Make Your Own Games
Sometimes children get the most satisfaction from a game which they have made themselves – whether it be a simple board game invented with their own rules, to a full scale beanbag toss game which can be used for years. We have lots of ideas for “Make your own games” here.
When you start the kids off making their own game, try to step back a bit if you can and let them lead with their imagination if at all possible. The ideas and rules they come up with might not be conventional, but they will enjoy the game all the more and learn more from the experience if you give them at least some free rein!
Blow Skiing
Here’s a fun home-made game you can play in the winter – perfect for the Winter Olympics too! It’s also an excellent game for asthmatic children, encouraging them to blow out steadily.
Curling Game
This homemade curling game is a great idea for a winter’s afternoon or to accompany the Winter Olympics. We love crafts that you can enjoy playing with afterwards as they tick all sorts of boxes!
Design A Simple Board Game
In our house we can’t decide which is more fun: designing the game, or playing it! All you need is some bits and pieces from around the house and a little imagination, and your kids may create a family treasure – or even a new Monopoly!
Indoor Golf Game
Make your own indoor golf game using recycled materials – so that your kids can enjoy a craft activity and the game afterwards! The instructions below are for a 6-hole game, perfect for younger kids, but of course you can make a full 9 hole golf course if you like.
Make A Beanbag Tossing Game
This project is an excellent way for bored children to pass some time, as the planning and preparation of the game will take a while, and the game itself can be played on many different levels and stored easily for the future.
Make A Ping Pong Bat And Net
China introduced table tennis, or ping pong, to the world, and has always excelled at this fun sport. You can make your own “toy” ping pong bat craft. They won’t stand up to too much use, but you should be able to get a game or two out of them!
Make Your Own Shuttlecock
Shuttlecocks are fun to make – and we have many ingenious shuttlecock games of skill in which your children can use them to while away the hours, both on their own and with friends.
Make Your Own Skittles
Making your own skittles is an easy craft for children of all ages – and you will end up with a game that they can enjoy, and be proud of, for years to come!
You will need:
Otedama
Otedama is a game played with are fabric beanbags (called ojami) which used to be sewn by grandmothers from silk kimono scraps. They are used for juggling games and skill games similar to jacks and knucklebones.
Otedama Games
Otedama is a traditional Japanese game for girls played with 5 small beanbags (or ojami.) The beanbags were often made by grandmothers with scraps of kimonos. Special otedama songs were used. You can make your own ojami and then use them to play the following skill games:
Shove Ha’Froggy Game
Just for fun, here’s our froggy version of shove ha’penny, which the kids can make themselves!
You will need:
Tiddlywinks Golf Course
This clever tiddlywinks golf course can be moved around to provide a number of different golf holes, some more difficult than others. You can also create all sorts of obstacles to make your tiddlywinks golf more exciting!
Tiu-u (Fishing)
This game of Chinese dominoes may sound complicated but is in fact very simple to play. The name fishing comes from the idea that players fish for matching dominoes. The game was originally played with bone or wood dominoes.
