Handmade toys with cardboard! DIY game ideas that will captivate kids
Looking for summer vacation craft ideas or fun toys the whole family can enjoy? With simple cardboard you have at home, you can handcraft all kinds of games—from nostalgic classics to original creations.
In this article, we’ll introduce DIY ideas for popular games everyone knows, like Whac-A-Mole and marble mazes.
Once you’re done, you can play with family and friends and it’s sure to be a hit! Try making cardboard toys and games packed with the fun of creating and the joy of playing!
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Handmade Cardboard Toys! DIY Game Ideas That Will Captivate Kids (61–70)
lottery drum
Isn’t this something that even adults would find dreamlike? Let’s try making a “garapon” lottery drum—the kind you often see at raffle events—out of cardboard! If you turn it properly, the balls will come out, so you can have lots of fun playing with family and friends.
It’s a delightful and cleverly made toy that’s perfect for kids!
cardboard computer
A laptop that’s great for remote work.
How about making a handmade “laptop” for kids who want to use the same things adults do? It’s also very popular for pretend play, so try making one together with your children! Using cardboard keeps costs down, and the fact that it folds like a real laptop is a big plus.
Make the screen and keyboard separately, then connect them with packing tape.
If you attach two ribbons on the left and right, it will even stay open on its own! Another highlight is that you can put any picture you like on the screen.
Paint the cardboard your favorite colors, decorate it with stickers or washi tape, and you’ll have a wonderfully unique creation.
moving target
If you want to make an elaborate, high-quality target for a shooting game, this flowing target is highly recommended.
By using cardboard to create parts like a mechanical contraption and assembling them, you can make a manually moving target.
It feels almost like putting together a plastic model, so it seems fun from the building stage.
Templates for the parts are available online, and there are also instructions on how to make it, so it should be easy to try.
It’s perfect as a summer vacation craft project, too.
Rolling Balance Game
This is a rolling balance game where you build a field using cardboard and straws.
The rules are simple: roll a ping-pong ball and drop it into high-scoring holes.
It’s surprisingly challenging, so you can have fun playing with friends after you make it.
Since it’s difficult to cut holes in the cardboard with scissors and a utility knife is needed, adults should assist when small children are working.
It’s also easy to customize—like placing a rubber band at the starting point to increase the difficulty—so it’s a highly recommended cardboard craft.
Cardboard pinwheel
Let’s make a real windmill! Here are some windmill ideas using cardboard.
What you’ll need: cardboard, bamboo skewers, a straw, craft glue, scissors, and a utility knife.
One of the best parts is how cool the finished design looks.
After cutting the cardboard into parts, assemble them using craft glue.
Another great point is that the materials are easy to find.
You can keep the natural cardboard color, or try painting it with paints for a fun look.