Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play
We’ve put together a collection of DIY game ideas you can make and play.
Crafts are great not only for indoor play, but also for activities in childcare settings and as summer break projects for elementary school students.
And if what you’re making is a game, kids can enjoy playing with it even after the crafting is done—which they’re sure to love.
In this article, we introduce a variety of games you can make by hand.
If you’re looking for handmade game ideas, feel free to use this as a reference.
Since they’re handmade, it’s also fun to set your own rules and difficulty levels!
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Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play (31–40)
pull-back car
This craft lets you experience the fun of a car you built yourself zooming forward powered by rubber bands.
Cut corrugated plastic (plastic cardboard) to match the size of the car body.
For the wheels, use bottle caps: make a hole in the center, then pass a bamboo skewer through to create the axle.
If you firmly attach this to the body with hot glue, it will start to look like a real car.
Hook a rubber band onto the rear axle and wind it by turning the axle forward, and you’re ready to go.
When you let go, the car surges ahead under the power of the rubber band.
You can freely design and color the body, so you can get particular about the appearance too.
Using everyday materials and a simple mechanism, it’s a hands-on project that’s both fun to build and a great way to learn, delivering dynamic motion.
Wani Wani Panic
This project builds a Whac-A-Gator-style game out of combined cardboard pieces, where targets like crocodiles pop out of holes one after another.
The key is the bent wire hidden inside the base; its unique shape creates the targets’ distinctive popping motion.
It’s also recommended to make targets in various designs, not just crocodiles, to add the fun of anticipating what will appear.
The simple look composed of rectangular shapes makes it easy to customize freely, which is another highlight.
5 Easy DIY Crafts You Can Try
Kids love crafts, but as first graders it can be hard to stay focused for a long time.
So here are some quick craft ideas you can finish in a short time.
You can make five things: a moving boat, a guitar, a fortune slip (omikuji), a ghost that pops out of a box, and a spinning top.
The materials are mostly recyclables—things you likely have at home—such as milk cartons, plastic bottles, wooden chopsticks, straws, ice cream sticks, and plastic bags.
You can play with each item after you make it, so once you’re done, decorate it however you like and put it to use as a fun at-home activity.
cake
Here’s an idea for felt cakes you can use for pretend play.
Basically, make a pattern for the cake shape you want, then cut the felt to match and sew it together.
You could make several slice-shaped shortcakes that combine into a whole cake for easier play.
Place a piece of cardboard on the bottom of each cake, then stuff it with cotton and sew it closed.
For the cream, cut the felt into a pinwheel shape and sew it so the tips gather tightly—this will make it look realistic.
After that, add your preferred toppings, like cream layers in the cross-section and strawberries!
Demon-slaying play in pachinko
Pachinko, long popular with children, makes a perfect toy for target practice.
Cross the ends of two chopsticks in a plus shape and tie them with a rubber band.
On the opposite end, lay a short chopstick across horizontally and secure it the same way.
Cut a small rectangle out of sturdy material like thick paper or a milk carton, then punch one hole on each side.
Thread a rubber band through each hole and tie them, then attach the other ends to the split tips of the chopsticks you made earlier.
That’s it! For targets, stick origami paper onto toilet paper rolls, draw faces to make little “oni” (demons), and you’re ready.
Make it by Setsubun and try your hand at “oni-slaying” on the day!
Handmade Games: Craft Ideas You Can Make and Play (41–50)
Powerful! Chopstick Gun
Prepare seven pairs of disposable chopsticks and plenty of rubber bands as materials.
First, use five pairs of chopsticks to make the main body.
Stack the chopsticks for the body alternately left and right so that about two-thirds overlap.
Secure them firmly at two points with rubber bands, then cut a notch at the front end to hook a rubber band.
Attach a short, cut chopstick to the rear of the body as the trigger, and glue another chopstick fixed in a V-shape behind that as the grip.
Your powerful chopstick gun is complete!
Water Play Crane Game
@silk_haru3mama Playing a crane game while splashing around#HandmadeToys#Summer VacationSummer Vacation Craftwork#AtHomePlay
Idol – YOASOBI
A crane game made with plastic cups for water play is a craft that really shines in the summer.
Cut slits into the bottom of a plastic cup, fold the sections back, and make a small hole in the center.
Thread a straw through the hole and secure it firmly with a hot glue gun so it moves smoothly—even underwater.
Float the finished crane on the water and use small toys or beads instead of prizes, and you can play a scooping game.
The unique sensation of operating it in water is fun, and kids will get absorbed in the challenge.
It’s a cooling, summertime-perfect idea for play.