This Minute to Win It game requires some extra equipment and setup, so you should really only consider it if you're going to get a lot of mileage out of the game. Horseshoes are attached to a rectangular table, and players are challenged to blow ping pong balls across the table and into the horseshoes.
The Goal
Your goal is to move three different-colored ping pong balls into the corresponding colored horseshoes by blowing them across a raised table. The setup is a little complicated and this is a difficult game to master.
Equipment Needed
You're going to need a table for this game that you may not be able to use again - at least not for its intended purpose. It should be a long rectangular table, like a long coffee table. The exact dimensions are not stated in the official rules, but don't use a massive dining room table or anything like that. The game is tricky enough as it is.
Here's the list of equipment you'll need to set up and play Horseplay.
- Ping pong balls in three different colors
- Small buckets to hold the ping pong balls
- Four horseshoes
- Paint that matches the three colors of ping pong balls, and paint brushes
- A long rectangular table
- Two reams of paper
- Some kind of adhesive to attach the horseshoes to the table
- A one-minute timer
Setting Up the Game
The first thing you need to do is paint three of the horseshoes. You'll need one of each color to match the colors of the ping pong balls. If you're short on time you can paint a wide stripe of color on the bottom of each horseshoe instead - you just want players to be able to see which color ball to put in each horseshoe at a glance. Allow the paint to dry before continuing.
Facing one of the wide ends of the table, attach the three painted horseshoes in a column on the left short side, with the open ends facing up. Leave enough room between them for a ping pong ball to be navigated into the horseshoes - this is especially important for the top horseshoe. On the right short side attach the fourth, unpainted horseshoe with the open end facing up. This is where the balls will be placed, one at a time, to be blown across the table.
When the table is ready, place it where you'll be playing the game. On the opposite side to where players will stand, place one ream of paper under each table leg. The table should now have a slight incline away from the playing side.
Sort the ping pong balls by color and place them in the buckets. Place the buckets within easy reach of the starting side (right side) of the table.
How to Play
If you thought the setup for the game was tricky, wait until you try to play it! When the timer starts, the player puts one ping pong ball into the starting horseshoe. He then needs to move the ball across the table by blowing on it, and have it land in its corresponding colored horseshoe. This process must be repeated for each color of ping pong ball. When one ball of each color is resting in its matching horseshoe, the game is successful. Of course this has to be accomplished in one minute or less.
The Rules
The rules for this game are fairly simple. You are not allowed to touch the balls with any of your body parts including your mouth. If this happens, move the ball back to the start and keep going. (The only exception here is that you can use your hands to place the balls into the starting horseshoe.) Also, you can only have one ball in play at a time.
If you want to make this game a little simpler, omit the color requirement and just try to get three balls into the three horseshoes.
Tips and Tricks
Practice blowing ping pong balls until you feel you have some sense of accuracy. That's really the only way to master Horseplay.
The blueprint with video instructions for this game can be found at NBC.com.
