[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Ideas for a Target Shooting Game
Starting with festival-style shooting galleries, target games are a popular pastime enjoyed by both kids and adults.
It’s a simple game where you just aim at and hit the targets with a ball or similar, but missing can be so frustrating that you can’t help getting hooked.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of DIY ideas for target games.
If you’re looking for handmade games that will delight children, why not give these a try?
Decorate the targets as ghosts or demons, and prepare different ways to knock them down—not just balls, but also toy guns, archery sets, air cannons, and more—to make things even more exciting!
- [Lots of Ideas!] Handmade Target-Throwing Game
- Ideas for Making a Shooting Game out of Cardboard! A Collection of Simple, Exciting Ideas for Kids and Adults
- [Craft] Handmade Ideas for Strikeout Targets [Recreation]
- Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play
- [Recreation] Fun! A collection of DIY ring toss ideas
- Handmade Lottery Draws Kids Will Love! A Fun Collection of Ideas to Make and Play
- [Handmade] Let's play with shuriken! A collection of homemade target practice ideas
- DIY whack-a-mole ideas—perfect for festivals and school fairs!
- [Childcare] Easy! Make a DIY target game. Playful craft and fun game
- DIY ideas for bingo cards
- Handmade toys with cardboard! DIY game ideas that will captivate kids
- [For Kids] DIY Snowman Craft Ideas!
- Fun at home! DIY bowling ideas
[Let’s Make and Play!] DIY Target Shooting Game Ideas (1–10)
Target practice game with an extending sword
A “stretching sword target game” that boys in particular are likely to love.
When you swing the sword, the paper wrapped around it extends and knocks down the target.
The extended part can be rolled back as many times as you like, so you can enjoy it repeatedly.
It’s easy to make, so try making it with your kids.
First, insert a chopstick into a straw with the tip cut off and secure it with tape.
Take about 10 sheets of copy paper cut in half horizontally, connect them side by side, and attach one end to the straw.
Finally, roll the paper around the straw, and it’s done! Since this sword isn’t very sturdy, lightweight targets like paper balloons are recommended.
Strikeout you can play at home
It would be fun to play “Struck Out,” the game you often see on variety shows, at home! Here’s an easy DIY idea using felt.
Use adhesive felt to make the numbers 1–9 and stick each one onto separate pieces of felt.
Next, evenly attach the numbered felt pieces to a large felt sheet, flip it over, and fix a rod to the areas with double-sided tape.
You can also decorate it with any leftover felt! For the balls, wrap hook-and-loop (Velcro) tape around ping-pong balls.
Hang the board from a hook and play by throwing the balls at it.
Try customizing the rules, like deciding how many balls each player can throw and competing by the total of the numbers they hit!
Shooting game made with newspaper
Let’s make a shooting game using old newspapers at home! It’s a fun and budget-friendly craft you can create with things you already have.
First, roll up a sheet of newspaper tightly to form a stick and secure it with tape.
Next, prepare two chopsticks with their tips slightly cut off, and wrap a rubber band around the tip to hold them in place.
Open one end of one of the chopsticks, insert the newspaper stick that you bent near the center, and secure the top with a rubber band.
Then, take the remaining piece of the chopstick you cut earlier and tape it to the tip of the newspaper stick to fill any gaps—now your pop gun is complete! For ammo, use a small ball made by crumpling a tissue and attaching a rubber band.
Set up lightweight targets like empty cans or plastic bottles and have fun!
[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Ideas for Target-Throwing Games (11–20)
Target practice game with paper cups
Let’s make a target game with paper cups.
First, prepare two paper cups with the bottoms cut out and stack them.
Since you’ll be using a craft knife to cut them out, be sure to assist young children if they’re helping.
Next, take another paper cup and cut it about 2 centimeters up from the bottom, then make a cross-shaped slit in the bottom piece.
Tie a rubber band to a cotton swab with the cotton tip removed, thread it through the slits from the inside of the cup, and secure it with tape.
Finally, stack this onto the first paper cup, and you’re done.
When you pull the rubber band from the inside, the paper cup will launch with a snap.
For the target, use paper cups labeled with point values.
Spiderweb Darts
Spiderweb darts really capture the festive autumn vibe! It’s great that you can make them with just a paper plate and masking tape.
It’s also a fun project to do with kids.
The hands-on work helps boost concentration, too! Making the darts yourself is enjoyable—play with colors and shapes to create your own unique set.
You can play indoors, so it’s perfect for rainy days.
With event-style decorations, it’s sure to get everyone excited.
Why not include it in your fall activities?
Fruit Target Shooting
Here’s a target game you can make using a two-tier sweater drying net from the 100-yen shop.
First, you’ll only use the top tier of the drying net, so cut the connecting seam with scissors to separate it from the bottom tier.
Next, use felt to make fruits like bananas, apples, and watermelons, and sew them onto the net you kept.
Finally, wrap double-sided hook-and-loop tape around a color ball in a cross shape, and you’re done! When you throw the ball, the tape sticks to the net.
The net already has a hanger hook, so it’s great because you can hang it anywhere and play!
Oni-slaying game with a ball
Let’s make a perfect bean-throwing–season target game with an oni (ogre) theme! You’ll need capsule toys, clay, a bamboo skewer, an oni illustration, and a toilet paper roll core.
First, open the capsule toy and put clay in the bottom part.
Make a hole in the center of the top part.
Close the capsule, thread the bamboo skewer through the hole, and attach the oni illustration.
Cut the toilet paper roll core into three rings about 5 mm wide, combine them to make a ball, and you’re done.
The target pops back up like a roly-poly toy, so you can enjoy it over and over!