Reunion Minute to Win It

Jules here-

As I alluded to earlier, we completed an Olympic series of events throughout the week-long reunion.  I used the "Minute-to-Win-It" template to create a family-friendly competition.  Now Ems boys are quite talented athletically, so I wanted to even the playing field by creating challenges that most people couldn't excel at naturally. 

Before the reunion, I developed an algorithm to determine how the teams should be divided (ha, just kidding, I just split up the super-competitive, talented kids and then mixed in mine). Either way, I am proud that the teams were very evenly matched; the head-to-head competitions all seemed quite appropriate.

So here are a few of the events for Minute to Win It:

Cotton Ball Transfer

 

Concept is simple. In one minute, transfer as many cotton balls from one surface to another using only your nose dabbed with vaseline. I have an awesome video of my brother and Uncle Bri- but they may get angry if I posted it so publicly....

Pasta Line-Up

 

This one was quite challenging for all---not a favorite, but it still worked. Using a spaghetti noodle in your mouth, you had to scoop up a penne pasta and move it from one side to another.  You had to get all 5 to one side in a minute.

Face the Cookie

By far, this event created the funniest faces!  Starting with an Oreo on your forehead, without using your hands, you had to get the oreo into your mouth (in under a minute of course). Out of 13 participants, only Theo was successful! It was so challenging, but hilariously fun.

Movin' Marshmallows

Using straws and air pressure, you had to suck a mini-marshmallow from one bowl to the other as fast as you can. The person with the most marshmallows in one minute wins.  Obviously from the photo above, James was not successful at this endeavor.  

Nylon Head Knock-Out

 Another hilarious photo opportunity: Put old nylons/pantyhose on your head, put a tennis ball in one of the toes of the nylon. Line up a row of water bottles and knock 'em down in less than one minute! It was so funny (especially after the grown-ups had a glass of wine-or two).  All the kids wanted to try even the "unofficial" Simona & James!

After all the events it came down to ONE point, Team Two took the victory and earned the king-sized candy bars! The losers, alas, only had fun-sized. There were no sour grapes, however, and the kids seemed to appreciate the silliness of it all.

Tough candy decisions....

If you are planning on having a family or friend gathering, you might want to try some different activities for everyone to participate in. I found dozens of ideas on the Internet for Minute-to-Win-it--most are quite family friendly and age-adaptable.

Easy Rule #4340- Simple games can add a new level of fun to a routine family event-- no time for boredom!

Easy Rule #78970- Watching grown ups compete in ridiculous games: AWESOME.

Surprisingly, James is NOT throwing a tantrum in this pic. Someone chalked a sports scene and he was looking at it closely. This was one of the few moments he WASN'T throwing one.