Minute to Win it

Feeling & Expressing
Feeling & Expressing
Friends & Mentors
Friends & Mentors
Involved & Inclusive
Involved & Inclusive
Thinking & Engaging
Thinking & Engaging
Healthy & Active
Healthy & Active
Offline & Connected
Offline & Connected
Art
Art
Music
Music
Theatre
Theatre
Water
Water
Food
Food
Nature
Nature
Numeracy
Numeracy
STEM
STEM
Literacy
Literacy

Participants will work on a variety of fundamental skills as they engage in the many quick games in this activity.

Materials

  • Equipment depends on the games that are set out for the participants. Could have different equipment set out and participants create different minute to win it activities as a group. Example of equipment for the example of games listed in the step by step section:
  • Stopwatches
  • Beanbags
  • Pylons
  • Breakfast cereal boxes/scissors
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Dice
  • Decks of cards
  • Clothes
  • Pins
  • Jars
  • Ping pong balls
  • Plastic cups

Framing

Set out different stations for the different games and have the equipment prepared for the stations. Example of games are listed in the step by step section. Or set out different equipment and participants create their own games. Could divide the participants into pairs or groups of 3 for the games.

Instructions

  1. Participants will individually, or with their group, play each game, and try to finish it before a minute is up! Participants could create their own minute to win it games and have other participants play their game(s).
  2. If participants/groups finish the game before a minute is up, they get 2 points. Participants/groups get 1 point for participating in each game.

    - Additional rule: If participants finish the game with more than 15 seconds left, they get 3 points.

  3. Scrambled Breakfast
    - Leaders will take a breakfast cereal box and cut the front into 16 equal pieces.
    - They will scramble the pieces and place them face down.
    - Participants have to put the pieces together to create the cereal box cover in less than a minute to win it!

  4. Balancing Bean Heads
    - Participants have to stack 4 bean bags on their head.
    - Then they have to walk to a pylon that is 5 feet in front of them and back to the stating pylon.
    - If a bean bag drops at any time, they can bend down and pick it up, and place it back on their head.
    - If participants get back to the start with all the beanbags on their head within a minute, they win it!

  5. Dicey Popsicle Sticks
    - Participants will hold one end of a popsicle stick in their mouth.
    - They will take dice and one by one stack them on the other end of the popsicle stick.
    - Participants have to try to stack 5 dice on the end within the minute, to win it!

  6. Suit Up!
    - Participants get a shuffled deck of cards.
    - Participants have to separate the deck into the 4 suits.
    - To make it more difficult, participants have to put 1 or 2 of those suits in order from ace to king.
    - If they separate (and order) them within a minute, they win it!

  7. In the Hole!
    - On a table, tape a plastic cup on it’s side and with the opening facing the participants.
    - Participants have to blow a ping pong ball on the table so it goes into the cup.
    - Participants could use a straw to blow the ping pong ball.
    - If they get the ball into the cup within a minute, they win it!

  8. Clothespin in a Jar
    - Place a jar on the ground with a medium sized opening.
    - Participants stand above the jar and hold a clothes pin to their nose. They drop the clothespin from their nose trying to get it to go into the jar.
    - Participants have to get 8-10 (up to the leaders) clothespins in the jar within a minute, to win it!

  9. Pyramid of Cups
    - Participants have to create a pyramid of plastic cups.
    - They can start with 6 cups on the bottom, then 5 on the next row and so on, ending with one at the top.
    - If they create their pyramid of cups within a minute, they win it!

Modify

  • Create any game, using any equipment, and any creative idea! For certain activities, could make it “Two Minutes to Win It” or another time limit.

Safety

  • Ensure that all safety hazards are removed from the whole activity area. Ensure all games selected are safe.

Wrap-up

Even though there is a winner group at the end, they aren’t really getting anything special over the other participants; everyone ends up benefitting from the win. However, there is a possibility that the non-winning groups may feel a little duped in not getting to choose the next group meal, despite having worked hard. Take the opportunity to allow the non-winning groups to suggest meal options to the winning group and encourage the winning group to listen and seriously consider those suggestions.



Adapted from: