Christmas Minute-To-Win-It Game Night

My Grandmother is one of ten kids and, of course, her family always wants to get everyone together for Christmas. For many years we got together on Christmas day. We met in family homes, but when they were outgrown we rented granges and church buildings. With kids, grandkids, and now even great-grandkids, we would sometimes have as many as 60 people together on Christmas day. Last year, we had our first Christmas party that was not on Christmas day. As each generation got married, more families were involved and it made it difficult for people to be available on Christmas day. 

Since it was our first year where we got together the Saturday after Christmas, I decided to make some Christmas Minute-to-Win-it games for the younger people to play. So I googled some games, adapted others, and created some of my own for the party. Since I am a planner and I was worried that things wouldn't go smoothly, I had my family practice one evening. They all agreed that we should do Minute-to-Win-it games more often. As my son later said, "If you are going to be competitive you just end up stressed, but if you just relax and don't worry about looking silly it's a lot of fun."

We had six games, so I made up a scoring system and a scorecard. I also made signs for each game so that people could do the games on their own or with a small group or family. That also helped get more people through the games more quickly than everyone doing each game together. I also made the rules different for younger kids to make the games less frustrating for them. Here are the games we used along with the rules, supplies, directions, and scoring.

Snowball Toss

Toss jumbo marshmallows into a bucket before time is up. Stand behind the appropriate line for your age.

Supplies: jumbo marshmallows and bucket or wreath

Goal: As many as you can in 30 seconds

O Christmas Tree

Stack the plastic cups into a Christmas tree (pyramid) 

Supplies: 21 plastic cups (green, if possible), stickers to decorate the cups as a Christmas tree

Goal: 21 for kids; 36 for adults in a minute

Snow Shovel

Using a plastic spoon in your mouth transfer white pom-poms from one bowl to another.

Supplies: plastic spoon, white pom-poms or cotton balls, 2 bowls 

Goal: Move all the pompoms in less than a minute

Candy Cane Hook ‘Em

Using one candy cane in your mouth (curved side out), hook candy canes from the pile and place them in a bowl.

Supplies: a pile of candy canes, bowl

Goal: all completed in a minute

Snowman Slide

With 10 plastic snowman cups stacked into a tower at the edge of the table, slide jingle bells across the table to knock down all of the cups in less than a minute.

Supplies: 10 plastic cups (clear or white decorated like snowmen), large jingle bells

Goal: 10 cups knocked off the table in a minute

Score: number of cups knocked off the table (if attempted, award 3 points minimum)

Cookies for Santa

Place a cookie on your forehead and move it to your mouth by using only your facial muscles. 

Supplies: cookies (enough for one for everyone)

Goal: 1 cookie in a minute

If you want to have your own game night, you can purchase the directions, game signs, and scorecards on Teachers Pay Teachers. If you use them, please comment below with your favorite game or what other game you could use.