Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky contests make game show fun for families.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 6 parent reviews
Based on 17 kid reviews
Kids say the show is a fun and intense game show that encourages family engagement, suitable for ages 9 and up, but it features some language that may not appeal to everyone. While many find it entertaining and appreciate its competitive spirit, a few viewers find it boring and pointless, questioning the necessity of the challenges presented.
- fun competition
- family engagement
- language concerns
- mixed enjoyment
- age suitability
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
MINUTE TO WIN IT is a game show that challenges contestants to complete 10 deceivingly simple tasks with ordinary household items, each in under a minute. Each successful attempt moves the player up a ladder of increasing cash prizes toward a possible grand prize of a million dollars. Typical challenges include emptying a box of facial tissues by removing them one by one, rolling marbles to topple an upright pencil, and stacking golf balls on top of each other.
Is It Any Good?
Rarely do game shows span the age divide well enough to entertain all family members across the board, but that's the very challenge that Minute to Win It manages to overcome with its squeaky-clean content and easily replicated competitions, which families are sure to want to try themselves. (Lucky for us, the show's website has directions for more than 60 of the challenges.) These contestants aren't Ivy League scholars or extreme thrill seekers; they're average people attempting to master mundane tasks with tools like plastic cups, balloons, and a roll of toilet paper.
The challenges test the players' focus, rattle their nerves, and, oh yeah, make them look ridiculous along the way. All things considered, that's good for buckets of laughs, but it also relates to some social issues (when laughing at someone's expense turns to bullying, for instance) that families can discuss afterward.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about jokes. What makes a joke funny? Are jokes any more or less humorous when they're done at the expense of a person's feelings? How does that person's reaction to the joke change the tone of it?
Kids: Have you ever been the unsuspecting center of attention? How did it feel? How can people capitalize on this feeling to bully someone? Could it be as damaging as a physical threat would be? Why or why not?
How does this show compare to other game shows you've seen? Do you think the challenges are fair? How might some contestants have an advantage in certain tasks over others? Do you think the players' efforts are worth the cash prizes they win as much as in a knowledge- or danger-based show? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 14, 2010
- Cast : Guy Fieri
- Networks : GSN , NBC
- Genre : Game Shows
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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