Fill those cold winter afternoons inside with some fun and engaging Winter Minute to Win It Games. Kids will love getting up and moving and these Minute to Win It Games definitely do just that! There are unlimited ways to play, and they’re so easy to set up! Your kids are going to love having something to do, and you’re going to love that you won’t be hearing, “Mom, I’m bored!”
My kids have loved adding Minute to Win It Games to our family game nights. We have loved Halloween Minute to Win It Games and Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games recently, so I knew we needed some Winter Minute to Win It Games for these long winter afternoons when all the kids are stuck inside.
Minute to Win It Games are a fun way to spend the time because they are easy to set up and so fun and engaging for your kids! They are going to love working together in teams, or playing every game themselves.
If you need other ideas for Winter activities and games, be sure to check out these Winter Jokes, Winter Scattergories or Winter Charades. Your kids will be busy in no time!
What are Winter Minute to Win It Games?
Winter Minute to Win It Games are fun and fast paced winter-themed games that can be done in 1 minute or less. They usually use just a few common household supplies, making them super easy for you!
You can play as individuals and keep scores for everyone, or as teams where players work together to earn points. No matter how you play, your family is going to have so much fun!
Why I Love Minute to Win It Games
There are so many reasons to love Minute to Win It Games!
- Rounds are super quick, less than 1 minute each!
- Spend time together a whole family, little kids all the way to adults.
- Teaches teamwork, and healthy competition.
- Most Minute to Win It Games involve fine motor or gross motor skills, so kids can practice those skills in a fun way!
- Most games are easy to set up with little cleanup!
How to Play Winter Minute to Win It Games
One of the best parts about these Winter Minute to Win It Games is that they are so easy to adapt. Your littlest kids all the way up to adults, are going to have fun with these games.
You can play individually, where everyone gets a turn at every game or you can play in teams, switching off who gets to play each game. Either one works!
All you have to do to get ready is choose which games you’d like to play. There are so many ideas for you to choose from! Gather your supplies, do your quick and easy set-up, and you’re ready for a fun game night with your entire family.
Full Supply List
These Winter Minute to Win It Games typically only need items you already have on hand. Here is a list of all the supplies for all the games listed below, to be sure you have everything you need!
- Candy Canes (not mini)
- Bowl
- Plastic Spoons
- Marshmallows
- Mini Marshmallows
- 10 Plastic Cups
- 3 Paper Plates
- Cotton Balls
- Straws
- Ball
- Cardstock
- Cup
- Empty Tissue Box
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Toilet Paper
- Hat
- Scarf
- Jingle Bells
- Chopsticks (or tweezers)
- Ice Cubes
- Tray/Cookie Sheet
- Ping Pong Balls
- Double Stick Tape
- Masking Tape
Winter Minute to Win It Games
Pass the Candy Cane
You will need the following:
- Large candy canes
How to Play Pass the Candy Cane:
- Split into 2 teams. It would be fun to have older siblings team up with younger siblings, or boys versus girls. Stand in a line.
- Every player puts one candy cane in their mouth.
- The first player picks up another candy cane only using the candy cane in their mouth. Then, they pass that candy cane to the person next to them, again only using the candy cane in their mouth.
- Players pass the candy cane down the line until it reaches the last person.
- If you are playing in teams, then that team gets a point. If you are playing individuals, then every individual on the winning team gets a point.
Winter Charades
You will need the following:
- Charades Cards
- Bowl
How to Play Winter Charades:
- Split into teams. You can do two teams, or teams of two. Doing teams of two will take more rounds than two teams.
- Download and cut the charades cards, and put them in a bowl.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Teams take turns playing a speed round of charades. Teams have 1 minute to guess as many charades prompts as they can. If they guess one, go on to another.
- At the end of the minute, however many prompts they guessed correctly is how many points they get.
Snowball Fight
You will need the following:
- Plastic Spoon for each team
- Mini marshmallows
How to Play Snowball Fight:
- Split into teams of two and set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players sit across from each other at the table. One player uses the plastic spoon as a catapult to fling the mini marshmallow into the mouth of their partner.
- The team with the most marshmallows making it into their partner’s mouth gets a point.
Snowman Stack It
You will need the following:
- 9 plastic cups, decorated like snowmen with googly eyes and a carrot nose
- 3 paper plates big enough to fit 2 cups on
How to play Snowman Stack It:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players race to put one cup on the table, then a paper plate. Then they put 2 cups side by side on the paper plate. They do this again, and again, until there is 1 cup with a paper plate with 2 cups, 3 times, for a total of 9 cups.
- Players who stack all their cups and plates before the minute is up get a point!
Race of the Snowballs
You will need the following:
- Cotton Balls
- Straw
How to Play Race of the Snowballs:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Put the cotton ball at one end of the table. Players try to get their cotton ball from one end of the table to the other by blowing through their straw.
- If the cotton ball falls off, they can start over at the beginning.
- Anyone who gets their cotton ball to the other side of the table in 1 minute gets a point.
Snowman Bowling
You will need the following:
- Ball
- 10 White Plastic cups, decorated to look like snowmen (add googly eyes and a carrot nose)
How to Play Snowman Bowling:
- Split into teams and set a timer for 1 minute.
- Stack the plastic cups in a pyramid, with 4 on the bottom, 3 stacked on those, 2 on those and 1 at the top.
- Teams take turns knocking down the Snowmen Cups. When all the cups have been knocked down, teams race to stack the cups back up, and the next team member begins knocking them down.
- Teams continue for 1 minute, and the team who has knocked down all the cups the most times in 1 minute gets a point!
Don’t Knock Over the Snowman
You will need the following:
- 3 plastic cups decorated as Snowmen
- 2 pieces of cardstock
How to play Don’t Knock Over the Snowman:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Stack the cups and cardstock so they are a tower with an upside down cup on the bottom, then a piece of cardstock, then a cup, then cardstock, then a cup, with all the cups upside down.
- Players yank the top piece of cardstock out. If they do this quick enough, the cup above the cardstock should just fall onto the one below it, not knocking the tower over. They will do the same with the second piece of cardstock.
- Anyone who successfully gets all their cups in a stack at the bottom gets a point!
Pass the Snowball
You will need the following:
- Cotton Balls (or marshmallows for an easier game)
- Cup
How to Play Pass the Snowball:
- Separate into groups of 2.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players stand 6 feet from each other. One holds the cup and the other has the cotton balls. The player with the cotton balls tries to throw as many cotton balls as they can into the cup before the minute is up.
- The team with the most cotton balls in their cup at the end of the minute wins. Each player gets a point, if they are playing as individuals.
Shake the Snowballs
You will need the following:
- Cotton Balls (or jingle bells, marshmallows. Whatever you have on hand works!)
- Empty Tissue Box with string or yarn attached to it to securely tie it around your waist
How to play Shake the Snowballs:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Fill the empty tissue box with cotton balls and securely attach it around the player’s waist.
- Players spend 1 minute trying to shake the cotton balls out of the box, without using their hands.
- Players who empty their tissue box in 1 minute get a point!
Gingerbread Face
You will need the following:
- Small gingerbread cookie
How to Gingerbread Face:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Everyone places their cookie on their forehead.
- Players have 1 minute to move their cookie from their forehead to their mouth without using their hands or arms.
- Anyone who gets their cookie to their mouth before the minute is up gets a point (plus a yummy treat!).
Build a Snowman
You will need the following:
- Roll of Toilet Paper for each team
- Hat
- Scarf
How to Play Build a Snowman:
- Split into groups of 2.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- One player stands still and the other player tries to turn their partner into a snowman. They wrap them in toilet paper from head to toe, add a hat and a scarf.
- Each group who has a completed snowman by the end of the 1 minute gets a point!
Jingle Bell Race
You will need the following:
- Jingle bell for each player (larger bells work best)
- Spoon for each player
How to Play Jingle Bell Race:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players start at one end of the room. They place their spoon in their mouth and balance their jingle bell on the spoon.
- Players race to get to the finish line (make a shorter course for younger kids and a longer course for more of a challenge).
- If a player drops their bell, they can pick it up and start again at the beginning.
- Anyone who crosses the finish line with their jingle bell on their spoon gets a point!
Pick Up the Snowball
You will need the following:
- Mini Marshmallows
- Chopsticks (or tongs for an easier game)
- 2 plates
How to play Pick Up the Snowball:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Put 10 mini marshmallows on one plate.
- Players will use their chopsticks to pick up one mini marshmallow at a time and move them to the other plate. For the simplest game, put the plates next to each other. For a more challenging version, put the plates across the room from each other.
- Any player who gets all 10 of their mini marshmallows from one plate to the other gets a point!
Winter Scattergories
You will need the following:
How to Play Winter Scattergories:
- Play in teams or as individuals.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Choose a letter from the letter cards and a category card.
- Players have 1 minute to write down as many words from these categories as they can.
- Players get 1 point for each word they successfully connect with their letter.
Stack the Ice
You will need the following:
- 5 ice cubes per player
- Tray or cookie sheet to play on
How to play Stack the Ice:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players try to stack as many cubes of ice as they can in one minute. If they fall, they can start over and try again.
- Ice cubes must stay for at least 3 seconds to count!
- Players who stack all 5 in 1 minute get a point!
Snowball Basketball
You will need the following:
- Bucket or bowl
- Marshmallows
How to play Snowball Basketball:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Each player gets 10 marshmallows.
- Players stand 6 feet from the bucket and try to throw their marshmallow snowballs into the bucket. You can play one person throwing at a time, or multiple for a more fun and chaotic game.
- Any player who gets all 10 of their marshmallows into the bucket gets a point!
Ice Rescue
You will need the following:
- Small toys frozen in ice
How to play Ice Rescue:
- This game requires a bit more preparation, but it’s a hit in our house! Prep by freezing your toy in a cup of water. Put water in a cup up halfway, then freeze. Then put your toy and more water to the top, then freeze again.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players have 1 minute to free their toy from the ice cube using any method they’d like, except using hot water!
- Players who get their toy out of the ice in 1 minute get a point.
Snowball Relay Race
You will need the following:
- Bowls of Cotton Balls
- Empty bowls
- Spoons (can be smaller for more of a challenge or large for an easier game)
How to play Snowball Relay Race:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Place the bowls of cotton balls on one side of the room, and the empty bowls on the other. You can set up obstacles like pillows or chairs to make the game even more challenging!
- Teams race to get their cotton balls from one bowl to the next. Members of teams take turns filling their spoon and running them halfway, then transferring them to their partner’s spoon. That player then races to the other bowl to put them in the empty bowl.
- Whichever team has the most cotton balls in their empty bowl at the end of the minute gets a point!
Suck Up the Snowball
You will need the following:
- Straws for each team/individual
- Marshmallows
- Pie tin or plate
How to play Suck Up the Snowball:
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Each player tries to suck up a marshmallow with their straw and move it to the plate or pie tin.
- For an added challenge, place the plate or pie tin on a separate table.
- The player with the most marshmallow on their plate or pie tin wins!
Snowball Shake
You will need the following:
- 15 mini marshmallows
- 5 Plastic cups
- Cardstock
- Tape or glue
How to play Snowball Shake:
- Before you play, prep your cups by putting 1 mini marshmallow in one cup, 2 in another, 3 in another, 4 in another and 5 in another. Cover the opening with cardstock and tape/glue, remembering how many marshmallows each cup. I labeled mine with letters and knew how many each had.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players take turns shaking the cups to try to determine how many mini marshmallows are in each. They will order them by how many mini marshmallows they think each has.
- If the player guesses all 5 correctly, they get a point!
Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
You will need the following:
- Ping pong balls (3 for each player)
- Double stick tape
- Poster Board (optional)
How to Play Do You Want to Build a Snowman?:
- Prep before the game by sticking the double stick tape to the end of a table. You can do this on posterboard if you’re worried about getting the tape off your table.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Teams take turns trying to make a snowman on the double stick tape. To do this, put your ping pong balls on the table and then blow them onto the double stick tape, trying to get the ping pong balls right next to each other.
- Anyone who gets all 3 next to each other gets a point!
Snow Shovel Race
You will need the following:
- Cotton balls
- Spoon for each player
- Empty bowl
How to Play Snow Shovel Race:
- Set a timer for 1 minute. Place an equal amount of cotton balls on the table near the empty bowl.
- Players race to scoop their cotton balls with only their spoon and place it into the empty bowl. Players cannot use their fingers, hands or anything beside their spoon to get their cotton balls into the bowl.
- Anyone who gets all their cotton balls in the bowl by the end of 1 minute gets a point!
Snowball Roll
You will need the following:
- Plastic cups
- Ping pong balls
- Painters or Masking Tape
How to Play Snowball Roll:
- To prepare, tape the cups to the end of your table, so that when you roll a ball, it can fall off the table into a cup.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players roll their ping pong balls from one end of the table to the other, and try to get them into the cups taped at the end of the table.
- Players get 1 point for every ping pong ball they get in a cup in 1 minute.
Do you have even more fun Winter minute to win it games that you have played that you love? Share them in the comments so we can add them to the list!
Check out all our Minute to Win it Games!
Michele Tripple is a renowned author and expert in the fields of parenting, relationships, and personal development. With her degree in marriage and family studies, her experience as a Family Life Educator, and over a decade of experience as a professional writer, Michele has authored books that provide practical advice and insights into improving family dynamics and personal growth. Her work is celebrated for its blend of research-driven information and relatable, real-world applications. Michele has been a keynote speaker at conferences and has contributed to numerous publications and media outlets, solidifying her reputation as an authoritative voice in her field and helping families build relationships.