24 Christmas minute to win it games for work
Christmas minute to win it games are 60-second holiday challenges, like tying a bow in mittens or stacking ornaments between cups, played with a few dollars of supplies. Here are 24 for the office party or a video call, with scoring and a big timer to share.
Each game gives one player 60 seconds to do something small and festive while the room counts down. Teams send a different player to each game, the best count or fastest time scores, and six games fill a 45-minute party. Every game below has its rule in one line and its supplies, and the ones marked works on video can be played at a desk at home.
24 Christmas minute to win it games
Grouped by type, so you can mix one of each. Test every game once yourself: if you can't finish it in 60 seconds at least sometimes, nobody will. Want three challenges run for you with music and medals? A host runs a virtual office olympics in about an hour.
Mitten games
One pair of thick winter mittens turns simple jobs into the funniest minute of the party.
1. Mitten bow tie
Wearing mittens, tie a ribbon bow around a small box, untie it and tie it again. Most finished bows wins.
You need: Thick mittens, a small box, a 2-foot ribbon · works on video
2. Mitten stocking stuffer
Pick up wrapped candies one at a time in mittens and drop them into a stocking hung on a chair. Most inside wins.
You need: Mittens, a stocking, a bag of wrapped candies · works on video
3. Mitten text message
Type "Happy holidays from the whole team" on your phone in mittens and hold it up. Fastest exact message wins.
You need: Mittens and a phone · works on video
5. Mitten ornament hang
Hang shatterproof ornaments one by one on a small tabletop tree or a branch in a jar. Most still hanging at the buzzer wins.
You need: Mittens, a small tree or branch, 10 ornaments with hooks
Stacking games
Quiet, tense and great to watch on a big screen. Every tower has to stand for 3 seconds at the buzzer.
6. Bauble tower
Build one tower that alternates an upside-down cup and a shatterproof ornament, cup, ornament. Tallest standing tower wins.
You need: 10 plastic cups, 10 shatterproof ornaments
7. Gift box tower
Stack eight wrapped empty boxes of different sizes into one tower using only one hand. Fastest standing tower wins.
You need: 8 small wrapped empty boxes · works on video
8. Candy cane tripod
Lean three wrapped candy canes together so they stand on their own, then build the next one. Most standing tripods wins.
You need: A box of wrapped candy canes · works on video
9. Gingerbread stack
Stack gingerbread cookies flat, one on top of the other, with one hand. Tallest stack still standing wins.
You need: A box of flat gingerbread cookies · works on video
Tossing games
Loud and easy to score: count what lands. Put a tape line on the floor so every player throws from the same spot.
10. Reindeer ring toss
A teammate wears an antler headband; toss rings from the line onto the antlers. Most ringers in 60 seconds wins.
You need: An antler headband, 6 rings made from pipe cleaners
11. Stocking shot
Toss wrapped candies from the line into a stocking hung on a chair back about 6 feet away. Most in the stocking wins.
You need: A stocking, a chair, a bag of wrapped candies · works on video
12. Snowman bowling
Roll an orange at 10 paper towel tubes decorated as snowmen, reset and roll again. Most snowmen knocked down wins.
You need: 10 cardboard tubes, a marker, an orange
13. Snowflake drop
Drop paper snowflakes from shoulder height onto a paper plate on the floor, one at a time. Most landings on the plate wins.
You need: 10 paper snowflakes, a paper plate · works on video
Steady-hand games
Small moves under pressure. Good picks for anyone who would rather stay seated.
14. Blindfold snowball scoop
Blindfolded, scoop cotton ball snowballs with a spoon from one bowl into another. Most snowballs moved wins.
You need: A blindfold, a spoon, 2 bowls, a bag of cotton balls · works on video
15. Light untangler
Untangle a knotted strand of unplugged string lights until it lies in one straight line. Fastest time wins.
You need: One strand of string lights per player, knotted the same way
16. Popcorn garland
Thread popped popcorn onto dental floss with a blunt plastic needle. Longest garland at the buzzer wins.
You need: A bowl of popcorn, floss, a blunt plastic needle · works on video
17. Silent night
Carry a jingle bell on a spoon to the far wall and back without one jingle. The room listens; most silent laps wins.
You need: A jingle bell and a spoon
18. Hook the baubles
Thread a wire hook through the loop of each ornament using only one hand. Most hooked ornaments wins.
You need: 10 ornaments and 10 ornament hooks · works on video
Games for a video call
Things everyone already has at home, scored to the camera. They work in the office too. With 40 or more people on the call, a host-run virtual holiday party keeps everyone playing instead of watching.
19. Bundle up
Put on a hat, a scarf, mittens and a zipped coat, then take it all off again. Fastest full cycle wins.
You need: Your own winter hat, scarf, mittens and coat · works on video
20. Red and green dash
Bring back as many red or green things as you can carry and line them up on camera. Most items wins.
You need: Nothing but a room to search · works on video
21. Carol title sprint
Write down as many Christmas and winter song titles as you can, then read them out. Most real titles wins.
You need: Paper and a pen · works on video
22. Ugly sweater sketch
Draw the loudest holiday sweater you can imagine and hold it up to the camera. The room votes for the winner.
You need: Paper and markers · works on video
24. Wish list unscramble
Unscramble ten gift words shown on screen (like SEMTITN for MITTENS) on paper. Most correct words wins.
You need: Paper, a pen and the host's screen · works on video
Wish list unscramble: 10 words and answers
- 1. SEMTITN = mittens
- 2. FASCR = scarf
- 3. ZELPUZ = puzzle
- 4. DLECAN = candle
- 5. PLIPRESS = slippers
- 6. TABLKEN = blanket
- 7. POTATE = teapot
- 8. TWEARSE = sweater
- 9. NEBIAE = beanie
- 10. VOGLES = gloves
