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!
- Handmade Lottery Draws Kids Will Love! A Fun Collection of Ideas to Make and Play
- Kids and adults alike will be captivated! A collection of DIY marble run ideas
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas You Can Create Yourself
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Ideas for a Target Shooting Game
- [For Elementary School Kids] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas
- [Childcare] Easy! Make a DIY target game. Playful craft and fun game
- [Lots of Ideas!] Handmade Target-Throwing Game
- [Make with Kids] Handmade Outdoor Play Toy Special
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- [For Kids] Today’s Handmade Craft Ideas
- [For Kids] Have Fun at After-School Day Service! A Special Feature on Indoor Game Ideas
- Adults will be hooked! A collection of craft ideas using toilet paper rolls
- [Indoor Activities] A Collection of Craft Ideas Recommended for Elementary School Students
Handmade Games: Craft Ideas You Can Make and Play (41–50)
Rubber band gun craft made from cardboard
@nami_aidakko #Nami Manaka#CardboardCraftsRubber gunTranslation
♪ Original song – Komatsuna 🤍🥬 @study account – Komatsuna 🥬💗❕
A rubber band gun made from cardboard is a simple craft that parents and kids can enjoy together! Use thick cardboard, cut out the body following a template, and make the trigger using chopsticks or a clothespin.
Set a rubber band and it can actually shoot.
It’s quite safe, and all the materials are easy to find.
It nurtures children’s creativity, and adults can get absorbed too, feeling like a kid again with this target-shooting craft.
Decorating it to create your own custom gun is also recommended! Be sure to use this as a reference and have fun getting creative!
Handmade Games: Craft Ideas You Can Make and Play (51–60)
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.
Strikeout for kids
@nami_aidakko Voice LibraryStrikeoutCardboard artShooting GalleryHashtag-like
♫ Dear Boy — Hump Back
This is a cardboard craft project for a strikeout game that’s super popular at festivals! First, choose a piece of cardboard sized to fit the children.
Cut out a 3×3 grid, then decorate the cut-out pieces.
Finally, adjust the cut-outs so they fit nicely into the frame.
It’s easy to make, and since it’s cardboard, it’s also great for use as a shooting game target! Share ideas, get creative, and have fun together—kids and adults alike!
Target shooting game with an air cannon
Fun for kids and adults alike! This is a shooting game you can enjoy indoors.
Punch a hole in an empty snack box, tie off a balloon’s mouth, and cut off the tip.
Stretch the cut balloon over the hole in the box, then put the original lid back on and secure it with vinyl tape.
Decorate the outside with origami paper, and your air cannon is complete! For targets, you can cut cardboard into any shapes you like and start playing right away, just like a shooting gallery.
It’s easy fun for both kids and adults, so try customizing it for different events and enjoy!
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!