Minute to Win It games have become a staple at parties and events because they are fast-paced, full of laughter and require minimal setup. These games are perfect for birthdays, family gatherings, holiday festivities, or even just a fun evening at home. What’s even better is that they cater to all ages, from kids to adults and can be easily modified for different themes.
Why Minute to Win It Games Are a Must-Have in 2025
In 2025, people are increasingly looking for simple yet entertaining activities that bring everyone together. Minute to Win It games check all the boxes—they’re quick, easy to organize and always deliver a good time. Whether you’re planning an office team-building activity or just want to keep the kids entertained during a birthday party, these games can turn any ordinary event into a memorable experience.
Here, we’ll dive into 45 brand new Minute to Win It game ideas for 2025, complete with instructions, tips and some variations to keep the excitement rolling.
What Sets These Games Apart for 2025?
While traditional Minute to Win It games have always been fun, 2025’s lineup focuses on more inclusive and challenging variations that cater to different skills. From games that test dexterity to those that rely on quick thinking, this list ensures there’s something for everyone, no matter their age or ability.
1. Stack ‘Em High
Objective: Stack as many cups as possible in one minute without the tower falling over.
Materials: Plastic cups (any size will do).
How to Play: Each player gets a stack of 10 plastic cups. The goal is to stack them in a tower as high as possible without toppling over. You can adjust the difficulty by limiting how the cups can be stacked, such as only using one hand or requiring players to alternate between stacking cups right-side-up and upside-down.
Pro Tip: For a more competitive version, use smaller cups and add a rule that players can only use one hand.
2. Balloon Juggle
Objective: Keep two or three balloons in the air for one minute without letting any of them touch the ground.
Materials: Balloons (preferably latex, any color).
How to Play: Each player starts with two balloons (or three for an added challenge). The goal is to keep all balloons in the air for the entire minute. If one touches the ground, the player is out of the game. You can also make this more difficult by having players juggle the balloons while standing on one leg or adding more balloons.
Pro Tip: Use slightly deflated balloons for a higher difficulty level, as they will move slower and require more effort to keep up.
3. Pencil Flip Challenge
Objective: Flip pencils off the back of your hand and catch them.
Materials: Standard wooden pencils.
How to Play: Players place one pencil on the back of their hand and try to flip it into the air and catch it with the same hand. After successfully catching one pencil, they add another and repeat the process. The player who can catch the most pencils in a single flip wins.
Pro Tip: Try adding time pressure by reducing the game duration to 30 seconds for a more intense challenge.
4. Cookie Face
Objective: Move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands.
Materials: Any round cookie (Oreos work best).
How to Play: Each player places a cookie on their forehead and, without using their hands, must wiggle it down their face and into their mouth. The first person to succeed wins, or the player who gets the furthest within one minute.
Pro Tip: Adding time constraints will increase the tension. Try using larger cookies or adding slippery substances like icing for an extra twist!
5. Ping Pong Bounce
Objective: Bounce ping pong balls into cups arranged in a triangle.
Materials: Ping pong balls, plastic cups and a flat surface.
How to Play: Arrange 10 plastic cups in a triangle (similar to beer pong). Players must bounce ping pong balls into the cups within one minute. The player who gets the most balls into the cups wins.
Pro Tip: Use smaller cups for advanced players or allow players to bounce the balls off walls or obstacles for added difficulty.
6. Marshmallow Mouthful
Objective: Fit as many large marshmallows into your mouth as possible in one minute.
Materials: Large marshmallows.
How to Play: Each player gets a bag of large marshmallows and must stuff as many into their mouth as they can within the time limit. The trick is to count aloud each time they add a marshmallow. The player who fits the most marshmallows and can still speak clearly is the winner.
Pro Tip: To make it even more fun, have players recite tongue twisters or sing a song after each marshmallow is added!
7. Chopstick Challenge
Objective: Transfer small items (like beans or candies) from one bowl to another using only chopsticks.
Materials: Two bowls, chopsticks and small items (like jelly beans or peanuts).
How to Play: Place one bowl filled with small items on one side of the table and an empty bowl on the other side. Players must use only chopsticks to transfer as many items as possible from one bowl to the other within one minute.
Pro Tip: To make it more challenging, use smaller items like grains of rice or require players to use non-dominant hands.
8. Spoon Relay
Objective: Move as many small objects as possible across a room using only a spoon held in your mouth.
Materials: Plastic spoons, small objects like ping pong balls or cotton balls.
How to Play: Each player holds a spoon in their mouth and must carry small objects from one side of the room to the other without dropping them. The person who moves the most objects within the minute wins.
Pro Tip: Add obstacles, such as having players step over chairs or around cones, to increase the difficulty level.
9. Dice Stack
Objective: Stack as many dice as possible on top of each other using one hand.
Materials: Dice.
How to Play: Each player is given a set of dice and must stack as many as possible in a minute using only one hand. The dice tower must remain standing for at least three seconds at the end of the minute to count.
Pro Tip: Use larger dice for beginners and for advanced players, try using mini dice or blindfolding them for an extra challenge.
10. Paper Plane Precision
Objective: Throw paper planes and land them in a designated target.
Materials: Paper for planes, tape or a small basket for the target.
How to Play: Each player is given a piece of paper to make a paper airplane. Once their planes are ready, they must throw them into a designated target (like a basket or taped-off area) from a certain distance. The person who lands the most planes in the target within the time limit wins.
Pro Tip: Add a twist by requiring players to throw their planes from behind a line or having them aim for moving targets!
11. Tissue Pull
Objective: Pull as many tissues as possible out of a tissue box using only one hand.
Materials: Tissue boxes (full).
How to Play: Each player gets a full tissue box and must pull out as many tissues as they can in one minute, using only one hand. The player who empties their box or pulls the most tissues wins.
Pro Tip: Secure the tissue box to the table with tape to prevent it from sliding, making the game more challenging.
12. Blindfolded Bowling
Objective: Knock down as many pins as possible while blindfolded.
Materials: Plastic bowling pins or empty bottles, soft ball.
How to Play: Set up a row of bowling pins (or empty bottles) at one end of the room. Players are blindfolded and must roll a soft ball to knock down as many pins as possible in one minute. The person who knocks down the most pins wins.
Pro Tip: Add sound cues, such as a teammate clapping near the pins, to guide the blindfolded player in the right direction.
13. Balloon Pop
Objective: Pop as many balloons as possible by sitting on them.
Materials: Balloons (inflated).
How to Play: Scatter inflated balloons around the room. Players must pop as many as they can by sitting on them within the one-minute timeframe. The player who pops the most balloons wins.
Pro Tip: For added difficulty, try blindfolding players or requiring them to pop balloons only with their feet.
14. Water Bottle Flip
Objective: Flip as many water bottles as possible so they land upright.
Materials: Partially filled plastic water bottles.
How to Play: Players are given a partially filled water bottle and the goal is to flip the bottle and have it land upright. The person who successfully lands the most bottle flips within one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Try varying the water levels in the bottles to increase the challenge or have players flip from different distances.
15. Straw and Skittles
Objective: Use a straw to transfer as many Skittles (or other small candies) as possible into a bowl.
Materials: Skittles or other small candies, straws, bowls.
How to Play: Each player is given a straw and must use it to suck up Skittles from one bowl and transfer them to another. The player who moves the most Skittles in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: You can add a fun twist by having players use chopsticks instead of straws or blindfolding them for an extra challenge.
16. Penny Stack
Objective: Stack as many pennies as possible in one minute using only one hand.
Materials: Pennies.
How to Play: Each player is given a pile of pennies. The goal is to stack as many pennies as possible using only one hand. The stack must stay standing for at least three seconds at the end of the minute. The player with the highest stack wins.
Pro Tip: Increase the challenge by requiring players to use their non-dominant hand or blindfolding them.
17. Junk in the Trunk
Objective: Shake ping pong balls out of a tissue box strapped to your back.
Materials: Empty tissue boxes, ping pong balls, string or belt.
How to Play: Strap an empty tissue box (filled with ping pong balls) to the back of each player using a belt or string. Players must shake their bodies to get all the ping pong balls out of the box within one minute. The first player to empty their box wins.
Pro Tip: Add obstacles like small cones or chairs that players have to navigate around while shaking out the ping pong balls for extra fun.
18. Cup Blow
Objective: Blow plastic cups off the edge of a table using only your breath.
Materials: Plastic cups, flat surface (table).
How to Play: Line up plastic cups along the edge of a table. Players must blow the cups off the table without using their hands. The player who blows the most cups off the table in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: To add a challenge, place cups of different sizes on the table or space them out farther from the edge.
19. Defying Gravity
Objective: Keep three balloons in the air for one minute using only your body.
Materials: Balloons.
How to Play: Each player is given three balloons and must keep all three in the air for the entire minute using only their body (no hands). If any balloon touches the ground, that player is out of the game. The last player standing or the player who lasts the full minute wins.
Pro Tip: For extra excitement, add more balloons or have players perform additional tasks like hopping on one foot while keeping the balloons in the air.
20. Paper Clip Chain
Objective: Create the longest chain of paper clips in one minute.
Materials: Paper clips.
How to Play: Each player is given a pile of paper clips. The objective is to create the longest continuous chain by linking paper clips together within the time limit. The player with the longest chain at the end of the minute wins.
Pro Tip: Add more difficulty by requiring players to use only one hand or to close their eyes while assembling the chain.
Thanks for the reminder! I’ll be sure to add the remaining games to reach the 45 you requested. Here’s the next set, continuing from where we left off:
21. Suck It Up
Objective: Transfer small objects from one bowl to another using only a straw.
Materials: Straws, small objects like M&Ms or Skittles, two bowls.
How to Play: Place small objects in one bowl and players must use a straw to suck up the object and transfer it to another bowl. The player who transfers the most objects in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Use smaller objects like rice grains or make players switch hands midway through the game for an added challenge.
22. Cotton Ball Crawl
Objective: Move as many cotton balls as possible using only your nose (dipped in petroleum jelly).
Materials: Cotton balls, petroleum jelly and bowls.
How to Play: Players dip their noses in petroleum jelly and must transfer cotton balls from one bowl to another using only their noses. The player who transfers the most cotton balls within one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Make the game more difficult by spreading the cotton balls further apart or using larger bowls.
23. Bottle to Bottle
Objective: Transfer small objects (like rice or beads) from one bottle to another by shaking.
Materials: Two plastic bottles, rice or small beads, tape.
How to Play: Tape two plastic bottles together at the neck and fill one bottle with small objects like rice or beads. Players must shake the bottles to transfer the contents from one to the other in one minute. The player who transfers the most wins.
Pro Tip: Add obstacles by requiring players to shake while balancing on one leg or walking across the room.
24. Ponginator
Objective: Bounce ping pong balls into a series of cups arranged in a straight line.
Materials: Ping pong balls, plastic cups.
How to Play: Set up a row of cups in a straight line. Players must bounce ping pong balls and get them to land in the cups, starting with the closest cup and moving further away. The player who gets the most balls into the cups in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Add a twist by setting up the cups in different shapes or creating different point values for each cup.
25. Cereal Scramble
Objective: Sort different types of cereal into separate bowls using only one hand.
Materials: Mixed cereal (like Cheerios and Froot Loops), bowls.
How to Play: Players are given a mix of different cereals in one bowl and must separate them into different bowls using only one hand. The person who sorts the most cereal correctly in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Increase the difficulty by blindfolding players or making them switch hands midway through the game.
26. Spoon Frog
Objective: Launch plastic spoons into cups by pressing down on the handle.
Materials: Plastic spoons, plastic cups.
How to Play: Set up plastic cups in a row. Players must use their fingers to press down on the handles of plastic spoons, launching them into the cups. The player who gets the most spoons into the cups within one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Use smaller cups or increase the distance between the spoons and the cups for a tougher challenge.
27. Face the Cookie
Objective: Move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth using only facial muscles.
Materials: Cookies (round, like Oreos).
How to Play: Each player places a cookie on their forehead and must move it down to their mouth using only their facial muscles—no hands allowed! The first player to get the cookie into their mouth or the player who gets the farthest in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Add a variation by using different types of cookies or having players attempt multiple cookies at once.
28. Penny Hose
Objective: Retrieve two pennies from the bottom of a pair of pantyhose using only your hands.
Materials: Pantyhose, pennies.
How to Play: Place a penny in each toe of a pair of pantyhose. Players must use their hands to pull the pennies out of the pantyhose without tearing them. The first person to retrieve both pennies wins.
Pro Tip: Use smaller coins like dimes for added difficulty or increase the number of pennies.
29. Egg Roll
Objective: Move an egg across the floor by blowing it with a straw.
Materials: Eggs (hard-boiled for less mess), straws.
How to Play: Players must blow a hard-boiled egg across a designated finish line using only a straw. The player who moves the egg the furthest within one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Increase the distance to the finish line or set up obstacles along the way for more fun.
30. Stack Attack
Objective: Stack a pyramid of cups and then take it down in one minute.
Materials: Plastic cups.
How to Play: Players are given a set of plastic cups. They must stack them into a pyramid (base of 6 cups) and then take the pyramid down in reverse. The first person to complete the task wins.
Pro Tip: For added difficulty, limit players to using only one hand or increase the size of the pyramid.
31. Nose Dive
Objective: Transfer cotton balls from one bowl to another using only your nose (dipped in petroleum jelly).
Materials: Cotton balls, petroleum jelly, bowls.
How to Play: Players dip their noses in petroleum jelly and must transfer cotton balls from one bowl to another. The player who moves the most cotton balls in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Add a time constraint for each transfer or require players to use only one nostril!
32. Cup Stack Race
Objective: Stack and unstack cups in a specific order.
Materials: Plastic cups.
How to Play: Players must stack 10 cups into a pyramid and then quickly unstack them, repeating the process as many times as possible within one minute. The person who completes the most cycles wins.
Pro Tip: Add more cups or create unique stacking patterns to make the game more challenging.
33. Bucket Head
Objective: Catch as many ping pong balls in a bucket on your head as possible.
Materials: Ping pong balls, bucket.
How to Play: Players must wear a bucket on their head and catch ping pong balls thrown by a teammate. The person who catches the most balls in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Increase the distance between the thrower and the catcher or add obstacles in between for a fun twist.
34. Mouthful of Madness
Objective: Say specific phrases with marshmallows in your mouth.
Materials: Marshmallows.
How to Play: Players must stuff their mouths with marshmallows and then attempt to say specific phrases provided by the host. The person who can say the most phrases clearly in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Use different-sized marshmallows or add more complex phrases to make the game tougher.
35. Candy Sorter
Objective: Sort a mix of different candies into separate bowls using only one hand.
Materials: Mixed candy (like M&Ms, Skittles), bowls.
How to Play: Players must separate different types of candy from a mixed bowl and place them into separate bowls using only one hand. The player who sorts the most candy in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Blindfold players for added difficulty or require them to sort by color instead of type.
36. Floatacious
Objective: Stack floating items in a bowl of water without them toppling over.
Materials: Small floating items (like plastic lids), bowls of water.
How to Play: Players must stack floating items on top of each other in a bowl of water. The person with the tallest stack at the end of one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Use lighter items or reduce the size of the bowl for more of a challenge.
37. Post-it Note Challenge
Objective: Stick as many Post-it Notes on your face as possible in one minute.
Materials: Post-it Notes.
How to Play: Players must stick as many Post-it Notes on their face as possible within the time limit. The player with the most notes stuck to their face wins.
Pro Tip: Increase the difficulty by requiring players to stand still while others throw the notes onto their faces!
38. Popcorn Pickup
Objective: Pick up as many pieces of popcorn as possible using only chopsticks.
Materials: Popcorn, chopsticks, bowls.
How to Play: Players must pick up pieces of popcorn using chopsticks and transfer them to a bowl. The player who moves the most popcorn within one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Use smaller or broken popcorn pieces to make the game more challenging.
39. Sticky Situation
Objective: Bounce a ping pong ball onto a piece of bread covered in peanut butter.
Materials: Ping pong balls, slices of bread, peanut butter.
How to Play: Spread peanut butter on slices of bread and place them at one end of the table. Players must bounce ping pong balls and attempt to land them on the peanut butter-covered bread. The player with the most balls stuck to the bread wins.
Pro Tip: Try different toppings like honey or jam for variety.
40. Shoe Flick
Objective: Flick a shoe off your foot and land it onto a target.
Materials: Shoes, tape or target marker.
How to Play: Players must flick a shoe off their foot and try to land it onto a target on the floor. The person who lands the most shoes on the target wins.
Pro Tip: Increase the distance to the target or make it smaller for an extra challenge.
41. Tic-Tac-Tongue
Objective: Knock down targets with a party blower while aiming for a tic-tac-toe pattern.
Materials: Targets (plastic cups), party blowers, tape for tic-tac-toe board.
How to Play: Players must use a party blower to knock over targets (plastic cups) arranged in a tic-tac-toe grid. The player who achieves a tic-tac-toe in one minute wins.
Pro Tip: Use smaller targets for more difficulty or rearrange the grid after every win.
42. Balloon Pop Relay
Objective: Pop balloons by sitting on them after carrying them across the room.
Materials: Balloons.
How to Play: Players must carry a balloon across the room, sit on it to pop it and repeat as many times as possible in one minute. The player who pops the most balloons wins.
Pro Tip: Add obstacles in the relay path to make it more challenging.
43. Lego Tower
Objective: Build the tallest Lego tower in one minute.
Materials: Lego blocks.
How to Play: Players are given a pile of Lego blocks and must build the tallest freestanding tower possible in one minute. The tower must stand for at least five seconds at the end to count.
Pro Tip: Use smaller Lego pieces for added difficulty or blindfold players to make it even tougher.
44. Cookie Tower
Objective: Stack as many cookies as possible without the tower falling.
Materials: Cookies (like Oreos).
How to Play: Players must stack as many cookies as they can within one minute. The player with the tallest stack at the end of the time limit wins. The stack must stand for at least three seconds.
Pro Tip: Use cookies with different sizes or textures to add a fun twist.
45. M&M Transfer
Objective: Transfer M&Ms from one plate to another using only a straw.
Materials: M&Ms, straws, plates.
How to Play: Players must use a straw to suck up M&Ms and transfer them from one plate to another. The player who transfers the
Wrapping It Up: Minute to Win It Fun for Everyone
Minute to Win It games are timeless because of their simplicity, adaptability and pure fun factor. With the fresh and exciting game ideas we’ve introduced for 2025, you can ensure that your next party or event will be a hit with guests of all ages. Whether you’re looking for games that test balance, quick thinking, or just want to generate laughs, these challenges fit the bill.
From easy, laid-back fun to more competitive activities, there’s a game on this list for every occasion. They’re perfect for family gatherings, birthdays, office parties, or any event where you want to bring people together and have a great time. Best of all, the materials needed are minimal, making these games accessible to anyone, anywhere.
So, the next time you’re planning an event, make sure to include some of these Minute to Win It games. Your guests will be talking about the fun for days to come!