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Minute to Win It Ice Cream Sundae Challenge

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Minute to Win It Family Game Night

I have the best memories of playing games with my family growing up – we’d play Croquet or The Ungame or Clue – my parents were pretty good at setting aside time for family game night.  I don’t know if it’s because the girls are still pretty young or if we’re just too exhausted after work and dinner, but we don’t play games as a whole family nearly enough.  Family movie night is more our speed.  When I heard about a new season of Minute to Win It premiering on GSN on June 25, I got inspired to be create a Family Game Night with my family. I spent some time reviewing some of the Minute to Win It challenges to figure out how I could use things from around the house and structure the games so that they were exciting and achievable for my little girls.  I started compiling a list…and then I started brainstorming motivation factors.  Ice cream.  And candy.  Those would go over well as game prizes.  Thus, the “Minute to Win It Ice Cream Sundae Challenge” was born.  Funny how I can work dessert into anything.

So…this is how we set up family game night.  I chose six games based on the Minute to Win It games:  Stack Attack, Matchmaker, Hoop de Loop, How’s It Hangin’, Mad Dog, and Noodling Around.  I divided the six games into sets of two and assigned one prize category to each set of games.  If the player completed either of the two games in each set within one minute, he/she would win Cones/Cups, Ice Cream/Hot Fudge, or Toppings.  So, basically, the girls had to choose one game per prize category; Graham and I had to complete both games in each set to get all the ingredients for our Ice Cream Sundaes.

I got a tad bit into the planning of family game night – what with the signs and ice cream stand, and shopping for every topping I could dream of to put on my  our sundaes.  Fortunately, I didn’t have to shop for game supplies and just used things from around the house and yard.  How did it go?  It was awesome.  The girls got really pumped up when we started hammering the signs into the ground and setting up the games.  I got my tripod and camera set up, got my camera remote working, and set up my iphone with a one-minute timer.  We were set to play!

Minute to Win It Family Game Night

First game:  Hoop de Loop – roll a hula hoop across the lawn (I spray painted a start line on the grass)  to hoop around a two-liter bottle.  This game was fun for some (Olivia and my husband) and somewhat frustrating for others (Grace and me).  We moved the line closer for Grace and she was able to hoop de loop within the minute just fine.  Addison opted for the other game to win her cups/cones!

Minute to Win It Family Game Night

Second game:  How’s It Hangin’ – swing a banana, suspended by a rope from the player’s waist, to knock an inflatable ball across the grass and into a target area (spray-painted circle on the grass).  Addie used her hands to swing the rope and had an absolute ball (har!har!) with this game.  She was so cute to watch.  Graham and I also swung our bananas successfully, but I have to say, it was harder than I thought – I have no idea how they do it to knock oranges into a hula hoop in the real game.

Minute to Win It Family Game Night

Third game:  Noodling Around – Using only a piece of spaghetti in your mouth, pick up four penne pasta noodles from a tabletop.  This one was super fun!  Of course, it was the windiest day of the year, so it was difficult even keeping the penne pasta on the table as the wind kept rolling the noodles off.  BUT, a few of us tried it at the end of our game night and I highly recommend you incorporate this challenge into your next family photo session.  Love the glamour shots we got here! 😉

Minute to Win It Family Game Night

Fourth game:  Stack Attack – Stack 21 plastic cups into a pyramid (adults had to do it twice within the minute).  The girls had a super fun time with Stack Attack and it was really at the perfect level for all three of them.  Even Addie got her pyramid stacked just in time.  I tried tickling Graham to distract him, but neither that nor the windstorm could keep him away from winning his ice cream – that boy loves his ice cream!

Minute to Win It Family Game Night

Fifth game:  Matchmaker – Sort 16 individual candies, placed under mason jars, into one of four groups, based on color.  Needless to say, this was a favorite of the girls.  They got so into it and it turned out to be at just the right level for them.  The older girls were so sweet during Addie’s turn – holding out the jars for her to throw each candy in and cheering her on.  Those cuties melt my heart.

Minute to Win It Family Game Night

Sixth game:  Mad Dog – Using only your mouth, pick up a ruler containing two small cups of noodles (hot glued onto the ruler) and shake your head to empty the noodles from the cups, then place the ruler back on to the stand.  My other favorite set of pictures.  Seriously awesome game to watch.  You’re supposed to use Tic Tacs in their containers, but I don’t think you’d get the same flying of the macaroni effect for your picture gallery.

Minute to Win It Family Game Night

So, there you have it.  Our “Minute to Win It Ice Cream Sundae Challenge” for family game night.  It was so fun.  And we all won the grand prize – we’re just that good!!   I have a newfound respect for all of the contestants on the Minute to Win It show.  Our games, which were all played at about Level 0.5, gave me a decent challenge.  How do those people ever have a chance at Level 10??  I think my whole family is going to look forward to watching the new season of Minute to Win It when it premieres – we’re totally invested now that we’ve been on a show of our own – haha!  Now I’m going to challenge you:  plan a family game night of your very own – I promise you won’t regret the memories you’re sure to make – and set up a camera for some priceless pictures while you’re at it (you know you want a cross-eyed, pasta scooping self-portrait!!)  I’ll even share my Ice Cream Sundae Challenge signs with you – just click on the links and print!

Cups, Cones, and Spoons

Ice Cream and Hot Fudge

Toppings – Yum!

Games 1

Games 2

Games 3

Ice Cream Sundae Challenge Poster, Page 1, 2, 3, 4 (just trim and tape them together)

Comments

  2. jeannette martin says

    this looks like such fun! I would love to try the how’s it hangin game. actually they all sound like fun games. this would be great for a family reuion! thank you for all the suggestions.

    Reply

  3. Natalie says

    Great idea!!! I have to plan my 11 year old’s b-day party and I think I now know what I will do. I think I will be organizing ALL of the games you described above, ha!

    Natalie
    XXX

    Reply

  6. Maria Figueroa says

    It looks like you guys had a lot of fun! Loved the pictures too 🙂

    I would like to try the stack attack game with my family. I think it would be a lot of fun.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply

  16. Gwen says

    I haven’t read the entire post yet, but this idea looks like a winner to me! I’ve been needing some summer party ideas for my girls and this looks like so much fun. What a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

    Reply

  17. Jessica To says

    I would love to try Rapid Fire with my family. I think they would love the challenge of shooting the rubber bands!

    Reply

  21. Erin Biggers says

    The MAD DOG would definitely me a favorite for my family. Mostly because of the name and my 2 girls’ dog obsession. lol Super cute idea and awesome pics!!!!

    Reply

  24. Nicole says

    I pinned this because I love all the games! I can’t wait to try this at our next family reunion. And again when my kids get older!

    Reply

  25. Jennifer Fosters says

    I would love to play Mad Dog with my family. Purely for the candid pictures. I need more pictures with less “cheesing”. Those are some cute pictures. I also like how you shared the way you set up the camera to just snap the photos. Thanks for sharing your family fun!

    Reply

  26. valerie says

    I need a game that can be done by a wide age range–the stack attack looked great! We’ll give it a go. Thanks!

    Reply

  28. Janet W. says

    I think my family would enjoy Stack Attack the most because it looks really challenging and we have some builders in the family!

    Reply

  32. [email protected] ruffles says

    hahha wish i had had this list for my hubbs birthday party! this would have been AWESOME at an adult party after an afternoon of grilling out, margaritas, and sangria. hehehe

    Reply

  56. Crystal F says

    I think this one would be fun, With a pedometor attached to the forehead, move the head around to record 125 total “steps” in a minute. I believe it would make you super dizzy but that’s part of the fun. lol Thank you1

    Reply

  65. sorahart says

    My siblings and I are having our first-ever family reunion with just our families in the near future and I am in charge of games/entertainment. I think so many of these games would be some fabulous fun for all of the different ages in our family. Thanks for the ideas!

    Reply

  69. Charity says

    That looks like SO much fun! I’d love to try out these games…. especially the noodling around one. I love how you added the ice cream element… ice cream makes everything more fun. =)

    Reply

  79. Norma says

    I’m 82 – how about if I’m cheerleader and ice cream sundae monitor? 🙂 The games all look like a lot of fun.

    Reply

  103. Amy Tong says

    What a fun day you all had. I can’t wait to create my own family game day too. I know my family would enjoy all the games, especially Mad Dog and Noodling Around. 🙂

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

    Reply

  107. Samantha Daleo says

    I think I want to try Mad Dog first. They all look so fun though! I miss playing games with my family. What a great idea this is!

    Reply

  115. kolpin says

    This Blows looks hilarious! Think I’d need to clear out my living room of all the fragiles first before trying though!

    Reply

  125. crystal smith says

    I’d like to try playing Hoop de Loop with the family this summer. I think my boys would get a kick out of it 🙂

    Reply

  128. Bonnie Armendariz says

    Noodling Around Looks like it would be fun!! I love what you have done and thought about doing this with my family. I think this would be and awesome way to celebrate back to school with the kids and their friends!! Thank so much =)

    Reply

  140. Sandra says

    My son’s 6th birthday was Minute to Win it theme, and it was so much fun! Hands down the favorite was stack attack.

    Reply

  147. Deborah Wallin says

    I would like to play the one where you bounce the pencil by the eraser and try to get it in the cup.

    Reply

  152. susan smoaks says

    I haven’t ever played before, but I think we would have a blast playing What a Racquet.

    susansmoaks at gmail dot com

    Reply

  179. Marie says

    This is really great! I really enjoyed just reading and making your article so alive with the pictures…it’s truly amazing to see the beautiful faces of your sweet precious girls…we’ll be using most of these games for our daughter’s party…thank you so much 🙂

    Reply

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