Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games to Make This Thanksgiving Memorable
There’s no denying it. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that is equal parts cozy and chaotic. And honestly, that’s what makes it special. Before the meal is ready or after the turkey coma sets in, everyone’s just lounging around. This is the perfect time for some silly family fun with Minute to Win It games.
Minute to Win It games are super fun and goofy challenges that are great for all ages, including kids, teens, and parents, or even the “I’ll just watch” relatives who always end up joining anyway. They are all easy to organize, take minimal prep, and typically use things you already have at home. And they guarantee laughter that you’ll remember longer than that hearty pumpkin pie.
Here are the 13 most loved Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games to make your holiday extra memorable this year.
First Things First, What are Minute to Win It Games?
Minute to Win It Games are super simple, fast-paced games where each challenge only takes one minute to complete. Yes, just 60 seconds of fun and a competitive adrenaline rush.
And the best part? These games are typically very low-effort, low-prep, but high-fun. And they are awesome for all ages.
You can play one-on-one, in teams, or simply just take turns.
And besides, you don’t need to print anything fancy or buy super pricey supplies. I’ll bet you already have everything you need for these challenges at home.
What You’ll Need for Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
- A timer or stopwatch ( your phone works fine)
- Basic household supplies such as cups, spoons, straws, paper plates, etc. (this will vary depending on the challenge)
- Prizes ( you can get cheap dollar store prizes, or something simple like candy, or just bragging rights)
- Scoreboard ( optional, but a must-have for that competitive family)
How to Play these Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
Remember, Thanksgiving is all about spending some quality time together as a family. You can keep it super casual or get competitive.
Personally, I like keeping it fun with silly prizes for different attempts. From “most dramatic fail” to the “silliest attempt”
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13 Fun Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
Whether you are celebrating with immediate family, extended family, or even just your chosen friends ( giving Friendsgiving vibes), these games will be perfect.
1. Face the Pie
For this particular Thanksgiving Minute to Win It game, you only need whipped cream, pie tins, and gummy pumpkins or candy corn.
To play, simply put several gummy pumpkins in pie tins and cover them with whipped cream. Then, have the player/s put their hands behind their back. The players have 1 minute to fish out the candies using only their mouths.
This game is hilarious, a whipped cream mess that is completely unbeatable.
2. Feather Float
You’ll need a lightweight feather or just a piece of tissue paper for each player and a little bit of open space.
To play feather float, the player simply tosses their feather into the air. The goal? To keep it floating for 60 seconds using only your breath. Yes, no hands allowed.
It is a simple setup and guarantees laughs. Can you picture everyone in the family puffing and spinning around while the clock slowly counts down the seconds?
3. Pumpkin Stack Attack
This is a Thanksgiving variation of the Minute to Win It game “Stack Attack.” For this Thanksgiving-themed adaptation, you’ll need a handful of mini pumpkins or, better yet, plastic pumpkins from the dollar tree. If you can, try to find ones with flat tops for easier stacking. But any will make for a good challenge, really.
To play, each player has a minute to stack the mini pumpkins as high as possible before 60 seconds run out.
It sounds simple enough until those wobbly pumpkins start rolling around.
4. Corn on the Spoon to the Cup/Bowl
For this particular game, you need two cups or bowls per player, a spoon, and a handful of dried corn kernels, popcorn, or candy corn pieces.
To win this game, the player must transfer as many kernels as they can from one bowl to another using just a spoon in their mouth. Yes, your hands should stay behind your back. The person who transfers the most corn from the filled bowl to the empty one at the end of 60 seconds wins bragging rights.
5. Turkey Waddle
This is another hilarious Minute to Win It Thanksgiving game that’s sure to bring on the giggles.
To play, you need one balloon for each player and plenty of open space.
How to play: Simply place the balloon between your knees and waddle your way to the other end of the room without dropping or popping it. Yes, no hands allowed! You’ve got 60 seconds to make it as far as you can.
Bonus points if you make some hilarious gobbling sounds while you waddle across the room. After all, that’s what these Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games are all about.
6. Candy Corn Chopsticks Challenge
For this particular game, you’ll need a pair of chopsticks for each player, two small bowls, and a handful of candy corn pieces.
How to play: Simply fill one bowl with candy corn and leave the other empty. Then, using only the chopsticks, transfer as many pieces as possible in 60 seconds. Don’t use your hands to steady the bowl.
This is an awesome test of focus and fine motor skills because the candy corn is super slippery and tends to flip away at the last second.
7. Mashed Potato Scoop Off
You’ll need two bowls per player, a spoon, and some leftover mashed potatoes ( cold ones work the best)
To play, simply set one bowl full of mashed potatoes on one side of the table and an empty one on the other side. Players must then hold the spoon in their mouth and scoop as much mashed potato as they can from the full bowl to the empty bowl in 60 seconds. And yes, again, no hands allowed.
8. Cranberry Balance Beam
For this particular Minute to Win It game, you will need a handful of fresh cranberries and one popsicle stick per player.
To play, simply place the popsicle stick in your mouth and, using only your balance and steady nerves, try to stack as many cranberries on the end as you can in one minute. DON’T use your hands!
It is quite a fun game that makes for an exciting 60 seconds because the cranberries love to roll and tumble around. Whoever has the most cranberries on their popsicle stick in 60 seconds wins.
9. Stuff the Turkey Challenge
For this game, you’ll need brown paper lunch bags (your “turkeys”) and a bunch of small balloons ( your “stuffing”)
To play stuff the Turkey, simply hand each player a paper bag and a pile of balloons. When the time starts, everyone races to blow up and stuff as many balloons into their “turkey” as possible before the 60 seconds are up.
It is a simple yet chaotic game that will have everyone laughing after dinner.
10. Roll the Potato
For the Roll the Potato minute to win it Thanksgiving game, you’ll need one potato (or sweet potato) per player and a spoon (wooden or metal).
To play, start by marking a start and finish line across the room. Then give each player a spoon and a potato. Using only the spoon, players must roll their sweet potato all the way to the finish line before the minute’s up. You can make it challenging by having the players roll the potato to the finish line and then back to the starting line. This is particularly important if you are working with a relatively small space.
This game can be particularly hilarious if you have several players playing at the same time because the potatoes tend to roll in crazy directions.
11. Gravy Boat Balance
For this game, you’ll need one small plastic cup per player, fill the cup halfway with water ( aka your “gravy”), and plenty of space to walk.
To play, players have to balance their “gravy Boat” on top of their head and carefully walk across the room. If the cup spills, you have to start over.
The goal is to make it back and forth as many times as possible in 60 seconds without spilling your “gravy”.
It is a lot trickier than it looks, but that’s what makes it so fun and hilarious.
12. Turkey Cup Stack Off
For this game, you’ll need a stack of plastic cups ( brown, orange, or any other festive color) for each player and a flat surface to play on. You can make the cups more festive by drawing a turkey face on them.
When the timer starts, the players race to stack their cups into a tall tower, then quickly unstack them as many times as they can before the 60 seconds are up.
13. Gobble Charades
This is a Thanksgiving adaptation of Charades. To play, you’ll need a bowl filled with slips of paper listing Thanksgiving-themed words and phrases such as “pumpkin pie,” “parade,” or “burnt turkey.”
One player draws a slip from the bowl and acts it out for the group. As with charades, no talking is allowed. The group has one minute to guess as many as possible.
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BONUS Game: Thanksgiving Word Scramble
For this game, you’ll need premade cards ( or slips of paper) with scrambled Thanksgiving-themed words such as KUMPINP (pumpkin), RAVGY ( gravy), YKTUER( turkey), and maybe pens and pencils for each player.
To play, simply hand out a word scramble sheet or a stack of cards to each player. When the timer starts, everyone has one minute to unscramble as many words as possible before the time runs out. The person with the most cracks wins.
This is a quick and super competitive game that is great for those who’d rather use their brains in a high-paced environment.
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Final Thoughts
There you have it. 13 simple Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games that’ll make this Thanksgiving memorable with just the right amount of chaos.
Indeed, whether you’re cheering on a balloon stuffing champion or giggling so hard through a turkey waddle, these little one-minute moments are what make the day completely unforgettable.
Not to mention, they are all simple, silly, and perfect for all ages.
So, which of these Minute to Win It Games will your family and friends love the most? Please let me know in the comments.
From mine to yours, Happy Thanksgiving, Loves.
