20 Christmas Minute to Win It Games With Cheap Supplies

How to play

1. Set up the supplies for one game.
2. Read the rule out loud and show how it’s done.
3. Start a 60-second timer. Players race to finish or score as much as possible.
4. Write the result on a score sheet and move to the next game.

Any phone timer works. For a big group, run two players head to head so everyone watches.

Christmas Minute to Win It games for adults

1. Stack the tree. Supplies: 15 green plastic cups. Stack them into a pyramid tree, then back down.
2. Candy cane lift. Supplies: candy canes. Hold one in your mouth and hook as many others as you can.
3. Wrap it up. Supplies: a shoebox, paper, tape. Wrap the box neatly in a minute, judged by the group.
4. Ornament dash. Supplies: a candy cane and 6 ornaments. Move ornaments to a branch using only the cane.
5. Jingle in the trunk. Supplies: an empty tissue box with bells, a belt. Shake out every bell without hands.
6. Ugly sweater relay. Supplies: one huge sweater. Teams pass it on and off down the line before time runs out.

Christmas Minute to Win It games for kids

1. Snowball toss. Supplies: cotton balls, a bowl, a spoon. Flip cotton balls into the bowl with the spoon.
2. Reindeer antlers. Supplies: a paper headband, balloons. Catch thrown balloons on the antler band.
3. Cookie face. Supplies: a cookie per player. Move it from forehead to mouth with no hands.
4. Candy cane hook. Supplies: candy canes, a mug. Hook canes with one cane and drop them in the mug.
5. Penguin waddle. Supplies: a ball. Hold it between your knees and waddle to the line and back.

Christmas Minute to Win It games for families

1. Santa’s beard. Supplies: petroleum jelly, cotton balls. Get as many cotton balls on your chin as you can.
2. Elf on the floor. Supplies: a small toy, cups. Hide the toy under one of 5 cups and shuffle; guess fast.
3. Gift tower. Supplies: small wrapped boxes. Stack them as high as you can using one hand.
4. Bow catcher. Supplies: gift bows. Toss bows to your partner who catches them in a hat.

Christmas Minute to Win It games for big groups and classrooms

1. Snowman build. Supplies: toilet roll. Teams wrap one player as a snowman before time runs out.
2. Pass the present. Supplies: a gift and a song. Pass it with no hands, using only elbows.
3. Jingle bell relay. Supplies: a spoon, bells. Carry bells on a spoon across the room and back.
4. Christmas tree toss. Supplies: a cardboard tree, rings. Toss rings onto the tree from a line.
5. Present count. Supplies: a pile of wrapped boxes. Teams guess how many are in a covered pile, then race to count.

Supplies list for the whole night

• A pack of 50 plastic cups (red and green if you can find them)
• Two boxes of candy canes
• Cotton balls and plastic spoons
• Wrapping paper, tape and gift bows
• Shatterproof ornaments and a few jingle bells
• Balloons, a ball, and a timer (any phone works)

Tips for a great Minute to Win It night

• Test every game once before guests arrive. Some are harder than they look.
• Keep a pile of cheap prizes: chocolate coins, stickers, or the right to pick the next game.
• Mix one silly game between two competitive ones so nobody sits out for long.
• For mixed ages, let kids play with 90 seconds instead of 60.

More Christmas games

Between rounds, try the Christmas wheel to pick the next activity, our Christmas Family Feud questions, or Christmas bingo cards. For the full list, see Christmas party games.