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 (1–10)
Spinning Marble Game
It’s a game where you shoot a marble like in pachinko and try to drop it into a target scoring hole.
It’s simple, but controlling the strength is tricky—if you hit too hard, it’s out—so even adults, not just children, may find themselves getting serious about it.
When forming the cardboard into a spiral, there’s a step where you make cuts with a utility knife; be careful not to apply too much pressure and accidentally cut it off.
It’s simple yet enjoyable for anyone, making it a cardboard craft we recommend for a wide range of situations—from children’s summer projects to recreational activities for seniors.
medal game
Among the medal games found in arcades, pusher games are especially eye-catching.
Also known as coin pushers, these large-scale machines can actually be recreated with cardboard so you can enjoy them at home.
Since you can make it using only easily available materials like cardboard, it’s also great for a child’s summer craft project.
While it’s hard to replicate mechanisms like a slot feature just like the real thing, you can still include a jackpot, so even young children can enjoy a satisfying experience.
It’s also fun to create original decorations as dazzling as those in arcades, so definitely give it a try.
Whac-A-Mole
From electromechanical arcade machines still found in game centers to home toys, the whack-a-mole game has been widely known to all generations since its debut in 1975.
Because it involves detailed work with a cutter and large-scale tasks like making gears, the hurdle is a bit high for small children, but as a summer craft project, it’s a rewarding theme.
By making gears in random shapes so the movement is unpredictable, or by having the person turning the winch change the speed to adjust the difficulty, you can play just like the real thing.
It’s a game whose rules are easy to understand for everyone from young children to the elderly, so it’s also a recommended cardboard craft for recreational activities.
Cardboard vending machine
Let me introduce a cardboard vending machine that looks just like the real thing.
Insert a coin and press a button, and a drink will come out from inside.
Gather materials like milk cartons, cardboard, bubble gum, rubber bands, paper clips, plastic sheets, tape, glue, a ruler, scissors, and a utility knife, and let’s get making.
First, create the internal parts of the cardboard vending machine.
The key is to carefully measure and cut each piece and assemble them together.
Measure the base cardboard as well, and build while checking that it’s large enough to hold the drinks.
It also sounds fun to make your own original drinks!
crane game
Crane games are irresistibly charming for many people, regardless of era or generation.
You won’t believe the level of finish you can achieve using everyday materials like cardboard and bamboo skewers—and it’s fun even after you’ve completed it.
Because the work is quite detailed and large in scale, it’s challenging for small children, but that’s exactly why completing it as a summer project will surely earn you respect from your friends.
By changing the size, you can also expand the range of prizes, so if you’re good at crafts, why not try making an even larger version?
Painful crocodile
It’s a luck-based game where you press the crocodile’s teeth one by one, and if the mouth snaps shut, you lose.
You can change which tooth is the “losing” one each game using parts on the back, so you can enjoy it just like the commercially sold toy.
Since you’ll cut out fairly small pieces with a craft knife and assemble them with a hot glue gun, it should be a rewarding challenge for a child’s summer craft project.
Care is needed if small children are doing the crafting, but once it’s finished, it offers a real sense of accomplishment and a fun way to get excited with family and friends.
Give it a try!
Rock-paper-scissors game
Here’s an idea for a rock-paper-scissors game you can make using craft paper and magnets.
There are three buttons—rock, scissors, and paper—and when you press one, a spinning drum in the center stops so you can play the game.
The mechanism is simple: both the buttons and the drum have magnets attached.
When a button’s magnet connects with the drum’s magnet, the drum stops spinning.
Because you can’t predict where the drum will stop, you can play rock-paper-scissors over and over.
If you use a thin, flexible type, you could even make it out of cardboard!
