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Rudolph Race Off | Hilarious Christmas Party Games

December 12, 2018 by Leslie 6 Comments

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Play Rudolph Race Off this Christmas for a hilarious minute to win it style game that is easy to prepare for and fun for the whole family.

The best Christmas party games for kids, and adults alike are also simple to do and easy to prepare. Rudolph Race Off is a funny, minute to win it style game that all ages can enjoy. Play it for family game night, or break a kids’ party into teams for a hilarious relay race. There’s no doubt that playing a game like this will make your party one to remember for years to come! #kidsparties #holidays #christmas

You have my chemo nurse to thank for this totally fun game.

No, seriously. I’ve seen minute-to-win-it games adapted for parties before, and they’re a lot of fun. But had never considered doing them for my own parties until I was sitting in my chemo chair this summer discussing party games with my nurse.

She told me so many fun stories of the minute to win it games she does for her family get togethers and I suddenly wished I could join her family. Needless to say, she can’t invite all her patients to her house for the holidays, but it got the wheels turning for me!

Now, I could have surfed the internet for fun minute to win it games to play at our Christmas party this year, but since my girls were home with me this summer…we decided to get inspired the old fashioned way – by watching old episodes of minute to win it of course!

But I did have some criteria to make sure it would be a great party game for kids:

  • The instructions needed to be simple. No one wants to repeat instructions over and over again.
  • It had to be able to be turned into a race. This way you can divide groups of kids into teams to keep points. (These things are so much more fun when you have a group cheering you on!)
  • Most of all, the sillier, the better!

Related >>>How to Plan Party Activities for Kids without Stressing Out

One episode of Minute to Win It in, and I was already inspired.

On the show, this game is dubbed “Nose Dive” and it’s super simple, but oh so silly. We adapted it with red pom poms, shortened the travel distance and dubbed it “Rudolph Race Off.”

How to Play Rudolph Race Off

Materials:

  • 1-inch Red pom poms or colored cotton balls (see tips)
  • Vaseline
  • One very small bowl for each contestant
  • 2 larger bowls (about 1-2 cups each) for each contestant
  • A Kitchen Timer or alarm

Directions:

  1. Prepare your space with three bowls for each contestant. In the smallest bowl, place a dollop or two of Vaseline.
  2. In the second smallest bowl place a large handful of 1-inch red pom poms. Make sure these two bowls are close together.
  3. Place the largest bowl about a foot away. You can adjust the distance for age range and how much space you have.

To Play the game:

  1. Contestants have one minute to transfer as many red pom poms as possible into the empty bowl using only their noses.
  2. They will do this by dipping the end of their nose into the vaseline so that the pom poms stick to their nose.
  3. Then they must walk over to the empty bowl and get the pom pom off their nose without their hands.
  4. The contestant with the most reindeer noses in their bowl at the end of one minute wins.

Using too much Vaseline will make it too difficult to get the pom poms off. Too little Vaseline, and the pom poms will fall off before they reach the bowl.

Related >>>Fun and Easy Scavenger Hunt for the Whole Family

Tips for Playing Rudolph Race Off:

  • To hold the Vaseline, we used prep cups that hold about 1-2 Tbsps of Vaseline at a time. You can also use disposable shot glasses, but you will want to secure them to the table so they don’t fall over while playing
  • Ramekins and cereal bowls are a great size to hold the “Rudolph Noses”

Keep things Sanitary

The last thing you want is to encourage games that spread viruses like the flu, so please make sure you use fresh pom poms and fresh Vaseline for each player.

Pom poms are definitely the way to go for small groups, but if you’re hosting a large party, you may want to consider purchasing a large bag of cotton balls and dyeing them red according to these directions. Though it will take more prep time, that will cost much less.

Now It’s Your Turn

Chemo’s no fun, but I’m so grateful for the nurse that inspired this game. Our girls had so much fun doing a practice run of Rudolph Race Off, and I can’t wait to play it with a bigger group at our Christmas party this year. It’s such an easy game that I know it will be good for all age ranges.

Are there any other Rudolph Race games you play?
Do you love to play minute to win it games with your family?

 

 

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Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Kid Crafts and Activities, Party Games Tagged With: Christmas crafts, games, holiday activities, minute to win it

About Leslie

Leslie is the passionate party planner in her family. Living with metastatic breast cancer since 2022, she is determined to find a way to continue making amazing parties for her kids that don't leave you exhausted. To do that Leslie combines the experience she learned working for a professional event planner with the reality of a busy family life to create party inspiration that the average mom can reproduce and be proud of.

Comments

  1. Felicity Frankish says

    December 16, 2018 at 8:52 pm

    Hahaha, such a cute game! My daughter’s would have a blast.

    Reply
  2. Alice v says

    December 17, 2018 at 11:01 am

    This sounds like a fun game I have to try Roth my kids since I do have little Pom Poms at home. Thanks for sharing this idea. #inspiremelinky

    Reply
  3. Michele Morin says

    December 18, 2018 at 8:29 am

    Sounds like a blast!

    Reply
  4. Jeremy@ThirstyDaddy says

    December 19, 2018 at 4:10 pm

    Thats pretty cute. My daughter and her friends would have a blast. I’m sure there will be more than a few over here over break, I might break this out #happynow

    Reply
  5. Joanne Viola (@JViola79) says

    December 20, 2018 at 8:30 am

    This sounds like such a fun game and a lot of laughs. Going to try it this Christmas Eve. May you & yours have a blessed Christmas!

    Reply
  6. Lauren Sparks says

    December 20, 2018 at 9:27 am

    Love this idea. I have grandkids coming and this will be so fun. Merry Christmas. laurensparks.net

    Reply

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I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. Here you'll find crafts, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too! Read More
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Hi there! I’m Leslie! I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. At Playdates to Parties, you'll find crafts, ready-to-use cut files, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too!  {Read More}

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