Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play

Whack-a-mole with paper cups

At-home play! A whack-a-mole game using paper cups!? Game!

Instead of whacking moles, this is a new kind of whack-a-mole game where you capture them by covering them with a hammer! Draw mole pictures on several paper cups, then make hammers by attaching handles to paper cups of the same size.

After that, just cover the moles that are placed out with your hammers, stacking them up as you go.

The person who captures the most moles wins! You don’t need a special base—just place the mole cups upside down on a table or the floor—so you can set it up anytime and enjoy it easily.

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yuri

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Curling game

[Cardboard Craft] How to Make a Curling Game

Let’s make a curling game—familiar as an Olympic sport—using cardboard and plastic bottle caps.

Use a rectangular piece of cardboard as the field, attach a printed target sheet, and slide bottle caps (as stones) toward the center of the target.

Depending on the thickness of the target paper, the stones may catch, so laying a PVC sheet over the entire field is recommended to make it smoother and improve the stones’ glide.

Also, if you put a marble inside the bottle cap and launch it, the stone will move more smoothly while being harder to control, which enhances the gameplay.

By adjusting factors like the distance to the target, you can create a thrilling, heated competition.

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kappamaki

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Strikeout

Thank you for waiting! As requested, here is how to make a strikeout game.

This is a homemade strikeout game made using a large cardboard box! To make each of the nine targets fall backward properly when hit by a ball or beanbag, tape only the bottom edge of each target in place.

Adding a stopper on the back—such as a straw—will help prevent the targets from falling over on their own.

While standard versions have numbers on the targets, it’s also fun to attach drawings of animals or characters made by the children! Why not build it together with the kids and set it up in a daycare or kindergarten classroom so energetic children can move their bodies to the fullest indoors?

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yuri

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gacha gachi

Making a capsule toy machine with a milk carton

The fun of gachapon is that excited moment when you turn the knob and wait to see what comes out.

Here’s a DIY gachapon project you can enjoy at home, letting you experience the thrill of turning the knob yourself.

Since you make it on your own, you’re free to decide what to put inside and fill it with your favorite items.

Once you understand the mechanism and structure, it’s not all that difficult to build.

If you make the box and the balls inside colorful, you’ll have a wonderful, original gachapon.

Try playing with your friends using your finished creation!

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nikki

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Target shooting game

Target practice game combining chopsticks and clothespins

Let’s make and play a handmade target-shooting game that lets you enjoy both the fun of crafting and the fun of playing with what you’ve made.

You’ll use easy-to-find items like chopsticks, clothespins, and plastic bottle caps, so be sure to try making it and have a go! Use a tool that takes advantage of the clothespin’s spring to launch a ball powerfully over a distance, and aim it at a handmade target.

Try designing the target to look cool and stylish, too.

This makes a fun craft-and-play activity both at preschools and kindergartens as well as at home.

Elementary school students might also enjoy making it as a free project.

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nikki

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soccer game

Cardboard Crafting [Summer Vacation Free Project Idea] Have Fun Easily with a Soccer Game ♪ Olympic Special ♪

Let’s play soccer with a handmade board game made from easy-to-use cardboard.

You can enjoy both the fun of making the game and the fun of playing with what you’ve created.

Because it’s a manually operated soccer board game, you can play solo or with friends.

If you put care into the details, it can also be used for summer vacation assignments or free craft projects.

The game is divided into parts for kicking the ball toward the goal and a goalkeeper part that blocks shots, so challenge each other and see who wins!

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nikki

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Sugoroku game

Handmade and rewarding! A board game for parents and children to think together

Sugoroku, the classic board game.

Let’s try making this long-beloved favorite by hand.

Coming up with the contents of the spaces you land on together with family or friends is part of the fun.

You can design the board however you like, so even the creation process is a delight.

The best thing about handmade versions is their originality.

Unique, one-of-a-kind entries and rules—different from store-bought versions—will make the game even more exciting.

After enjoying the crafting, play sugoroku together with family and friends.

Have fun with your handmade sugoroku, which you can freely tailor from simple and easy to challenging and difficult.

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nikki

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