![[Childcare] Easy! Make a DIY target game. Playful craft and fun game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Pu8WTG1gC44/hqdefault.jpg)
[Childcare] Easy! Make a DIY target game. Playful craft and fun game
When holding a mock street fair or summer festival at a nursery or kindergarten, it’s common to set up a game corner, isn’t it?
This time, we’re introducing handmade target-throwing games that are perfect for early childhood settings.
From creations using recycled materials like paper cups, chopsticks, and plastic bottles to decorated versions for special events, we’ve got plenty of target game ideas that will make participating children’s eyes light up with excitement!
Choose options that suit the children’s ages and developmental stages, and try making them together.
Target games have lots of benefits—they spark children’s curiosity and help cultivate concentration, thinking skills, and motor control.
Be sure to include them and have fun together with the kids.
[Childcare] Easy! Let's make a DIY target game. Playful crafts and fun games (1–10)
Defeat the ninja! Shuriken target practice
Here’s an introduction to a shuriken target game that’s easy to make—just download the special paper with cut and fold lines.
All you need at home are scissors and glue.
Then download the free papercraft templates and get them ready.
The templates show where to cut and in what order to fold, so assembly is simple.
First, let’s make the targets.
Follow the steps to create four colorful ninjas, and your targets are complete.
Next, make the shuriken by following the instructions on the template, and you’re done.
Now line up the colorful ninja targets and try throwing the shuriken!
Target-hitting game played with paper cup pop guns
How about making an easy, at-home target game? All you need are paper cups, balloons, and tape.
With just these, you can create a fun and safe target game.
Let’s get started.
First, tie the neck of a balloon and cut off the opposite end with scissors.
Take a paper cup with the bottom removed, stretch the balloon over the open end, and secure it firmly with tape.
Pull back the balloon part and release it, and you’ve got a paper-cup shooter that launches balls.
You can make the balls easily by rolling up paper or tape into little spheres.
Draw colorful, fun designs on another paper cup to make your target.
Aim at the target and have fun shooting with your paper-cup shooter.
Target-shooting game with a plastic bottle air cannon
Here’s a simple air cannon game that even small children can enjoy.
All you need are household recyclables like a plastic bottle, plus a balloon and some tape to make a fun toy.
You aim at targets using the air that comes out of the bottle, so it’s safe and risk-free to play.
It’s also easy to make: cut a plastic bottle in half and cover the cut edge with tape.
Stretch a cut balloon over the opening and secure it with tape.
Pull the balloon back and release it, and the air inside will shoot out—your air cannon is ready.
With this quick craft, you can enjoy lots of fascinating discoveries as invisible air becomes “visible.” Let’s make one and start playing!
Target-shooting game: Aim with ping-pong balls♪
A target-shooting game using ping-pong balls is perfect for a summer festival.
First, attach chopsticks to both sides of a clothespin.
You can simply wrap tape around them to secure.
Then attach a bottle cap to the tips of the chopsticks.
For this part, make a slit in the bottle cap, hook on a rubber band, and fasten it to the chopsticks.
Finally, place a ping-pong ball in the bottle cap, press the chopsticks downward, and release—the ball will launch with force.
To put it simply, it’s like a small catapult.
Because it’s tricky to aim, it makes for an exciting game.
Target shooting game with water guns
If you’re looking for a craft that lets kids show their personality, a water-gun target game is a great choice.
First, cut a paper plate in half.
Pretend it’s a fish and have your child color it and draw a face.
Finally, an adult should punch a hole at the top and thread a loop of curling ribbon through it.
Hang it from a clothesline or a horizontal bar, and you’re done.
When you aim with a water gun, the target swings, making it extra fun.
Another nice point is that you’re not knocking targets down, so it doesn’t feel aggressive.
Straw blow dart cup-target game
A simple and fun blow-dart game that children can play from age four.
You’ll need construction paper, a paper cup, and two straws—one thick and one thin.
Scissors, crayons, and tape are also helpful.
Since the goal is to hit a paper-cup target with the blow dart, making the target colorful makes it even more fun.
Cut small slits into the tip of the thin straw and attach a circular piece of cardstock to it.
Insert this thin straw into the thick straw to complete the blow dart.
Make the target with a paper cup.
Write colorful point values on construction paper, cut them out with scissors, and tape them onto the paper cup.
Your target is ready.
Aim at the target and blow hard through the straw to launch the dart—now you’ve got a fun game ready to play.
Play hero with a extending sword!
When it’s raining and you can’t go outside, how about playing hero at home? All you need are everyday items like straws, chopsticks, newspaper, and construction paper.
We’ll show you a game you can make easily with things you already have and start playing right away.
First, the hero’s sword: make a handle by inserting chopsticks into a cut straw.
Then wrap a long strip of construction paper—glued together if needed—around it to form the blade, and your sword is complete.
For targets, line up several balloon balls made from crumpled newspaper.
Now you’re all set.
Aim your hero’s extendable sword at the balloon targets and see if you can hit them!
Exterminate ghosts in a target-shooting game!
In a target-shooting game, the design of the targets is important.
No matter how impressive your launcher is, if the targets are just plastic bottles, it can be disappointing.
That’s why we recommend a ghost-busting target game.
Preparation is simple! First, gather several toilet paper rolls.
Then decorate them with origami paper and stickers to make them look like ghosts.
Be careful not to make them too scary, though.
Also, if you cut two slits at the end of a toilet paper roll and hook a rubber band onto them, you can even make a simple launcher.
Shooting Game You Can Make with Paper
Even when you suddenly feel like playing a target game, it’s reassuring to know a paper shooting game you can whip up.
To make this target game, all you need are paper, rubber bands, and scissors.
You can gather those in no time, right? The steps are simple too—most of the process is just folding paper.
There are a few moments when you’ll need scissors, so please have an adult help at those times! It’s also fun to decorate by drawing pictures on the targets or adding stickers.
Target Game with Milk Cartons
An easy project you can try using items lying around the house is a target-shooting game made from a milk carton.
In fact, this game was invented by Masato Kubota, famous from the popular TV show “Tsukutte Asobo.” First, prepare one milk carton and cut off the bottom.
Then cut off the top as well, and open the carton so it lies flat.
Next, fold it into a mountain fold down the center and staple it to hold the shape.
It will look like the kanji character for “mountain.” Hook a rubber band onto it, pull back from the rear, and you’ve got a launcher ready to go.