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Crafts and Activities

The Best Minute to Win It Thanksgiving Games

By Sharla Kostelyk

We are big fans of Minute to Win it games at our house. Another holiday or party means we have another excuse to play! So we came up with some awesome Minute to Win It Thanksgiving games to help us celebrate and create family memories.

Some of these games are hilarious. My kids thought the Pumpkin Pie Game was pretty awesome because they got their fill of whipping cream and candy.

girl in brown sweater with white whipping cream on her face in front of pie plate and candy pumpkins. Text reads "Minute to Win It Thanksgiving Games"The games can be played a couple of different ways. You can create teams and have a member from each team go head to head against each other or you can play as individuals in a “beat the clock” type of fashion.

These fun family games for kids and adults are such a great way to celebrate the holidays. Kids of all ages and grown ups from parents to grandparents can participate. If you’re inviting friends to your Thanksgiving get together, these challenges also make great ice breakers. If you’re looking for more ideas, you can also adapt some of our Minute to Win It Christmas game ideas to give them a Thanksgiving theme.

Minute to Win It Thanksgiving Games:

To create your own Minute to Win It Thanksgiving themed challenge, you can pick and choose from the games below or do all of them. I’ve listed the full list of supplies as well as listing the supplies needed for each game so that it makes it easier for you to plan your own party.

You’ll notice that the materials needed are inexpensive or things that you already have around the house. I was able to get all of the supplies for ours at the dollar store.

Supplies needed:

  • pie plates
  • candy pumpkins
  • whipped cream
  • pumpkin seeds
  • straws
  • paper plates
  • turkey baster
  • balloons
  • feathers
  • spoons
  • optional: candy corn

Pumpkin Pie

Supplies needed:

  • pie plates
  • candy pumpkins
  • whipping cream

The object of this game is to retrieve all the pumpkins out of your pie. To set up, place candy pumpkins on the bottom of each pie plate. Cover with whipping cream. Each player sits with their hands behind their backs and has to find the pumpkins and move them out of the pie using only their mouth.

Turkeys of a Feather

Supplies needed:

  • feathers*

Turkeys of a Feather Minute to Win It gameIn this game, players need to attempt to keep their feather in the air for a full minute by blowing it up. It’s harder than it sounds. If a player’s feather touches the ground or a surface, they are out of the game.

This is a good one to play in a large group because you can have many people playing at one time.

*We tried to play this game with Thanksgiving coloured craft feathers, but they were too heavy for it to work properly, so I suggest using the lighter wispy feathers.

Pumpkin Seed Suck It Up

Supplies needed:

  • pumpkin seeds
  • straws
  • paper plates

To set this game up, pour some pumpkin seeds onto a paper plate for each player. Set that down next to an empty plate. To play, each person puts a straw in their mouth and attempts to transfer all the pumpkin seeds to the empty plate in less than one minute. If you’re playing head to head, then then the person who transfers all of their pumpkin seeds the fastest is the winner.

Pumpkin (or Candy Corn) Relay

Supplies needed:

  • spoons (one for each person participating)
  • candy pumpkins or candy corn

Place one candy pumpkin (or candy corn) on a spoon. Have players race holding onto their spoon with one hand (you can allow younger kids to use both hands). If their candy drops off, they are eliminated or have to start back at the beginning.

The rest of our candy pumpkins got eaten by one of our kids before this race (just being real!), so we used glittered pine cones which were the most Thanksgiving themed item I could think of on the spot!

To make this game more challenging for adults, you can create a bit of an obstacle course. Or you can race in teams, handing off the spoon and candy to the next person in line. This is my favourite version of the game. It creates a fun atmosphere with team members cheering each other on.

Turkey Basting

Supplies needed:

  • turkey basters
  • balloons

Give each person a turkey baster and balloon. The goal of this Minute to Win It challenge is to get the balloon across the table lengthwise using only the air from the turkey baster. You are not allowed to touch the balloon with the turkey baster. This can be played to beat the one minute timer or played head to head with the winner earning one point for their team.

If you don’t have a long table, you can mark a start and finish line on the floor using masking tape and try to get the balloon across the finishing line along the floor.

Looking for more ideas for family fun or resources to help you connect with your child? Join our free 5 Days to Better Family Connection email series.

You may also want to check out some of our other Minute to Win It Games:

Minute to Win It Christmas Edition

Minute to Win It Family Fun Night

Dollar Store Minute to Win ItDollar Store Minute to Win It party

Minute to Win It Camping Games

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities, Family Games

Spider Emotions Matching Game

By Sharla Kostelyk

I truly believe that children learn best through play. Learning about emotions can be especially difficult for kids, so I find it best to take the scariness out of it by making it as easy and light as possible. That’s why I’ve created games and activities to help kids learn these concepts like this Spider Emotions Matching Game.

cards laid out on the floor and two cards held by a small hand. The text reads "Spider Emotions Matching Game"Just like in some of the other emotions learning activities I’ve created to help kids such as our Feelings Jenga, Pirate Emotions Playdough Mats, Unicorn Emotions Kit, this was designed with the same purpose in mind.

Spider Emotions Matching Game:

Materials needed: 

  • scissors
  • printed spider emotions pages (download them here)

Instructions:

  1. Print off the pages and cut them into cards.
  2. Set the cards out on a flat surface face down.
  3. Each player takes a turn flipping over two cards. If the description card matches the emotion card, the player keeps both cards. If not, they place them down in the same place face down again.
  4. The player who matches the most pairs wins.

For younger kids or kids who struggle more with identifying emotions, you can keep all the cards face up. It then becomes all about matching without the memory portion of the game being involved.  The game requires kids to predict what a certain circumstance or action would cause a spider to feel, so it’s best used to reinforce the concepts in children who already have an emotional vocabulary. These spiders are adorable. This is a cute activity for Hallowe’en at home or in a classroom. It’s a nice one to have set out in a quiet corner for kids who need a calm down area or for students who have completed their other work.

Get the free printable pages for this activity be entering your email below.

You may also be interested in:

Birthday Party Emotions Playdough Mats

Jenga Feelings Game

Spider Web Slime

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities, Printables, Special Needs Parenting

Rainbow Playdough Colour and Counting Game

By Sharla Kostelyk

Kids learn best through play. The simplest things can sometimes be the most effective. This rainbow playdough colour and counting game is an example of just that. a rainbow made of playdough on a pink wood background with coloured buttons and red and white dice on it. The text reads "Rainbow Playdough Math and Colours Game"This is easy to set up, inexpensive, and yet covers several important concepts for preschoolers. It’s fun and engaging, so they don’t even realize that they’re learning as they play. Using some of the same supplies, you can also create the Rainbow Playdough Fine Motor Activity.

By participating in this sensory activity, children can practise counting and colour sorting. They can also learn the order of the colours in the rainbow. This may expand into them exploring the science of how rainbows are formed.

Rainbow Playdough Colour and Counting Game:

Supplies:

  • playdough in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple*
  • assorted colours of buttons
  • dice
  • colour block dice

*You can purchase Play Doh in the assorted colours or make your own. If you can’t find indigo coloured playdough, you can mix blue and purple in equal proportions.

Directions:

  1. Invite your child to roll each colour of the playdough into long ropes.
  2. After the ropes have been formed, encourage your child to arrange them in the order of the colours of the rainbow.
  3. Set out a colour block dice and a regular dice along with buttons of assorted colours.
  4. Have them roll both dice.
  5. Invite your child to press the number and colour of buttons indicated by the dice into the rainbow. For example, if your child rolls a red on the colour block dice and a number 3, they should add 3 red buttons to the red section of the rainbow.
  6. If playing with two players, take turns.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

Sensory – The game provides visual, tactile, and proprioception sensory input.

Communication – As children discuss their rolls, talk about colours, and ask about the colour placement in the rainbow, they expand their vocabulary and their communication skills.

Fine motor – Rolling out the playdough and placing it into order, picking up the small buttons and placing them on the proper colour, and picking up the dice all require fine motor skills, particularly placing the buttons on the corresponding colour.

Math – Kids can practise their counting skills using both the dice and the math manipulatives (buttons).

Science – You can use this activity as part of a rainbow unit study in a preschool or homeschool. If children want to expand their interest in how rainbows are made, they can explore using books or watching videos online.

Light: Shadows, Mirrors, and RainbowsLight: Shadows, Mirrors, and RainbowsLight: Shadows, Mirrors, and RainbowsChasing RainbowsChasing RainbowsChasing RainbowsRainbow In My Room Night Light ProjectorRainbow In My Room Night Light ProjectorRainbow In My Room Night Light ProjectorGrimm's Rainbow Wooden Nesting PuzzleGrimm’s Rainbow Wooden Nesting PuzzleGrimm's Rainbow Wooden Nesting PuzzleRainbowRainbowRainbowHow the Crayons Saved the RainbowHow the Crayons Saved the RainbowHow the Crayons Saved the Rainbow

You may be interested in these other preschool activities:

Rainbow Playdough Fine Motor Activity

Texture Balloon Match Up

Printable Pirate Emotion Mats

 

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities Tagged With: sensory play

Rainbow Playdough Fine Motor Activity

By Sharla Kostelyk

Playdough is such a versatile sensory play material. This Rainbow Playdough Fine Motor Activity is great for helping little hands practise their dexterity. balls of coloured playdough are lined up to create a rainbow and a cloud with a small hand holding one of the blue balls of dough. The text reads "Rainbow Playdough fine motor activity"While at first glance, this activity may seem very simple, it has layers of learning within it. This play allows children the opportunity to learn or reenforce their knowledge of the order of the colours in the rainbow while practising their fine motor skills.

Rainbow Playdough Fine Motor Activity:

Supplies:

  • Playdough in red, orange, yellow, green, blue 2 shades of purple and white*

*you can either purchase Play Doh in those colours or make your own

Directions:

Invite your child to roll each colour of the playdough into small balls. If they have never done this before, show them how to pinch off a section, place it in the palm of one hand and roll it using the palm of the other hand.

After this is accomplished, invite your child to arrange the balls in the pattern of a rainbow. You can remind them what the order of the colours is either in words or by setting out pieces of paper in those colours or with the words of each colour written on them or by displaying a picture of a rainbow for them to compare to.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

Children will receive visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory input while participating in this activity. Expand the learning about rainbows. You can create an entire unit study on rainbows in your preschool or homeschool.

Set out books. Invite your child to draw, colour, or paint a rainbow. Watch videos about the science behind a rainbow.

Light: Shadows, Mirrors, and RainbowsLight: Shadows, Mirrors, and RainbowsLight: Shadows, Mirrors, and RainbowsChasing RainbowsChasing RainbowsChasing RainbowsRainbow In My Room Night Light ProjectorRainbow In My Room Night Light ProjectorRainbow In My Room Night Light ProjectorGrimm's Rainbow Wooden Nesting PuzzleGrimm’s Rainbow Wooden Nesting PuzzleGrimm's Rainbow Wooden Nesting PuzzleRainbowRainbowRainbowHow the Crayons Saved the RainbowHow the Crayons Saved the RainbowHow the Crayons Saved the Rainbow

Incorporate other rainbow activities such as these:

Erupting Rainbow Rocks – STEAM Powered Family

Rainbow in a Bag – Powerful Mothering

Math with a Rainbow Abacus – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Sticky Rainbow Wall – Crafty Morning

Rainbow Salt Tray – Natural Beach Living

You may be interested in some of these activities:

Bath Time Sensory Bin

Seashell Fossils in Playdough

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities Tagged With: sensory play

Minute to Win It Camping Games

half a watermelon with a playing card sticking into it, a girl in a white hat stacking golf balls, ingredients for a s'more being assembled with chopstick on a picnic table and text that reads "Minute to Win It camping"

By Sharla Kostelyk

Want to make your camping trip even more memorable? Our family loves Minute to Win It games. They are great for large group gatherings, parties, family connection, and laughter. On our recent camp trip, we tried out some Minute to Win It camping games. half a watermelon with a playing card sticking into it, a girl in a white hat stacking golf balls, ingredients for a s'more being assembled with chopstick on a picnic table and text that reads "Minute to Win It camping"

Because I didn’t want to pack a lot of extra supplies, I tried to come up with games that would use what we already had with us or small inexpensive items. These are all easy to set up and easy to play for all ages.

Minute to Win It Camping Games:

If you’d like to create your own Minute to Win It camping challenge, you can use all or some of the games below.

I’ve provided a list of supplies used to play all of the games as well as broken them up per game to make it easier for you to plan. As you can see, there are very few supplies needed to create a lot of fun. As you’ll see from the list, many of these are things that you likely already have with you when camping.

Supplied needed:

  • golf balls
  • watermelon
  • playing cards
  • rubber bands
  • empty cans
  • chopsticks
  • graham crackers
  • chocolate
  • marshmallows
  • balloons

Note that due to the nature of some of the supplies such as the balloons, elastic bands, and marshmallows, adult supervision is required.

Caddy Stack

Supplies needed:

  • 3 golf balls (or 6 if you are playing head to head)

The object of this game is to stack 3 golf balls on top of each other. The balls must remain stacked for 3 seconds to win. You can either play head to head or individually. If playing head to head, the first one to complete their stack and have it stay in place for 3 seconds is the winner.

Card Ninja

Supplies needed:

  • watermelon
  • deck of playing cards

To set up this game, slice a watermelon in half and prop it up on a picnic table or other flat surface. Have each player stand at a distance from the watermelon and throw cards one at a time in an attempt to get a card in the watermelon. The object of the game is to get one of the cards to stick in the watermelon in under a minute.

You can determine the distance away that the players have to stand based on their age. If you’re playing with a large group with many ages, you can allow younger kids to stand closer if you like.

Rapid Fire

Supplies needed:

  • rubber bands
  • 6 empty pop cans (12 if playing head to head)

Set the cans up in a pyramid on a flat surface such as a folding table or picnic table. Give each player elastics. The object of this game is to knock over all 6 cans using elastics in under a minute. Again, you can determine how far away players must stand depending on age.

If you want to play this game head to head, set up a second stack of cans a bit of a distance away from the first. In this version, the first player to knock over all the cans is the winner.

S’more Fun

Supplies needed:

  • chopsticks
  • graham wafers
  • chocolate
  • marshmallows

Give each player a set of chopsticks, 2 graham crackers, a marshmallow, and 1 or 2 pieces of chocolate. The object of this game is to assemble a s’more using only the chopsticks in less than a minute.

When the timer starts, begin with one graham cracker, top it with the chocolate piece(s), then a marshmallow, and finish with the last graham cracker.

In the head to head version of this game, players race to be the first one to assemble their s’more using the chopsticks.

Defying Gravity

Supplies needed:

  • balloons

Blow up the balloons. You’ll need 3 if doing this individually or 6 if you’ll have people competing head to head. The goal of this one is to keep all 3 balloons in the air for 60 seconds without having any of them touch the ground.

If two players are competing at the same time, you can either declare the winner the person who keeps all 3 from touching the ground for the longest or give a point to each player if they both complete the challenge in one minute.

You’ll need a bit of space for this one, especially if there are two people playing at the same time. Some campsites may be large enough (ours was quite large) or you may need to complete this in a field or open space.

All of these Minute to Win It camping games work well for large groups such as at a camp, day camp, family reunion, youth group, or party.

Looking for more ideas for super awesome family fun or resources to help you connect with your child? Join our free 5 Days to Better Family Connection email series.

Be sure to check out all our other Minute to Win It games:

Minute to Win It Family Fun

Dollar Store Minute to Win It Dollar Store Minute to Win It party

Christmas Minute to Win It Games

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities, Family Games

Printable Pirate Themed Emotions Playdough Mats

By Sharla Kostelyk

These pirate themed emotions playdough mats are a great way to get kids to learn about feelings. Most kids like pirates. These use pirate situations and list the corresponding emotion.

black and white pages of pirates with blank faces showing feelings words. The text "free printable pirate emotions playdough mats" is overlaid on the image.

You can expand on the activity by having your child discuss what they would do in those situations if they were a pirate.

How to use the printable emotions playdough mats:

  1. Print out the playdough mats on paper or thick card stock.
  2. Laminate the pages or place each of them in a plastic sleeve.
  3. Set out the playdough mats with playdough. You can use homemade playdough or purchased.
  4. Have your child shape the playdough to fill in things on the playdough mats and to fill in the faces to show the emotion each one needs.
  5. Use this as a jumping off point to talk to your child about emotions such as asking when they have experienced those emotions or what they would feel if they were a pirate in a similar situation.

One important thing to note: Having your child wear an eyepatch while doing this activity makes it a heck of a lot more fun!

This activity also provides good sensory input. As your child squeezes and shapes the playdough, they are using their proprioceptive and tactile sensory systems. Reading the words and looking at the pictures uses their visual sensory system. If you use scented playdough, their olfactory sensory system will also be engaged.

When children use their senses while they learn, they are better able to retain the information. It also helps them to get enough sensory input into their day which can help regulate their behaviour. And of course, playing with playdough is just plain fun!

You can download these printable playdough mats (free) and join our Sensory Solutions and Activities email series by entering your email below.

Check out some of our other printable playdough mats:

Birthday Party Emotions Playdough Mats

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities, Printables Tagged With: sensory play

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