Grinch Games
So this isn't about travel, but I couldn't pass up sharing some fun holiday minute-to-win-it games (we play 30 seconds instead of 60 seconds) that we recycle each year with family and friends.
Candy Cane Chopsticks: free-for-all
Candy Canes (2 pp)
Mini marshmallows (lots)
Red solo cups (1 pp)
One hand holds the cup firmly on the table; no moving the cup.
The other hand uses 2 candy canes as chopsticks to pick up mini marshmallows as fast as you can, and place them in the cup. Candy canes can be upside down or rightside up. If you can grab more than one mallow at a time, go for it. Whoever has the most mallows in their cup at the end of 30 seconds, wins.
Candy Cane Slide: 2 ppl per team
Yarn (long string, 1 per team)
Candy canes (3 per team)
Empty beer or other glass alc bottles (3 per team)
2 partners hold each end of the string, standing across from one another so the string is taught. 3 bottles are spaced out between the 2 partners, underneath the string. These can be empty beer or wine bottles for example. One person adds a candy cane to the string, and the partners work together to slide the candy cane down to a bottle of their choosing, and lower the string so the candy fits in the bottle opening. They then have to unhook the string from the candycane, and begin working on the next 2. You can move up and down, side-to-side, and forward and backwards, but your feet can’t move. First team to place all their candy canes, and unhook the string, wins.
Candy Craziness: free-for-all
Straws (1 pp)
Plates (1 pp)
m&ms (a bunch)
Grab a straw and start sucking. Your goal is to try and hold an M&M on the end of your straw, to move it from the center of the table, to your paper plate. Whoever has the most M&Ms on their plate at the end of 30 seconds, wins.
Rudolph’s Race: relay race
Rudolph printouts (1 per team)
Pom-poms (a handful per team)
Vaseline (1 tub)
This is one of my favs! Everyone puts some vaseline on their noses, and forms a line, one team vs the other. At the other end of the room is a colored printout of Rudolph’s face, one per team. Rudolph also has vaseline on his nose. On your mark, get set, GO! Teams go face-first down onto the table to try and get a craft pom-pom stuck to their nose. Once they get one stuck, then run to the Rudolph poster and transfer the pom-pom to Rudolph’s nose. Once the pom-pom is clearly stuck to Rudolph, the next person on the relay team is up. If a pom-pom drops at all, you can replace it on your nose, but…no hands. This might involve getting down on the floor to restick it to your nose! The first team to transfer all their pom-poms to Ruloph’s nose, wins.
Candy Cane Catcher: free-for-all
Candy canes (lots)
Plates (1 pp)
Everyone will hold a candy cane in their mouth. They will use the opposite hooked end, to “hook” as many candy canes from the middle of the table and drag them onto their plate. No hands, only to reposition your candy cane in your mouth if it gets out of place. Whoever has the most candy canes on their plate at the end of 30 seconds, wins.
Max’s Tail Tuck: relay race
Ribbon tail with pen (1 pp)
Empty beer bottles (1 per team)
Create a “belt” around your waist with ribbon/string. Then create a “tail” in the back via ribbon/string with a pen attached to the bottom. Everyone breaks up into relay teams, sending one person at a time down to an empty bottle. They have to dip the pen completely in the bottle, and then they can run back to tag the next person in line. No hands to steady/adjust the string. Just steadying yourself and squatting down. First team to make it down and back, wins.
Hungry Hungry Reindeer: free-for-all
Large marshmallows (lots)
Paper plates (1 pp)
Red solo cups (2 pp)
Everyone dons a red solo cup to each hand, creating reindeer hooves. They then push the cups together to squeeze a large marshmallow, and transfer it from the middle of the table to their plate. Whoever has the most mallows on their plate at the end of the 30 seconds, wins.
Snowball Scoop: free-for-all (1 at a time)
Cotton balls (2 bags worth)
Big mixing bowl (1)
Serving spoon or spatula (1)
This is a game where usually one person goes at a time. The one person is blindfolded, as they scoop cottonballs with either a serving spoon or spatula, up into a mixing bowl they are holding in their other hand. Whoever has the most cottonballs in their mixing bowl at the end of 30 seconds, wins. You might think you are scooping a lot of cottonballs, but it’s hard to tell if there is anything on your spoon/spatula because the cottonballs are so light. The best was when this happened to my nephew, as he had no clue he was holding the spoon upside down.
The points determine who wins,
and who is crowned Holiday Cheer-meister
Scoring:
Free-for-all:
1st = 5 pts
2nd = 3 pts
3rd = 1 pt
Teams:
1st = 3 pts
