'Minute to Win It' Junk in the Trunk Game

Ping Pong Project

Beth Cortez-Neavel/Flickr

Ever wondered how difficult it would be to shake a bunch of Ping-Pong balls out of a tissue box attached to your hiney? Well, even if you haven't, never fear, as here are instructions as to how you can adapt the game from the TV show "Minute to Win It" for your next party.

The Goal

To play Junk in the Trunk, you wear a contraption that consists of a tissue box filled with Ping-Pong balls. This box is stuck on your rump, and you have to shake all the balls out in one minute or less in order to win. Who comes up with these games anyway?

Equipment Needed

To play, first put together the box contraption. You need:

  • One belt: If several people are playing, make the belt one that is as adjustable as possible.
  • One empty rectangular or square tissue box, with the plastic removed from the opening.
  • Scissors and glue or hook-and-loop tape
  • Eight Ping-Pong balls, standard size, any color
  • One-minute timer or stopwatch

Assembly and Setup

First things first—put together the tissue box/belt combo. There are several ways you can do this. You can cut slits into the bottom of the box and weave the belt through them, though you'll want to reinforce the cut edges with tape to keep the box intact while the game is in progress. You can also glue or tape the box directly onto the belt. If you're crafty, strong adhesive hook-and-loop tape could work too (attaching one piece to the box and the other to the belt). Whatever method you choose, test it out first to make sure that the box won't tear or fall off in the middle of the game. Remember that the player wearing it will be jumping around like his or her shoes are aflame.

After you've got the whole belt/tissue box thing sorted, put the belt on the player with the box resting just above his or her backside. Place the balls in the box.

Game Play and Rules

When the one-minute timer begins, the player then starts jumping and wiggling and shaking in order to get all eight of the balls out of the box. Successfully accomplish this before the timer runs out and the player is a winner.

There's really only one rule that needs to be adhered to in order to play Junk in the Trunk. The player cannot touch the box, balls, or belt with hands or any other body part. The balls must come out of the box as a direct result of body movements. (No laying down and rolling around, either.)

Tips and Tricks

Try a bunch of different movements to see what works. The balls will come out quickly at first—it's when you only have one or two left that things get tricky. Really quick side-to-side hip movements can do the trick or just jumping up and down and wiggling hips. Get the balls moving around as much as possible, and eventually they'll escape.

Christmas Junk in the Trunk

During its run of holiday specials, "Minute to Win It" adapted Junk in the Trunk to be a Christmas game called Jingle in the Trunk, with jingle bells substituting for Ping-Pong balls. Keep that in mind for the next time that you have to plan a holiday party.