19 one-minute party games

Cup pyramid up and down

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

Ten plastic cups per player

1. Start with all ten cups in one stack.
2. Build a pyramid with four cups on the bottom row, then three, two and one.
3. Take it back down into a single stack.
4. Both ways must be done before the minute ends. For a harder round, use 15 cups with a bottom row of five.

Card tower

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

10 and up

You need

A deck of playing cards per player

1. Lean two cards against each other to make a tent.
2. Build a row of tents and lay flat cards across the top to start the next level.
3. The tower must stand on its own when the minute ends.
4. Count the levels. The highest tower wins.

Dice on a stick

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

8 and up

You need

A clean craft stick and six dice per player

1. Each player holds a craft stick in their teeth.
2. Stack the dice one at a time on the end of the stick, using one hand.
3. All six must balance together for three seconds before time runs out.
4. Give every player a new stick.

Bounce into the cups

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

A table tennis ball and five plastic cups per player

1. Line up five cups about a foot apart along a table.
2. Bounce the ball once on the table so it lands in the first cup.
3. Move on to the next cup only after landing a ball in the one before.
4. Land a ball in all five cups before the minute is up to win.

Sock ball knock-down

Players

1 to 3 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

4 and up

You need

15 plastic cups and three rolled-up pairs of socks per player

1. Stack the cups into a pyramid on a table.
2. The player stands behind a line about eight feet away.
3. Throw the rolled socks to knock every cup off the table, fetching them to throw again.
4. Clear the table before the minute is up to win.

Pencil drop

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

A pencil and an empty bottle with a narrow neck per player

1. Stand the bottle on the floor.
2. Hold the pencil at nose height, straight above the bottle.
3. Drop it. It counts only if it goes into the bottle.
4. Pick it up and try again. Count the drops that go in during the minute.

Cookie face

Players

1 to 6 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

5 and up

You need

A cookie per player

1. Check for food allergies first, and use a cracker if needed.
2. Tip your head back and place a cookie on your forehead.
3. Using only your face, wiggle the cookie down to your mouth.
4. If it falls, start again from the forehead. The cookie must reach your mouth before time is up.

Tissue box shake

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

An empty tissue box, a belt or string, and six table tennis balls per player

1. Put six balls in the empty tissue box.
2. Tie it to the back of the player's waist with the opening facing out.
3. Without using hands, the player shakes, jumps and wiggles until the balls fall out.
4. Empty the box before the minute is up to win.

Straw transfer

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

5 and up

You need

A straw, a plate of 20 small paper squares and an empty bowl per player

1. Put the paper squares on a plate beside the empty bowl.
2. The player sucks through the straw to pick up one square at a time.
3. Move each square into the bowl without touching it.
4. Count the squares in the bowl when the minute ends.

Balloon blow-off

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

7 and up

You need

A balloon and ten plastic cups per player

1. Line the cups along a table.
2. Blow up the balloon and pinch the neck closed.
3. Point the neck at a cup and let the air out to push it off the table.
4. Blow the balloon up again as often as needed. Clear every cup within the minute.

Water cup hop

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

Six plastic cups half full of water and a table tennis ball per player, and a towel

1. Set the cups in a row, touching each other, with the ball floating in the first cup.
2. Blow the ball from cup to cup without touching it.
3. The ball must end in the last cup before time runs out.
4. Keep a towel nearby for the splashes.

Oven mitt unwrap

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

7 and up

You need

A pair of oven mitts, ten wrapped candies and a bowl per player

1. Put on the oven mitts.
2. Unwrap the candies one at a time and drop each one in the bowl.
3. Count the unwrapped candies when the minute ends.
4. Check for food allergies, or wrap small toy blocks in paper instead.

Sock match

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

4 and up

You need

Ten mixed-up pairs of socks per player

1. Dump the socks in a pile.
2. The player finds matching pairs and rolls each pair together.
3. Every pair must be matched before the minute ends.
4. For a harder round, include pairs that look almost the same.

Cereal box puzzle

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

The front of a cereal box cut into 12 to 20 pieces, per player

1. Cut the front of a cereal box into odd-shaped pieces.
2. Put the pieces face up in a pile.
3. The player puts the picture back together.
4. Finish the whole picture within the minute. Use more pieces for older players.

Balloon keep-up

Players

1 to 4 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

5 and up

You need

Three balloons per player

1. Throw all three balloons in the air.
2. Keep them from touching the floor for one minute, using only your hands.
3. If one lands, the round is over.
4. For younger children, use one or two balloons.

Bottle flip

Players

1 to 6 at a time

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

A plastic water bottle about one-third full, per player

1. Hold the bottle by its neck.
2. Flip it so it turns once in the air and lands standing up on a desk or the floor.
3. Count the upright landings in one minute.
4. For a harder round, the bottle must land on its cap.

Paper clip chain

Players

Any number at once

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

6 and up

You need

A pile of 50 paper clips per player

1. Place a pile of paper clips in front of each player.
2. Link them into one chain.
3. Hold the chain up when the minute ends. If it breaks, only the longest piece counts.
4. The longest chain wins.

Minute list

Players

Any number at once

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

7 and up

You need

Paper and a pencil for each student

1. Name a category, such as animals, words that rhyme with cat, or things in a kitchen.
2. Students write as many fitting answers as they can in one minute.
3. Read the lists aloud. Cross out any answer someone else also wrote.
4. The most answers left wins the round.

Scramble sprint

Players

Any number at once

Minutes

1 per round

Ages

8 and up

You need

A sheet of ten scrambled words for each student

1. Make a sheet of ten scrambled words from this week's spelling or topic list.
2. Hand the sheets out face down.
3. Students solve as many words as they can in one minute.
4. Go over the answers together. The most solved wins.

Without a printer: Write the scrambled words on the board and have students write their answers on any paper.

For this game: Word scramble generator with answer key