Two Minutes to Win it Kentucky Derby Games

Last year was the first time I’ve watched the Kentucky Derby and I was caught up in the excitement of the event. And I was inspired to create Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Games. Because if the horses have two minutes to win it so should your party guests!

These games use everyday items so you don’t need to worry. They also all have a race, horse or Kentucky Derby theme to them for the day. You can play minute to win it game just for fun but if you want to make it more of a competition, you can either award points for tasks complete or points for the fastest player of each game. However you play, these games are for fun and will make a great addition to any Kentucky Derby Party.

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Two Minutes to Win it Kentucky Derby Game: Apple Stack

Apples are a special treat for the horses and in this game, you’ll have to see how many apples you can stack in two minutes. You will need a large amount of apples for this game and some table space. To play, players need to stack as many apples into a pyramid shape as they can. The pyramid must stay upright for at least 30 seconds. The player with the most apples in the pyramid is the winner.

Alternative play: if you don’t have a lot of apples or have decided to make the game only one minute long, you can have players stack the apples in a vertical pile. The stacks must stay upright for at least 30 seconds. The player with the most apples wins.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Carrot Drop

Carrots are another treat for the horses. In this game you’ll be competing to see who can get the most carrots in the bucket. You will need baby carrots, a jar and a step stool or chair to stand on. To play, give the player a large amount of carrots. Next, place the jar on the floor near the chair. Now the player will stand on the chair and drop the carrot one at a time, trying to get them into the jar. To make it harder, make the jar one with a small opening. The player with the most carrots in the jar is the winner.

Lucky Number Roll

Pick your lucky number to play this game. First, you will need one dice to play. Next, pick a number from 1 to 6 to be your lucky number. Now, you have two minutes to roll the dice and see how many times you can roll your lucky number. The player who rolls their number the most is the winner.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Lucky Charms

For this Minute to Win it Kentucky Derby game you will need a big bowl of Lucky Charms cereal, an empty bowl and a pair of chop sticks. To play, players will race to see how many lucky charms they can pull out of the big bowl and put into the empty bowl using only the chop sticks. To make the game harder, place the two bowls further apart. The player who moves the most Lucky Charms is the winner.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: How Many Words

All players in this game should play at the same time. To play you will need a sheet of paper and pen per player. To start, each player writes the word HORSESHOE across the top of the paper. Now players have two minutes to come up with as many words as they can using only the letters in the word horseshoe. The player with the most words is the winner. You could also use the name of a part winning horse or the favorite to win horse’s name instead of horseshoe.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Winner’s Circle

This Kentucky Derby game is for die hard derby fans. Again, you will need a pen and paper for each player and players should play all at the same time. To play, you have two minutes to name as many of the past derby winners as you can. You will also need a list of the winners to check the answers. The player who can name the most winning horses wins.

Braid that Mane

For this game you will need lots of pieces of yarn cut all to the same length, preferably in a horse-friendly colour like brown. Now you can either tie the strands into groups of three with a knot at one end or you could cut a horse head shape out of cardboard and punch holes for the yarn strands and thread them through. To play, you will have two minutes to see how many braids you can make. Be sure to tell players that the braid should go to the end of the yarn pieces. You can also make it that the braids need to be fastened off with a hair clip or elastic if you’d like. The player who makes the most braids wins.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Rose Race

In this game player will race to see how many roses they can make in two minutes. You will need a lot of large paper circles, preferably in red. You can get a 1 inch whole punch to make this easier. Player will need to form together at least five circles into a rose shape for them to count. The roses must also stay together to count. The player with the most roses at the end of the two minutes is the winner.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Sugar Tower

Sugar cubes are another sweet treat for the horses and for this game you will need several. To play, player will have two minutes to stack as many sugar cubes as they can into a single cube tower. The towers must stay upright for at least 30 seconds to count. The player who stacks the highest sugar cube tower is the winner.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Memory Match

Horses have remarkable memories, but do you? For this game you will need a memory match game; if you can get a horse themed one even better. To play, set up the game with the images down. Players will have two minutes to make as many memory matches as they can. Be sure to mix up the pieces in-between players. The player with the most matches wins.

Alternative play: To play this game differently, arrange a selection of items on a tray. The more items the better and if you can get some derby themed items that would be even better. To play, let all players have a good look at the tray for 30 seconds. Next, cover the tray with a towel. Now players have two minutes to write down as many items that were on the tray as they can remember. The player with the most correct items is the winner.

The Walk Over

The Walk Over is another important tradition of the Kentucky Derby. For this game players will take part in their own walk over. You will need a hard cover book and some small items like cotton balls. To play, have a bowl full of cotton balls on one side of the room and an empty bowl on the other side. Players will place the book on their heads and have to balance it with no hands while transferring the cotton balls one at a time to the other bowl. If the book falls off they will need to restart that walk. The player who walks over the most cotton balls in two minutes is the winner.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Hoof Hands

For this silly Kentucky Derby game, you will need two big plastic cups, two bowls, and a big pile of cotton balls. To play, put the cotton balls in one bowl and place the empty ball a distance away. Players will put the cups on their hands like horse hooves. They will have two minutes to see how many cotton balls they can move from one ball to the other bowl using their hooves. You could also spread the cotton balls on a table and have to collect them into a bowl.

Two Minutes to Win It Kentucky Derby Game: Needles in a Haystack

For out last two minutes to win it Kentucky Derby games you will need a pile of shredded paper and several safety pins and a big bowl. – the bigger the better. Fill the bowl with the paper and safety pins and mix them well. Player will have two minutes to find as many safety pins as the can. The player who finds the most wins.

And The Winner Is…

With these Two Minutes to win it Kentucky Derby games the winner will be you and your guests! These games are perfect to play during the pauses in the action on the track and will bring fun and excitement to your derby party! For more derby fun check out our Kentucky Derby party games here and the printable Two Minutes to Win game cards here.