Minute to Win it Games: Ideas that Work for our Kids too!!

Hi friends! I am back and I am loaded with fun ideas to share. I've been away at one of our residential programs where I tried out a new idea: playing minute to win it games. It can be tricky sometimes to find a fun party game that our kids can play right along with their sighted peers. Here's a couple of my new favorite games (plus pictures) of some fun games that do not require sighted guide, a lot of description or visual information. All you need is a willing attitude to have some fun!

I found a couple great ideas from the blog, Invite & Delight:
 http://inviteanddelight.blogspot.com/2012/03/minute-to-win-it-party.html
The games that I found the easiest to play were Chocolate Unicorn and Tear it Up. I think A Bit Dicey would have worked too but I didn't try that one yet. 

 We used chocolate donuts (or you can use Ding Dongs which are probably easier) for this game. I put them in the freezer so they wouldn't melt easy. 

 We did this game by having a couple of different rounds. I divided them up into three groups of three and had them compete against each other with everyone taking turns. The first round was stacking 3 donuts and holding it for a minute.

  The second round got harder with 4 donuts to balance as well as clapping or snapping your fingers and wiggling your tongue for the full minute. We had two winners with this round!

 Here's our version of Tearin' it Up:




 We also played another fun group game that required each team member to eat 3 saltine crackers and then try to whistle. We divided our group into two teams and each team member face off against each other. It's actually pretty challenging to eat 3 saltine crackers fast!

  Then try to whistle for 30 seconds!!

  

 Even the teachers got in on the fun for this one!

 This is Jessica, one of our mobility instructors, and me facing off!

 We chose to play this game outside on the grass in case there was a cracker explosion! 

We also loved the game Pass the Parcel. We followed the instruction from this site:http://www.jubed.com/youth_ministry/view/Pass-the-parcel/?s=12

Here are the instructions:Everyone's heard of "Pass the Parcel", so you might think this sounds a bit lame as a youth group game, but it can work well if you add a little twist. 

For those that don't know "Pass the Parcel", you wrap up a prize (eg a box of chocolates), then add multiple layers or wrapping (up to 20 times). Within each layer, add a smaller prize (such as a lolly or small chocolate).

The group sits in a circle and "Passes the Parcel" around the group with some music playing in the background. When the music stops, whoever is holding the "Parcel" unwraps one layer and keeps the small prize hidden within that layer. This continues until the last layer is unwrapt and whomever has the parcel wins the prize.

This is the part that we had a blast playing:
Now, the twist. As well as adding a small prize within each layer, add a written "Challenge" of some sort that the person unwraping the layer must complete. The challenge can be something the person must do in front of the group, or something share

I had my students do a couple other challenges that got big laughs such as sing or rap (their choice) the ABC song, pretend to be a screaming toddler throwing a tantrum, get up and sing loudly "I'm a Little Tea Pot" with hand motions and get on all fours and pretend to be a ferocious lion. 

These games are great for family game nights, ice breakers for back to school, theme party ideas for birthdays or just a fun Saturday night. Again, I loved these games because our kids could play pretty much all by themselves. We didn't have to provide a lot of modifications and we had blast playing them! Have fun!!

Add this to your reference library! It's a keeper!

Here's a book that is a must to add to your reference library. It's The Encyclopedia of Sports and Recreation for People with Vision Impairments by Andrew Leibs. It's a wonderful comprehensive resource book that is a must for us. There are lots of great ideas for everyone from mobility instructor to your favorite VRT to use!

Here's the book description: Not long ago, most blind and visually impaired people grew up without ever playing sports; they sat on the sidelines, and kept score during gym-protected rather than included. In the 1980s, few people had ever heard of the Paralympic Games or accessible recreation. Today, promising blind athletes can receive residency at the US Olympic Training Center; runners compete for prize money and national championships, and most ski resorts offer adaptive programs throughout the year where blind people can ski, cycle, and kayak-often for free. The Paralympic movement, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and ever-increasing expectation for inclusion among the disabled have inspired an explosion of accessible sports, fitness, and recreation programs that accommodate the blind. The Encyclopedia of Sports & Recreation for People with Visual Impairments is the first consumer- focused, action-oriented guide to this new world of accessible activity, profiling the people, programs, and products that are helping move blind and visually impaired people from the sidelines into the game. This groundbreaking guide profiles every accessible blind sport and recreation activity with entries that outline how athletes (both novice and elite) got involved in the sport and how participation has shaped their life. The book also profiles major blind sports organizations and includes chapter and resource listings on camps and accessible recreation providers. Through this book, blind people will be inspired to embrace sports as the rest of society does-as a vital component of personal expression and human interaction that opens paths to adventure, confidence, and lifelong health and fitness.

Here's some links where you can purchase the book:
http://www.infoagepub.com/products/Encyclopedia-of-Sports-Recreation-for-People-with-Visual-Impairments

http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Recreation-Impairments-Critical-Blindness/dp/1623960401