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 toys with cardboard! DIY game ideas (31–40) that will captivate kids
Cardboard Frisbee
@yuri_mama4254 Done in 1 minute! Super-flying cardboard frisbee Got a pile of cardboard? In that case… A cardboard frisbee you can make in one minute that flies amazingly and is so fun! ❣️ My daughter could launch it too ✨ Kids build problem-solving skills by experimenting to make it fly well 👏 Materials: • Cardboard • Rubber bands • Stickers, markers (for decoration) Tips for playing: • If the slits are cut at too wide an angle, the rubber band won’t catch well—be careful. • When launching, it flew better when the slits weren’t too far to the back (on your side). Check the video 😊 I’d be happy if you leave a comment saying, “We played!” 💕 Thanks for watching till the end ❤️❤️ Try making one yourself 😆 ☆－－－－☆－－－－☆－－－－☆－－－－☆ Hello 😊 I’m Riyu, an active nursery school teacher 🌷 I share at-home play ideas to solve “What should I do with the kids?” ✨ Instagram → @riyu_asobi There are posts only on Instagram too 😊 Come take a look 🎶 ☆－－－－☆－－－－☆－－－－☆－－－－☆#AtHomePlay #AtHomePlay #StayHomeTime Ideas for at-home play #HandmadeToys Craft play Craft Play Play ideas
Sakur a, Gently Fluttering – Southern All Stars
After cutting the cardboard into a circle, make a triangular notch in one spot.
Decorate the cardboard with stickers or drawings using a pen.
Hook a rubber band onto it and let go of the cardboard—it will fly.
You can make the target out of cardboard as well, or simply stack paper cups for an easy option.
The frisbee’s size is up to you, but if it’s too big or too small it can be hard to handle, so around 10 centimeters is recommended.
Cardboard craft target game
@ai_paint_diy It flies way farther than expected, so please play near a wall! I'll upload the detailed instructions on Instagram tonight!Target practicefestival#OuchiMonte#EducationalPlay#HandmadeToys#WorkingGirl#CardboardCraftscardboard#StayHomeTime#homeparty
♬ YONA YONA DANCE – Akiko Wada
Roll up long, cut strips of cardboard to make rings, create five of them, and stick them onto a base piece of cardboard.
Write point values inside the rings to complete the target.
This toy launches a ball into the target rings, so make a launcher by stacking and gluing an ice cream stick and a plastic bottle cap onto a clothespin.
Clip the clothespin onto the base to secure the launcher, and use a ball made from crumpled aluminum foil.
Put the ball into the bottle cap, press the ice cream stick downward, and release—it will shoot out with force.
Let’s make darts!
Prepare several long strips of cardboard cut to a width of 3.5 cm.
Lightly spray one side with water to moisten it, then peel off the outer layer of paper.
Once the cardboard is dry, use glue and roll it up from one end into a spiral.
Keep adding strips and roll them all together.
That completes the target, so next we’ll make arrows using origami paper and toothpicks.
Use a toothpick as the arrow’s shaft, and glue origami paper to the back as the fletching.
Wrap tape around the tip of the toothpick as a weight, and it’s done.
Mount the target on a wall and try throwing the arrows to play.
Target game with paper cups and cardboard
This is a handmade cardboard target game that even little kids can enjoy! First, decorate a paper cup however you like, then cut four slits in it.
Secure two rubber bands into the slits.
Make holes in the cardboard that will serve as the target.
For small children, be careful when using scissors or other tools.
You can launch crumpled paper balls for fun, too.
Beyond paper cups, you can also try things like stick-and-rubber-band launchers—feel free to get creative and adapt it to your environment so kids and adults alike can enjoy it!
Cannon cardboard target practice
An idea recommended for those who want to make serious cardboard crafts: the “Cannon Cardboard Target Game.” Both the targets and the cannon are made by assembling pre-cut cardboard parts.
The cannon is a fully featured build with adjustable angles, and inside it has a rod set up to push out a ball using rubber bands.
You pull the rod back and release it to launch the ball with force.
It’s also fun that if you hit the target just right, Bowser falls down.
Why not try making it with your favorite character?
Handmade Toys with Cardboard! Craft Ideas for Games Kids Will Love (41–50)
handle
Even if you don’t have a license, many people probably long to drive.
Why not make a handmade steering wheel and enjoy the feeling of driving? All you need is cardboard and a toilet paper tube.
Cut the pieces according to the template, then assemble them.
Reinforce the outside with cellophane tape.
For the base to attach the steering wheel, open up a large piece of cardboard to make it.
Create the steering shaft by doubling a toilet paper tube, and you’ll have a steering wheel that turns smoothly.
boomerang
Let’s make a boomerang out of cardboard that, when thrown far, spins and comes back to you.
The shape is crucial to ensure it spins steadily and returns, so it’s best to use a ruler and build it precisely.
First, cut the cardboard into a base shape with four arms extending outward, then add weight by applying tape to it.
Adjust the angle of each wing while fine-tuning the design to achieve a form that spins well and comes back.
