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! Craft ideas for games that will captivate kids (51–60)
bodkin (drawstring threader)
Let’s make a cardboard lacing activity! You’ll need cardboard, an awl, yarn in your favorite color, and chenille stems (pipe cleaners).
First, have your child draw a favorite picture on the cardboard.
Next, use the awl to punch holes along the drawing, then wrap the yarn around the end of a chenille stem—and you’re ready to go.
A key tip: bend and secure the tip of the chenille stem so it won’t poke little hands.
Tape the end of the yarn to the back so it doesn’t pull through, and enjoy lacing freely! It’s so satisfying to thread the yarn through all the holes.
Give it a try!
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.
Tetris game
Tetris is the quintessential puzzle game where you aim to align rows by combining randomly shaped falling blocks.
How about making a Tetris-inspired puzzle using cardboard? Prepare a piece of cardboard with a grid of square cells and a set of randomly shaped blocks, then try to fill the grid perfectly, just like in Tetris.
If you decorate the blocks in bright colors, the different shapes will be easier to tell apart and it will make the game even more fun.
It’s also great to split the board into two fields and play head-to-head in a versus mode.
Indoor basketball hoop craft
Let’s play with a handmade basketball set! Here are some ideas for crafting an indoor basketball hoop.
After watching Olympic basketball, many kids probably started admiring the players, right? This time, let’s try making an indoor basketball game you can build and play with.
You’ll need two hangers, yarn, cardboard, scissors, and more.
It’s great because the steps are simple.
This is also a recommended idea for when you want to get moving indoors!
Handmade Cardboard Toys! DIY Game Ideas That Will Captivate Kids (61–70)
Cardboard Badminton
Let’s have fun using recycled materials! Here’s an idea for cardboard badminton.
When you think of badminton, you use a racket and a shuttlecock, right? This time, let’s make both pieces of equipment using scrap materials you can find at home, like cardboard.
What you’ll need: cardboard, an A4-size clear plastic file, tissue paper, a permanent marker, tape, a ruler, scissors, and more.
The way the shuttlecock spins around as it falls is unique and really fun to watch!
Cardboard bowling
This cardboard bowling game, where you knock down pins with marbles, is perfect for a summer vacation craft! Make the pins and a launcher shaped like a small slide using pieces of cut cardboard.
Mark the lane where the pins should be placed, and add a slight incline so the launched marbles naturally roll back.
After that, paint it and add patterns to give it a bowling alley vibe, and you’re done! Fine-tuning the angles can be tricky, making it a rewarding project to tackle—so try making it during a long break when you can take your time.
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.
