Here's a fun and easy way to have a western cowboy minute- to-win-it challenge. My class had so much fun playing these games. We used it for a pioneer day, but you can use it however you like.
Pioneer Version:
To use it as a pioneer version scroll to the bottom for additional printouts. I used mine for a pioneer trail and adapted the games for their travels "On The Trail."
To find a list of all the games to print out scroll to the bottom.
To print anything out just click on the picture and save it into your file, or copy and paste.
Scoreboard
We divided into two teams.
Here's a scoreboard for you to keep score.
Every cowboy town needs a sheriff. The items for the sheriff all came from the dollar store. I bought 2 hats, two gun holsters, two bandanas and it even came with a badge and a mustache. Each team picked a person to be the sheriff and a deputy to help the sheriff get dressed.
The team who's sheriff got dressed the fastest won.
Since we didn't have a lot of room I just attached cattle heads to the top of wooden skewers. I gave each team a package of glow necklaces. They had to connect the necklaces and then throw them over the cattle heads. The team that got the most in a minute won.
Here's the cattle heads:
Or you can get really fancy and build a cactus ring toss.
This one was built by my son, but unfortunately he lives too far away for me to borrow. He is very talented! Check out his web page MAW Happens.
What's a Cowboy party without a good old fashion shoot out?
We used nerf guns and shot plastic cups. The team that got the most cups down in a minute won.
For this challenge I got a set a small plastic farm animals from the dollar store. Each team had to use spoons to herd their animals from one side of the room to the other. The team with the most animals in the corral in a minute won.
What true cowboys doesn't like a competitive game of marbles in their leisure time? Each team got a set of marbles to roll into the middle of the campfire ring. The team with the most marbles in a minute won.
Campfire ring printout:
Each cowboy sits across from each other with the bottoms of their feet touching. A pole is placed in the middle. Each cowboy grabs both hands on the pole. The pole should be centered over the tops of the feet to start. On go both cowboys start pulling. The one who can pull the other cowboy up wins.
Make several "cow pies" with a cheep frisbee and a glue stick. To do this just squirt the hot glue in a circular patter until desired look is achieved. Then paint your cow pie with brown paint to look like a real cow pie.
Give each team member the same number of cow pies. When you say go have them throw the cow pies from a distance into a bucket. The team that gets their cow pies in first wins.
This one is a lot of fun. Glue tuna cans to opposite ends and sides of a paint stick. (See above). Make a small bean bag (about 3" square) that fits into one of the tuna can.
You can make one for each team, or take turns.
Hold the stick in the middle.
Flip the stick over, while throwing the bean bag up in the air, and then catch the bean bag in the opposite can. It can be tricky, but the team who can catch the most in a minute wins.
Every cowboy needs clean clothes, so a laundry day is a must.
For this challenge I had small clothes pins (found in the craft aisle), a bow (from a bow and arrow set) and a printout of small paper clothes, cut out. Each team had to run the clothes from across the room and hang them on the string. They could only carry one item of clothing at a time.
Laundry Printout:
Print and cut out 2 sets, one for each team.
I bought a plastic horse shoe set at the dollar store. Each team had a different color of horse shoe. Both teams had one minute to throw their horse shoes onto the pole from the same distance. The one with the most horse shoes on the pole won. If no one got it on then the one with the closest horse shoe won.
Make a stick and ring toss by securing a string (about 18") to one end of a wooden spoon. Tie the other end of the string to the ring of a mason jar lid. See below.
Give each team member a stick with a ring attached.
Give both teams one minute.
The team that can get the ring on the spoon the most times in a minute wins.
For this you will need a large button (the bigger the better), or you can drill holes in round wood slices, or even use a heavy piece of round cardboard with two holes.
You will also need three feet of strong string.
We choose to use wood slices from the craft store and then we drilled two holes in the center.
We also had a few plastic buttons but they didn't work as well.
Thread the string through one hole and then back through the other hole. Then tie the two string ends together.
Position your button in the center of the string while holding the string on both ends, and then twist the button around at least ten times.
When you pull on both ends at the same time the button will spin. You can pull the string back and forth to keep it spinning.
You can play this one of two ways:
The first team to make one and spin it wins.
Or you can pre-make them and the first team to twirl it wins.
I prefer the first way.
I found the cutest plastic toy wagons at the Dollar Tree.
Each team got a wagon. One person from each team had to push their wagon across the room with their nose.
The team that got their wagon to the other side first won.
Every cowboy needs a barn. Luckily we had some lincoln logs to help supply materials for a barn. Each team had a minute to construct their barn. The most complete barn won.
What a fun day we had! The students loved it.
The winning team was awarded a trophy.
I used m&m minis and hot glued brown cardstock around the base. Then I hot glued the wagon to the top.
Printout for the trophy toppers:
PIONEER
Pioneer Version:
Here are the printouts for the pioneer version:
Instead of dressing up as a sheriff, you could dress up as a pioneer.
On The Trail
With my class instead of having a Sheriff I had a Company Captain. Then all the games reflected the journey of traveling on the pioneer trail. I divided the teams into companies. The students loved it and learned a little during the game.
Since the version I did was a pioneer trail my trophies said "On the Trail" and I used the version below:
Here's a list of all the games:
I also have a couple of BINGO games. One is Cowboy and the other is Pioneer.
I hope that your game turns out fun! Please leave me a message to let me know how it went.
I have several other Minute to Win it Games.
Check them out:
