Do you know the arcade game “Whac-A-Croc”? It’s a simple game where you whack crocodiles that pop up at random, and it’s especially popular with children because it’s easy to play.
Many people who played it as kids still take on the challenge today, aiming for high scores as adults.
In this article, we’ll share DIY ideas for making your own Whac-A-Croc! They’re perfect for kids’ events, festivals, or at-home play.
With milk cartons, plastic bottles, and cardboard, you’ll find it surprisingly easy to make—so give it a try and have fun!
- DIY whack-a-mole ideas—perfect for festivals and school fairs!
- Great for festival stalls! Handmade game ideas
- Handmade Lottery Draws Kids Will Love! A Fun Collection of Ideas to Make and Play
- Handmade snake toy. A fun idea you can move and play with!
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Ideas for a Target Shooting Game
- Fun at home! DIY bowling ideas
- Simple yet amazing crafts: craft ideas that elementary school students will want to make
- [Childcare] Easy! Make a DIY target game. Playful craft and fun game
- Handmade sugoroku ideas: exciting original sugoroku
- Origami ideas boys will want to make!
- Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play
- [Nursery/Kindergarten] Crafts you can play with after making them
- Easy for elementary school kids! A cute collection of felt mascot-making ideas
Easy to make! DIY ideas for Whack-a-Gator
Make it with milk cartons and plastic bottles! Whac-A-Croc
This is the classic way to make a Whack-a-Croc game.
For the crocodiles, stuff newspaper into a milk carton and insert a plastic bottle as a handle.
Cover the outside with green construction paper, and draw the eyes and mouth with a pen or make them from paper.
For the main unit, use cardboard and flyers.
Fold all the bottom flaps of the cardboard box inward and tape them shut; on the opposite side, fold only one large rectangular flap inward.
Don’t fold it all the way in—fix it at the position where the lid would close.
Then make a curtain from flyers and attach it to the back side of the folded, fixed section, and you’re done.
It’s simple, but you can enjoy a surprisingly authentic Whack-a-Croc!
Looks just like the real thing! Whac-A-Gator
Here’s an idea for anyone who wants to make the same Whac-A-Croc game you find at arcades! It’s a mini-sized version, but it even replicates rank and bonus displays, making it look just like the real thing.
You’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment when you finish.
The basics can be made out of cardboard, so give it a try.
For coloring, use colored tape instead of construction paper—the gloss makes it look more authentic.
Since it’s manual, split roles into the person who makes the crocs pop out and the person who whacks them, and have fun!
Whac-A-Croc with sound
Here’s an idea for a sound-making crocodile using a shoe rack and a call bell.
Imagine the shoe rack as the crocodile’s mouth, fix the call bell between the jaws, and when you hit it, the bell is pressed and makes a sound.
Both the shoe rack and the bell can be bought at a 100-yen shop, so the cost is low.
However, since shoe racks are often made of plastic, you’ll likely need to paint it to give it a crocodile-like appearance.
That said, the fact that it makes a sound when struck is easy for both children and the elderly to understand, making it an idea worth copying.
Make it with a milk carton and a tension rod! Whac-A-Gator
Here’s an idea for making a Whac-A-Croc-style game using milk cartons and a tension rod.
The idea is to cover milk cartons with origami paper or construction paper to make them look like crocodiles, which makes it easy to add your own originality.
Just by changing the color of the origami paper, you can easily create a one-of-a-kind crocodile.
It’s fun to try color schemes you won’t find in the original, like pink or yellow crocodiles.
Also, since you use a tension rod, you can adjust the length.
Halloween version of Whac-A-Croc
Speaking of Whac-A-Mole, as the name suggests, it’s a game where you hit crocodiles that pop out—but this is the Halloween version.
Instead of crocodiles, ghosts like mummies and Frankenstein appear.
If you make the main unit in Halloween-ish orange, purple, and black, it will really capture that eerie vibe.
You’ll also want to make the curtain that hides where the ghosts are lurking in black to represent the darkness of night.
How about trying this for a Halloween party at a childcare facility or community event?
Easy to whack! Whac-A-Croc
Another important factor is how to make it easy for kids to hit.
So I’d like to introduce an idea for a Whac-A-Gator game that’s all about ease of whacking.
First, prepare a desk that’s the size children usually use.
This makes it easier for them to spot the gator from their eye level.
Then, stand a cardboard box with the bottom removed on the desk.
From inside the box, move a handmade gator in and out, and have the kids hit it when it pops out.
At this time, it’s also important to move the gator at a speed that makes it easy to hit.
Make it with cardboard! Whac-A-Croc
How about making a Whack-a-Croc game using only cardboard? People often make the crocodiles out of milk cartons, but sometimes you don’t have any empty cartons on hand.
In that case, cut out some cardboard, roll it up tightly to form the crocodiles, and give it a try.
Just note that if you don’t roll it enough times, it will get crushed when hit, so either roll more layers or use a lightweight hammer.
If you want the crocodiles to be green, you can glue on green construction paper or color the cardboard directly with markers.
The base unit where the crocodiles pop out can be made with a single sheet of cardboard and some raffia (Suzuran) tape.
Make it with a plastic bottle! Whac-A-Gator
Here’s an idea for making a crocodile using a plastic bottle and colored tape.
Crocodiles are often made with milk cartons, but since they get hit during games, they wear out quickly.
If you want to make a sturdier crocodile, using a plastic bottle is a great option.
Wrap the bottle with green tape, and use yellow, red, and white tape to make the eyes and mouth.
Then insert a stick into the bottle’s mouth opening to serve as a handle, secure it, and you’re done! Stuffing it with newspaper or similar material will make it even sturdier.
Whac-A-Gator: Shinkansen Edition
Normally, in Whac-A-Mole you hit the gators, right? But since you’re making it by hand, I think it’s fine to add major tweaks.
So here’s an idea I’d like to introduce: instead of gators, you hit bullet trains.
First, prepare some milk cartons.
Paint them or add cut-and-paste decorations to make them look like Shinkansen trains.
Then just attach a stick, and you’re done.
I showcased the Shinkansen idea this time, but it’s perfectly fine to make other vehicles or animals instead.
Usable for Whac-A-Gator! Wani-Wani doll
Here’s an idea for making a crocodile out of a milk carton.
First, wrap a milk carton with green construction paper, leaving the top open, and make a vertical cut from the bottom.
Make the cut so that about one third of the carton remains uncut—this will form the mouth.
As it is, the mouth won’t open up and down, so make horizontal cuts perpendicular to the vertical cut.
Now the upper and lower jaws can move.
Next, shave down the inner edges of both jaws slightly, and attach teeth cut out from another milk carton.
This crocodile works by putting your hand inside to move the mouth, so don’t forget to make slits in the upper and lower jaws and attach handles.
Finish by adding the eyes, and you’re done! Since it’s worn on the hand, it can move quickly, but getting hit by it can hurt, so please use a soft hammer when playing.
In conclusion
How did you like the handmade Whac-A-Croc idea? It may be tough to build an electric version like the ones in arcades, but a manual one is actually quite easy to make! I think kids will be totally absorbed in playing with it, so give it a try. For the hammer, get a squeaky toy hammer like the ones sold at 100-yen shops.