20 Fun Dollar Store Minute to Win It Games (Pocket-Friendly Play)
I sure hope you’re ready to unleash some serious fun without breaking the bank.
Well, get excited because we’re about to dive into the wonderful world of Minute to Win It games using only dollar store finds! ?️?
But here’s the best part – you can create an epic Minute to Win It extravaganza using only cheap supplies from your local dollar store! ?
Yep, you read that right. No need to spend a fortune on fancy schmancy equipment.
Stay tuned for some ridiculously fun and budget-friendly game ideas that’ll have you saying, “I can’t believe it only cost a buck!” or…a buck, twenty-five. Thanks, inflation! *cue the eye roll*
Planning Your Dollar Store Minute to Win It Party
So let’s get you set up. You can find everything you need at your local dollar store—turning budget issues into a creative challenge.
Here’s a quick breakdown of simple games you can set up using just dollar store items:
Game | Objective | Supplies Needed |
---|---|---|
Cookie Face | Get a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without using hands. | Cookies |
Extra Hanky Panky | Empty a tissue box first by pulling tissues one at a time. | Box of tissues |
Balloon Juggle | Keep four balloons up in the air | Balloons |
Cup Stack Attack | Quickly stack and unstack cups into a pyramid. | Plastic cups |
To keep your party budget-friendly and stress-free, follow these tips:
- Test Your Games: Avoid party duds by testing your games beforehand to ensure they’re as fun to play as they seem.
- Keep It Simple: Choose games that are easy to explain and set up. You don’t want to spend your party explaining rules.
- Have Backups Ready: Not every game will be a hit, and some may not work as expected. Have a few extra games ready just in case.
- Stick to Your Budget: Only buy what you need, and keep track of spending. It’s easy to get carried away, even in a dollar store.
- Be Resourceful: Use items you already have at home wherever possible. This can save you even more money and reduce waste.
By keeping things simple and focusing on creativity rather than expense, your Minute to Win It party can be a blast without blowing your budget.
Other Things to Keep in Mind:
- Pick a place—your house, a friend’s, or a park, and make sure it’s big enough for the games.
- Decide how many people to invite; more guests mean buying more cheap supplies.
- Plan for one game every 15-20 minutes, so about 6-8 games for a two-hour party.
20 Fun and Easy Dollar Store Minute to Win It Games
So, let’s get down to business. The games below can be played with budget-friendly items that you can find in pretty much any dollar store.
1. Cup Stack Attack ?

- Objective: Be the fastest to stack and unstack plastic cups into a pyramid
- Materials: 36 plastic cups per player
- Setup: Give each player 36 cups
- How to Play: Players race to stack cups into a pyramid and then unstack them back into a single stack
“Stack attack is definitely one of my favorites. But, it can get a little pricey making sure that you have enough cups for all of the players. The good news is that they’re reusable. Plus, a lot of minute to win it games involve cups” – Aquita, Fun Party Tips
2. Penny Hose ?
- Objective: Grab the pennies out of a pair of pantyhose the fastest
- Materials: Pantyhose, pennies
- Setup: Put pennies in the toe of the pantyhose
- How to Play: Players reach into the pantyhose and try to snag the pennies out of it in a minute or less. Fastest time wins!
Stretch the pantyhose tight for maximum penny pickup power
3. Suck It Up ?

- Objective: Transfer the most candies using a straw
- Materials: Straws, small candies (like M&Ms), plates
- Setup: Put candies on one plate per player
- How to Play: Use the straw to such up candies and move them to another plate
4. Spoon It Up ?
- Objective: Scoop the most ping pong balls using only a spoon in your mouth
- Materials: Plastic spoons, ping pong balls, bowls (1 full of ping pong balls and the other empty)
- Setup: Fill one bowl with balls per player
- How to Play: Transfer balls to an empty bowl using a spoon held in your mouth.
Light It Up: Make minute to win it games games like Bouncing Balls or Sticky Situation more exciting with glow-in-the-dark items. Just pick up some glow sticks or glow tape from the dollar store and put them on and around your game equipment. This makes the games look cool and adds fun for evening parties.
5. Bouncing Balls ⚽
- Objective: Bounce ping pong balls into a bucket or cup
- Materials: Ping pong balls, buckets or cups
- Setup: Place a bucket or cup a few feet away from a starting line
- How to Play: Players bounce balls and try to land them in the target
6. Cookie Face ?

- Objective: Move cookies from your forehead to your mouth without hands
- Materials: Cookies
- Setup: Place a cookie on each player’s forehead
- How to Play: Use facial muscles to move the cookie down to your mouth
Wiggle your eyebrows and wrinkle your nose for cookie control
7. Balloon Juggle ?
- Objective: Keep 4 balloons in the air for one minute
- Materials: Balloons
- Setup: Blow Up 4 balloons per player
- How to Play: Players must keep all 4 balloons airborne for one minute
8. Bottle to Bottle ?
- Objective: Transfer objects from one bottle to another
- Materials: 2 empty bottles per player (preferably 2 liter bottles of soda), small objects like beads or buttons.
- Setup: Fill one bottle with objects and tape the empty bottle on top
- How to Play: Flip the bottles to switch the objects from one bottle to the other without using your hands
9. Sticky Situation ?

- Objective: Bounce ping pong balls to stick on peanut butter covered bread
- Materials: Bread, peanut butter, ping pong balls
- Setup: Cover a slice of bread in peanut butter and place it a few feet away
- How to Play: Players bounce balls, trying to make them stick to the bread
Aim for the center of the bread for maximum stickiness and to increase the odds of the ping pong ball actually sticking on the bread.
10. Chopstick Challenge ?
- Objective: Transfer the most objects using chopsticks
- Materials: Chopsticks, small objects like jelly beans, bowls
- Setup: Fill one bowl with objects per player
- How to Play: Use chopsticks to move objects to an empty bowl
Depending on where you live finding chopsticks at the dollar store can be a little bit tricky. But, in a pinch, you can always snag a few chopstick sized twigs or small branches from your backyard or a nearby park. Totally free and they work *almost* as well.
11. Dice Balance ⚖️
- Objective: Roll dice from one end of a popsicle stick to the other
- Materials: Dice, popsicle sticks
- Setup: Give each player a popsicle stick to hold in their mouth
- How to Play: Balance as many dice on the popsicle stick as possible. The person with the most dice on the stick by the end of the minute wins!
12. Toilet Paper Toss ?

- Objective: Toss rolls of toilet paper and hop that they land upright
- Materials: Several toilet paper rolls for each player
- Setup: Just have the toilet paper rolls ready
- How to Play: Players toss rolls of toilet paper at least 5 feet in front of themn, trying to land the roll upright. The player with the most standing rolls wins.
13. Dice Stacking ?
- Objective: Stack all the dice or create the tallest dice tower
- Materials: Dice, rubber bands
- Setup: Place 4-6 dice in front of each player and give them a rubber band
- How to Play: Using the rubberband to create tension, players pick up each die and stack them. The player stacks all teh dice or who creates the tallest stack wins
14. Extreme Hanky Panky ?

- Objective: Pull out the most tissues one-handed from a box in one minute
- Materials: Tissue boxes
- Setup: Give each player a tissue box
- How to Play: Players must pull out tissues one at a time using one hand
Secret Challenges: Introduce a “secret challenge” in a few of the games for unexpected twists. Like you can mix a special golden jellybean among others in the Chopstick Challenge. Players earn extra points or prizes for finding and moving it, adding surprise and strategic elements that keep everyone super excited on on their toes.
15. Full of Hot Air ?️
- Objective: Blow up a balloon and use its air to blow ping pong balls into a cup.
- Materials: Balloons, cups, and ping pong balls
- Setup: Place a cup at a designated distance. Give each player a balloon and ping pong balls
- How to Play: Players blow up their balloon, then release the air to nudge the balls into the cup.
Releasing air in short burst helps you control the path of the ping pong ball A LOT better than just letting all the air out of the balloon at once. Trust me on this one.
Here’s a handy table that show you the game and the materials needed to play these first 15 games:
Game Name | Objective | Supplies Needed |
---|---|---|
Cup Stack Attack | Be the fastest to stack and unstack plastic cups into a pyramid. | 36 plastic cups per player |
Penny Hose | Grab the pennies out of a pair of pantyhose the fastest. | Pantyhose, pennies |
Suck It Up | Transfer the most candies using a straw. | Straws, small candies (like M&Ms), plates |
Spoon It Up | Scoop the most ping pong balls using only a spoon in your mouth. | Plastic spoons, ping pong balls, bowls |
Bouncing Balls | Bounce ping pong balls into a bucket or cup. | Ping pong balls, buckets or cups |
Cookie Face | Move cookies from your forehead to your mouth without hands. | Cookies |
Balloon Juggle | Keep 4 balloons in the air for one minute. | Balloons |
Bottle to Bottle | Transfer objects from one bottle to another. | 2 empty bottles per player, small objects like beads or buttons |
Sticky Situation | Bounce ping pong balls to stick on peanut butter covered bread. | Bread, peanut butter, ping pong balls |
Chopstick Challenge | Transfer the most objects using chopsticks. | Chopsticks, small objects like jelly beans, bowls |
Dice Balance | Roll dice from one end of a popsicle stick to the other. | Dice, popsicle sticks |
Toilet Paper Toss | Toss rolls of toilet paper and hope that they land upright. | Several toilet paper rolls for each player |
Dice Stacking | Stack all the dice or create the tallest dice tower. | Dice, rubber bands |
Extreme Hanky Panky | Pull out the most tissues one-handed from a box in one minute. | Tissue boxes |
Full of Hot Air | Blow up a balloon and use its air to blow ping pong balls into a cup. | Balloons, cup |
16. Don’t Blow It
- Objective: Blow a ping pong ball off the table on your opponent’s side, not yours.
- Materials: Just one ping pong ball.
- Setup: Stand at opposite ends of a table.
- Gameplay: One mad minute of puffing and panting—try to blow the ball off their side without passing out.

17. My Left Foot
- Objective: Draw a masterpiece with your foot and a pen. Yeah, you read that right.
- Materials: Paper, pen, and your foot.
- Setup: Paper on the floor, pen between your toes.
- Gameplay: Channel your inner Da Vinci and draw a dog or a cat… with your foot. You’ve got 60 seconds. The person who draws a recognizable (I use that term loosely, lol) picture within the time frame wins.
If you want to make this harder, just use a smaller sheet of paper.
18. Cotton Ball Hockey
- Objective: Blow a cotton ball off the table on your opponent’s side to score points.
- Materials: You’ll need straws and cotton balls. That’s it.
- Setup: Place a cotton ball at the center of a table. Each player takes their position at opposite ends with a straw in their mouth.
- Gameplay: At the word “go,” start a blowing frenzy to get that cotton ball off your side of the table. It’s one minute of pure puffing pandemonium.
Try not to laugh too hard; you need that air to blow the cotton ball! And trust me, I lost a round because I was cracking up at my friend turning beet red trying to blow the cotton ball away.
19. Shake, Rattle, & Roll
- Objective: Shake those clothespins off like you’re dancing in a hurricane.
- Materials: Clothespins and your best shakeable outfit.
- Setup: Clip those pins all over you.
- Gameplay: Shake, rattle, and roll to get those pins off. Most on the floor wins!
Dance like nobody’s watching, but everyone will be, so make it worth their while.
20. Hula Hoop Toss
- Objective: Toss that hoop like it’s a giant ring and you’re trying to win a teddy bear at the carnival.
- Materials: One hula hoop and your game face.
- Setup: Grab a partner, Stand 10 feet apart, and no, closer won’t make you look taller.
- Gameplay: Take turns tossing the hoop at each other. Catch it with your body for points! You have a minute to collect as many catches as possible. Highest number of catches wins the game.
Here’s a quick summary of each of these last 5 bonus dollar store minute to win it games:
Game Name | Objective | Supplies Needed |
---|---|---|
Don’t Blow It | Blow a ping pong ball off the table on your opponent’s side. | Just one ping pong ball. |
My Left Foot | Draw a masterpiece with your foot and a pen. A Picasso, but with toes. | Paper, pen, and your foot. |
Cotton Ball Hockey | Blow a cotton ball off your opponents side. | Cotton balls, straws |
Shake, Rattle & Roll | Dance those clothespins off your outfit like you’ve got ants in your pants. | Clothespins and your most shakeable outfit. |
Hula Hoop Toss | Toss and catch a hula hoop with your opponent like you’re fetching a giant ring. | One hula hoop and your game face. |
Best Bang For Your Buck
When it comes to hosting a minute-to-win-it party without breaking the bank, the secret is all in the supplies.
To keep your wallet as happy as your guests, I’ve put together two pocket-friendly game options (from the options above) that’ll let you squeeze every bit of value out of each dollar spent.
You’ll get all the excitement without the extravagant expense, proving that a little savvy shopping can lead to loads of affordable fun.
Here’s a list of 5 games that’ll tick all the boxes:
Game | Supplies Needed |
---|---|
Don’t Blow It | Ping Pong Ball |
Bouncing Balls | Ping Pong Balls, Plastic Cups |
Spoon It Up | Ping Pong Balls, Plastic Cups |
Cup Stack Attack | 36 Plastic Cups, A Flat Surface |
My Left Food | Paper, something to draw with |
Decorating on a Dime ?
Just because you’re throwing a Dollar Store Minute to Win It party doesn’t mean your decorations have to look like a hot mess!
It’s time to get creative and transform your space into a festive wonderland that’ll make your guests go, “Wow, you did all this with just a few bucks?!”
First things first, let’s talk about the essentials. You’ll want to hit up your local dollar store and stock up on these bad boys:
- Streamers
- Balloons
- Tablecloths
- Paper plates and cups
- Utensils
- Napkins
Now that you’ve got your basics covered, it’s time to get a little fancy!
Here’s some (easy) DIY decoration ideas that’ll make your party pop:
- Photo Backdrop: Hang a solid-colored tablecloth on a wall and add some streamers, balloons, or even a funny dollar store prop for a DIY photo booth. Your guests will love striking a pose!
- Centerpieces: Grab some cheap vases, fill them with dollar store marbles, and add some fake flowers. Boom! Instant elegance on a budget! ?
- Lighting: Don’t underestimate the power of good lighting! Snag some string lights or glow sticks to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
- Banners: Make your own custom banners using dollar store felt, glitter, and some letter stickers. Spell out “Let’s Get Silly!” or “Game On!” to get everyone in the competitive spirit!
Now, let’s talk about tablescapes.
You want your snack and drink stations to look on point, right? ?? Here’s how to do it:
Item | Decoration Idea |
---|---|
Snack Table | Cover with a bright tablecloth, add some themed napkins, and use cheap plastic containers to hold your munchies. |
Drink Station | Set up a colorful backdrop using streamers, add some fun signs like “Fuel Up Here!” or “Hydration Station!”, and don’t forget the cute straws! |
Prize Display | Use a cheap trophy or a silly hat as the centerpiece, and surround it with your dollar store prizes. Add some confetti for extra pizzazz! |
And speaking of prizes, don’t forget to grab some cheap and cheerful favors for your guests! Some ideas:
- Silly sunglasses ?
- Bubbles ?
- Stickers ?
- Candy ?
- Noisemakers ?
If you’re feeling extra crafty, try making your own photo props using dollar store foam boards and wooden dowels. Cut out fun shapes like speech bubbles, mustaches, or even a giant dollar sign!
Hosting Hacks and Troubleshooting Tips ?️

Now, you’ve got your games lined up, your decorations on point, and your guests are on their way!
But wait, what happens when things don’t go according to plan? ?
Don’t worry, I’ve got your back with these hosting hacks and troubleshooting tips that’ll make your Dollar Store Minute to Win It party a breeze!
Now, let’s talk about setting up your game stations. You want your guests to be able to move from one game to another without any hiccups, right?
Here’s how to make it happen:
- Create a flow: Arrange your game stations in a logical order, so your guests can easily navigate from one to the next. Think of it like a fun factory assembly line! ?
- Label everything: Use cheap dollar store labels or signs to clearly mark each game station. You don’t want your guests wandering around like lost puppies! ?
- Have backup supplies: Make sure you have extra game supplies on hand, just in case something breaks or goes missing. You don’t want to be caught empty-handed mid-game! ?♂️
Now, let’s talk about sharing some responsibilities. You can’t be everywhere at once, so it’s time to enlist some help! ? Here’s how to do it:
- Assign game masters: Choose a few trustworthy friends or family members to oversee each game station. They’ll be responsible for explaining the rules, keeping score, and making sure everyone’s having a blast! ?
- Enlist a timekeeper: Designate someone to keep track of time for each game. They’ll let everyone know when to start, when there’s 30 seconds left, and when time’s up! ⏰
- Have a runner: Assign someone to be your go-to person for any last-minute needs, like grabbing more supplies or refilling snacks. They’ll be your party sidekick! ?♀️
But what about when things start to go sideways? ?
Don’t panic! Here’s some troubleshooting tips to keep your party on track:
Problem | Solution |
---|---|
Games are taking too long | Set a time limit for each game and stick to it. Use a timer or a phone app to keep everyone on schedule. |
Guests are getting bored | Have a few extra games or activities on standby, like a dance-off or a silly photo booth. Keep things fresh and exciting! |
Supplies are breaking | Have a stash of backup supplies ready to go. If something breaks, quickly swap it out and keep the game going. |
Guests are getting too competitive | Remind everyone that it’s all in good fun! Encourage cheering and positive vibes, and give out silly prizes to keep things light. |
Create a “Party SOS” kit with extra supplies, a first-aid kit, and some snacks. Keep it nearby in case of any party emergencies!
Want a Little More?
Jump into these articles on “9 Outrageously Fun Minute to Win It Balloon Games” and “15 Hilarious Minute to Win It Games Using Cups You’ll Love.”
They’re packed with cool game ideas that will have everyone talking about your party for weeks!

