![[Lots of Ideas!] Handmade Target-Throwing Game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/PWADqO7GUXU/maxresdefault.webp)
[Lots of Ideas!] Handmade Target-Throwing Game
One of the games kids absolutely love and get excited about is target throwing.
Not only children but also adults tend to get into it, perhaps because it brings back memories of enjoying it at summer festival stalls.
In this article, we’ll share handmade, play-as-you-make ideas for enjoying target throwing.
When it’s handmade, you get the fun of making it and the bonus of playing with what you’ve created, and kids will feel more attached to something they made themselves.
Choose ideas that are easy to play with according to your child’s age.
[Lots of Ideas!] DIY Target-Throwing Games (1–10)
Balloon slingshot target game
A target-shooting game using a balloon pop gun that shoots pellets with a burst of force.
By changing the height and distance of the targets and assigning different point values, it becomes a game you can enjoy together with children.
First, cut the balloon into an upper and lower part, and tie the mouth of the lower part.
Place the lower part over a paper cup with the bottom cut out and tape it in place.
Next, roll up some paper and wrap it with tape to make the pellets.
Write point values on paper cups cut in half to create the targets, and you’re done.
Pull the balloon’s knot to launch the pellet and try to hit the targets—it’s a shooting game idea.
A target-hitting game with archery
These days you can even find the supplies at 100-yen shops—let’s try making a handmade archery set.
Connect two toilet paper rolls end to end to form the base, and make a hole in the center for the arrow to pass through.
Cut slits at the top and bottom with scissors, hook on a rubber band, and secure it with tape to complete the bow.
Next, crumple a tissue into a ball, wrap it with masking tape to hold its shape, and attach it to a straw.
Finally, cut a notch in the other end of the straw so the rubber band can catch onto it, and your arrow is done.
A bigger target makes it easier to play, so stack paper cups in a pyramid and compete to see how many you can knock down.
Target game with paper cores
This is a rubber band shooter you can make with materials you have at home, where you line up paper cores as targets.
Cut slits in a toilet paper core wrapped with duct tape to thread a rubber band through.
Next, cut open the tip of a straw, fold the left and right sides, hook the rubber band onto it, and secure it with tape.
Thread the rubber band through the core, then tape it firmly in place to complete the shooter.
Line up targets made from the cores and shoot balls made of duct tape to play.
It’s also fun to use kitchen paper cores to set up targets at different heights.
Give this easy shooting game a try—kids can enjoy making and playing with it, too.
Target-hitting game with an extending sword
How about trying a target-hitting game like the ones you see at food stalls or festivals? When you think of target games, things like balls or shooting games might seem a bit difficult for small children, and you might need to prepare lots of balls.
But in this version, you aim at the targets with an easy-to-use “extendable sword.” The extendable sword can be made easily with just a straw, disposable chopsticks, and copier paper.
It would be fun for everyone to make their own original sword, too.
For targets, you can reuse materials like plastic bottles.
Wobbly Ghost Target Game
How about making ghosts out of drawing paper and balloons and enjoying a target-throwing game? If you attach some twine to the finished ghosts and hang them from above, they’ll sway gently with even a little wind or vibration.
Hang a bunch of them, and it will look like a horde of ghosts is closing in! You can use any kind of “weapon” to knock them down—prepare whatever you like, such as balls made from crumpled newspaper or an air cannon.
As long as you’ve pre-cut the parts, assembling the ghosts is just a matter of sticking them together, so it’s also a great activity to enjoy making ghosts with your child.
Pinball-style target-hitting game
Let’s play a handmade target game that lets you enjoy both the fun of making and the fun of playing with what you’ve made.
You’ll use easy-to-find items like chopsticks, clothespins, and plastic bottle caps, so give it a try and have fun! Use a tool that takes advantage of the clothespin’s spring to launch a ball powerfully into the distance and aim it at a homemade target.
Try designing the target to look cool and stylish, too.
This is a great craft-and-play activity for preschools and kindergartens, as well as at home.
Elementary school students might even make it as an independent project.
Target-shooting game with a rubber band gun
This is a target-shooting game using a rubber band gun made with a straw and a clothespin.
Rubber band guns are often made from chopsticks, but for small children, a straw version might be easier to handle.
It may look difficult to make, but in reality you just need to attach five parts, so follow the steps and take your time.
Fixing the straw and the clothespin can be a bit tricky depending on age, so an adult should help with that part.
You can use anything for the target, like construction paper or paper cups.
Just be sure not to aim at people or animals.
A shooting game made only out of paper
Even when you suddenly feel like playing a target-shooting game, you’ll be all set if you remember this paper shooting game.
All you need to make this target game is paper, rubber bands, and scissors.
You can get those ready right away, right? It’s easy to make, too—most of the steps just involve folding paper.
There are a few parts where you’ll need scissors, so please have an adult help at those times! It’s also fun to decorate the targets by drawing pictures or adding stickers.
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.
Sticky Target Game
For those who want to prepare something more elaborate and surprise the kids, a “Can you hit the target?” game is perfect.
First, get some ping-pong balls and stick narrow strips of hook-and-loop tape on them in a radial pattern.
Next, prepare some construction paper and attach felt to it.
It’s a good idea to write point values on the felt, too.
That’s it—done.
When you throw the ping-pong balls at the felt, they’ll stick.
There’s also a strategic element in deciding which point area to aim for, making it great for educational play.