
Supplies: Candy canes, spoons
How to Play: Each player balances a candy cane on a spoon and walks across the room and back. If it drops, they return to the start. The first back with the cane still on the spoon wins. Variation: Older kids can balance two canes. This is perfect for outdoor parties, relay teams, and ages 4+.
20. One-Handed Wrap Battle
Supplies: Small boxes, wrapping paper, tape, bows
How to Play: Partners team up and each can use only one hand to wrap a gift box. For extra difficulty, blindfold both players. Give teams one to three minutes, and the neatest wrapped present wins. Pro Tip: Tuck the unused hand into a shirt or behind the back. Best for teens and adults, and a great office party icebreaker.
21. Swingin’ Cane Drop
Supplies: Candy canes, string, plastic cups
How to Play: Tie a candy cane to a string around each player’s waist so it dangles behind them. Without using hands, players swing their hips and try to drop the cane into a cup on the floor. The first to land it within 60 seconds wins. Hilarious for ages 6+ and a great party-photo moment.
22. Candy Cane Stack Attack
Supplies: Candy canes
How to Play: Give each player the same number of candy canes. They have one minute to stack them into the tallest tower possible, in any pattern they choose. Lay them flat, criss-cross them, or build a cabin. The tallest tower standing at the buzzer wins. A quiet, low-cost game for ages 5+.
23. Candy Cane Drop
Supplies: Candy canes, narrow-necked jar or heavy bowl
How to Play: Players kneel on a chair and drop candy canes one at a time into a jar on the floor. Tape the jar down or use a heavy container so it won’t tip. The most canes in the jar after one minute wins. Trickier than it looks, and perfect for ages 7+.
24. Jingle Jumps
Supplies: None
How to Play: Choose a Christmas-themed exercise, such as Santa Squats, Reindeer Runs (high knees), or Elf Lunges. Players complete as many reps as possible in 60 seconds while a partner counts. This no-supplies game burns off party energy, works indoors or outdoors, and suits all ages and abilities.
25. Candy Cane Hook & Hustle
Supplies: Candy canes, two bowls
How to Play: Put all the candy canes in one bowl. Players move them to the second bowl without using their hands, hooking them with a cane held in the mouth. The first to move them all wins. Run it as a team relay for larger groups of kids or adults.
26. Snowball Toss
Supplies: White paper, bucket or laundry basket
How to Play: Crumple sheets of white paper into “snowballs” and set a bucket a few steps away. Players toss as many snowballs into the bucket as they can in one minute. Move the bucket farther back for older players. This budget-friendly game is safe for indoors and works well for classrooms and big groups.
27. Gingerbread Face Race
Supplies: Gingerbread cookies or round crackers
How to Play: Each player balances a cookie on their forehead. Using only face muscles, with no hands, they wiggle it down into their mouth. The first to finish wins, or the most cookies eaten in 60 seconds. Use crackers for a less sugary option. Great for ages 6+ and silly group photos.
28. Ornament Hang
Supplies: Unbreakable ornaments, small tree or branch
How to Play: Players use only one hand to hang as many ornaments as possible on a small tree in one minute. Use plastic hooks or ribbon loops for younger kids. The most ornaments hanging securely wins. This simple game doubles as party decorating and suits all ages.
29. Stocking Stuffer Sprint
Supplies: Christmas stockings, small wrapped items or toys
How to Play: Set a pile of small items at one end of the room and a stocking at the other. Players carry one item at a time, using only one hand, and drop it into the stocking. The most items stuffed in 60 seconds wins. Fun for relay teams, ages 5+, and group sizes of any size.
30. Holiday Freeze Dance
Supplies: Holiday playlist, speaker
How to Play: Play festive music while everyone dances. Pause the music at random, and players must freeze instantly. Anyone who moves is out. The last dancer standing after one minute wins. Free, inclusive, and perfect for mixed ages, big groups, and anyone who wants a break from candy-based challenges.
Conclusion
These 30 Christmas Minute to Win It games make holiday gatherings easy, affordable, and full of laughter. Pick a few favorites that match your group’s age and space, gather the supplies, and set your timer. Mix quick team challenges with silly solo games to keep energy high. Save this list for your next party, share it with fellow hosts, and start the countdown!
