[Sports Day] DIY ideas for a giant ball-rolling race

Giant monster-ball rolling

[DIY] Super Giant! I tried making a Pokémon Poké Ball using balloons! How to Make a Giant Poké Ball

Even just being a big ball makes a giant ball-rolling game impactful, but if that big ball is a Poké Ball from the beloved “Pokémon” series, kids and adults alike will get even more excited.

Here, we introduce such a giant Poké Ball.

If you’re making it from scratch, prepare a large balloon and start by covering the entire surface with newspaper.

Layering several times will increase its strength.

Paste white paper on the top layer, then add the patterns to resemble a Poké Ball.

You can also simply decorate an existing large ball instead of using a balloon!

A giant ball stuffed with balloons

Not just for kids—of course adults can get excited about a giant ball-rolling game, too.

Maybe the unusual size of the ball and the frustrating feeling of “I can’t quite control it” are what spark your motivation.

Here, we introduce a unique giant ball with balloons inside a rope net.

It’s a curious creation: a rope shaped like a turtle’s shell packed full of balloons.

With a rich variety of balloon colors, it could look bright and cute.

You could also make the ball in your team’s colors.

Rolling a giant ball made of plastic bags

Super viral!! A bouncy homemade ball 🏀 #playathome #parentchildplay #crafts #ballplay

Plastic bags have been made chargeable at many supermarkets because littering is bad for the global environment.

Among these, why not try making a giant ball using the large plastic bags often used as trash bags? Some of you might think making a giant ball out of a plastic bag sounds difficult, but it’s surprisingly doable! The method is simple: inflate the plastic bag with air, seal the opening, and stick tape on it from various directions.

A flimsy plastic bag becomes sturdy just by adding tape.

Try to use a thicker plastic bag if possible.

Mook and Gachapin’s giant ball rolling

How about a big-ball rolling game featuring the beloved green-and-red duo Gachapin and Mukku, a hit with kids? To make it, draw Mukku’s face on the red ball and Gachapin’s face on the green ball.

Since you’ll be drawing with markers, paint, or vinyl tape, it’s best to have someone skilled at drawing handle the creation.

If you have large balls in colors other than red and green, you could try drawing different characters associated with those colors instead.

Create a variety of character-themed big balls for each team to make the event lively and colorful.

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Hane Keisuke

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Giant ball rolling made with cardboard

In a typical giant ball rolling game, young children in kindergartens or nursery schools may not always be able to roll the ball straight because they have to move left and right to keep it going.

That’s why we recommend a special giant ball made from cardboard.

By attaching circular cardboard pieces to the left and right sides of a square box, it works like wheels and makes it easier to roll straight! If the children draw their favorite pictures on the outside of the round parts, they can enjoy it from the making stage, too!

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Hane Keisuke

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a large bamboo ball

In the past, when it came to the large balls used in the big-ball rolling game, bamboo ones like this were the mainstream.

To make them, several rings are formed by splitting bamboo into strips about 2 to 3 cm wide, shaping them into circles, and fastening them with wire.

These rings are then combined to create a spherical frame.

Paper is pasted over it, and once it dries, you paint it or draw illustrations with paint or poster colors to finish it.

Although it’s no longer mainstream—both because of the difficulty of making one entirely on your own and for the safety of the children who use them in competitions—it might be nice, with the help of bamboo craft artisans, to deliberately make and use a traditional big ball like in the old days.

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Hane Keisuke

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Giant ball rolling made from newspaper

4th Make-and-Challenge! Rec Time

If you’re looking for ideas for a DIY giant ball to use at indoor sports days and the like, here’s an easy, highly recommended option.

Crumple up sheets of newspaper into a ball, gradually making it bigger.

Once it reaches your desired size, cover the outside with colored paper of your choice.

It’s finished when you’ve pasted on enough colored paper that no newspaper shows through.

The process itself is very simple, so even small children can join in—another nice point.

A giant ball made of newspaper is light, making it easy for young kids to handle, and even if they accidentally bump it into a friend, there’s less risk of injury.

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Hane Keisuke

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