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Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games are 60-second challenges built from things you already have in the kitchen. They fill the gap between the parade and dinner, give the kids a break from the table and get the grown-ups laughing. Below are 12 games with what you need and exactly how to play, plus tips for running a full tournament.
Best ready-made minute game: TENZI
TENZI is a dice race that takes seconds to explain and less than a minute to play. A box has 40 dice in four colors, so four people can race at once. It costs about $22.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $22) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games at a glance
| # | Game | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tenzi Dice Dash | 10 dice per player (a TENZI set has 40) |
| 2 | Cranberry Chopsticks | Two bowls, a cup of fresh cranberries, chopsticks |
| 3 | Candy Corn Straw Shuffle | A drinking straw, a plate of candy corn, an empty plate |
| 4 | Feather in the Air | One craft feather per player |
| 5 | Gourd Bowling | A small round gourd or mini pumpkin, 6 empty plastic bottles |
| 6 | Pilgrim Hat Stack | 36 plastic cups |
| 7 | Cookie Face | One sandwich cookie per player |
| 8 | Napkin Pull | A box of tissues or a stack of paper napkins |
| 9 | Turkey Bounce | Ping-pong balls, 3 plastic cups in a row |
| 10 | Block Tower | A Jenga set |
| 11 | Pass the Potato | One potato per team |
| 12 | Marshmallow Toss | Mini marshmallows, a paper cup, a partner |
How to play each game
1. Tenzi Dice Dash
You need: 10 dice per player (a TENZI set has 40).
Roll all 10 dice, keep any that match, and reroll the rest until all 10 show the same number. Shout “Tenzi!” to win the round. Most players finish in under a minute.
2. Cranberry Chopsticks
You need: Two bowls, a cup of fresh cranberries, chopsticks.
Move as many cranberries as you can from one bowl to the other using only chopsticks. Count at the buzzer. For kids, allow a spoon instead.
3. Candy Corn Straw Shuffle
You need: A drinking straw, a plate of candy corn, an empty plate.
Suck through the straw to pick up one candy corn at a time and drop it on the empty plate. Hands stay behind your back. Most pieces in 60 seconds wins.
4. Feather in the Air
You need: One craft feather per player.
Toss the feather up and keep it floating by blowing on it. If it touches anything, you are out. Last player floating, or anyone who lasts the full minute, wins.
5. Gourd Bowling
You need: A small round gourd or mini pumpkin, 6 empty plastic bottles.
Set the bottles up like bowling pins at the end of a hallway. Roll the gourd to knock down all six in under a minute. Reset the pins after each roll.
6. Pilgrim Hat Stack
You need: 36 plastic cups.
Build a pyramid of cups (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) and then stack it back into a single column before time runs out.
7. Cookie Face
You need: One sandwich cookie per player.
Place a cookie on your forehead. Using only your face muscles, wiggle it down to your mouth. No hands. Drop it and you start again with a new cookie.
8. Napkin Pull
You need: A box of tissues or a stack of paper napkins.
Pull tissues out of the box one at a time with one hand. Empty the box in under a minute to win.
9. Turkey Bounce
You need: Ping-pong balls, 3 plastic cups in a row.
Bounce a ball off the table into the first cup, then the second, then the third. Land all three in a minute to win.
10. Block Tower
You need: A Jenga set.
Stand blocks on their ends, one on top of another, in a single column. The tallest tower at the buzzer wins. If it falls, keep building.
11. Pass the Potato
You need: One potato per team.
Teams stand in a line and pass the potato down and back using only their elbows and knees. Drop it and the team starts over.
12. Marshmallow Toss
You need: Mini marshmallows, a paper cup, a partner.
One player tosses marshmallows from three steps away while the partner catches them in a cup. Most marshmallows caught in a minute wins.
How to run a Thanksgiving Minute to Win It tournament
- Pick five or six games and set up a station for each before guests arrive.
- Split into teams by family branch, kids against adults, or random draw.
- Use a phone timer set to 60 seconds. Have one person read the rules out loud before each game.
- Give 3 points for a win, 1 point for finishing the challenge, and 0 otherwise.
- Crown the winner before dessert. The winners get the first slice of pie.
Tips for all ages
- Give younger kids a head start: let them start 15 seconds early or set an easier target.
- Keep food games clean: use fresh supplies for each player, and skip candy games if guests have allergies.
- Clear space for active games: gourd bowling and potato passing need a hallway or open floor.
- Film the finals: a slow-motion replay of cookie face is a guaranteed laugh.
For the block tower game, a Jenga set doubles as an after-dinner game. It costs about $15. For more ideas, see our best Thanksgiving party games, games for the Thanksgiving kids’ table and Christmas Minute to Win It games.
Thanksgiving Minute to Win It FAQ
What are good Minute to Win It games for Thanksgiving?
Cranberry chopsticks, candy corn straw shuffle, cookie face, gourd bowling and a TENZI dice race all work well and use things you already have.
How many games should we play?
Five or six games make a 30- to 45-minute tournament, which fits nicely between the parade and dinner.
Are these games good for kids and adults together?
Yes. Give younger players a head start or an easier target, and they can compete with adults.
What supplies do I need?
Plastic cups, a bag of candy corn, cranberries, a tissue box, ping-pong balls, cookies and a timer cover most of the list.
