Handmade mancala ideas: an educational toy you can make from recycled materials

Mancala with a milk carton

Let's make and play Mancala!

The Mancala I’m introducing this time is made using 13 milk cartons.

First, cut about 3.5 cm off the bottom to create 12 small boxes.

For the long vertical parts, cut one carton in half and use those pieces.

After cutting, join the cartons together with vinyl tape to complete the main body.

Next, make the playing pieces.

Cut the carton into circles about the size of a 500-yen coin, and paint them in bright colors to make them look nice.

It’s easy to make, so once you’ve collected some empty milk cartons, be sure to try making it and have fun playing!

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hanauta obasan

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Mancala with paper cups

[Handmade] Mancala / Board Game / Educational Toy [A bit rough—so you’ll grow attached!?]

Here’s an idea for making a DIY Mancala board using paper cups and cardboard.

First, make slits in the paper cups with a utility knife, then cut along them with scissors and fold the edges inward.

Next, cut colored construction paper to fit inside the cups and attach it to the bottom and sides.

It’s helpful to use the same color or pattern of paper for cups on the same team.

For the board, cut the cardboard to match the shape of the cups using a utility knife.

Once the cups are taped onto the board with duct tape, it’s complete.

For the pieces, it’s recommended to make them from sturdy materials like thick cardboard.

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Mancala with sponge sheets

Mancala is a long-beloved board game and is also popular as an educational toy for children.

This is an idea for a mancala set made by stacking multiple layers of sponge sheets with circular cutouts.

Basically, to play mancala you just need two boards with six holes each and some stones.

The stones can be substituted with marbles or flat glass beads, so there’s no need to make them.

You can use a craft knife to cut the sponge sheets into circles, but a large hole punch might make the job faster.

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sasashina

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Mancala with aluminum cans

What shall we play? Let’s play “Handmade Mancala”!

Here’s how to handcraft a mancala board using 12 aluminum cans.

First, cut about 2 cm off the bottom of each can with scissors.

Next, make slits at the 1 cm mark and fold them inward.

Be sure to do this safely using pliers.

After that, use an awl to make a hole in the center, then screw the cans onto a wooden board with a screwdriver.

Attach the plastic cases at both ends in the same way.

It’s sturdy, so you’ll have a durable mancala board you can play with for a long time!

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Mancala made with resin

Strategic Elegance: Mancala Chessboard Resin Molds Kit DIY – Craft the Battlefield of Wit & Grace!

If you want to make a stylish and durable mancala board, why not try resin? Basically, you just pour resin into a mold and let it cure, so even beginners can make it.

In this idea, they mix something like gold leaf into clear resin, pour it into the mold, then add colored resin to form the board.

Vibrantly colored resin is also used for the stones, and some of them sparkle just like the board! Make two identical boards and connect them later with hinges.

Since it folds, it should be easy to store.

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sasashina

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