If you’re having an outdoor even for kids and don’t want to spend a ton of money having your own DIY games is always a great idea! These games are also a lot of fun for adults as well. Here are three projects the are easy to make, easy to store, and easy to play!
- Obstacle Course– Obstacle courses are so easy to make and can be amended for any audience. Having smaller guests going through instead of putting your noodles across cones have them just lay on the ground. Using items you have already around the house like pool noodles, orange cones, hula hoops, buckets, balls, etc. Check out some possible obstacles below:
- Jumping over pool noodles, place them on top of orange cones or even just two boxes to vary the height.
- Dive through or have them take a step in each hula hoop.
- Create a line and have the kids get at least one ball in the bucket before moving on.
- Giant Ker Plunk– Modeled after the popular kids game Ker Plunk. Giant Ker Plunk is easy to make and easy to play! Ker-Plunk takes a steady hand, as you skillfully remove the sticks from the play pit ball-filled tube. Chicken wire is filled with play pit balls, which are supported by crisscrossing dowel rods inserted through the chicken wire. Each player takes a turn removing a rod from the tube, trying to dislodge as few balls as possible. As the game progresses and fewer rods remain, it gets harder to keep the balls from going ker-plunk! Play continues until all the balls have fallen. The player with the fewest balls in wins! This game is for two to four players. It is also a good idea to have a bucket next to each player, when their balls fall they can collect them and put them in their bucket to be counted at the end. Get detailed step-by-step instructions on how to build this game.
- Giant Jenga– Giant jenga is very easy to make but just in case you’d rather buy it you can find it HERE. During the game, players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of blocks. Each block removed is then balanced on top of the tower, creating a progressively taller but less stable structure. The name Jenga is derived from a Swahili word meaning “build”. To build your own giant Jenga see the instructions below:
- First you need to buy enough 2×4 boards to cut into forty-eight 10 1/2 inch pieces. You can cut the boards yourself or have them cut at your local store, Home Depot, Lowes, or a lumber yard can all do this for you. Try to avoid wood that has large knots or holes in it. Next sand all the edges, so everything is smooth and can slide easily across each other.
- If you’d like to you can stain or paint all of the wooden blocks and seal them.
- If you’re not going to seal your blocks remember that leaving them outside could warp your wood.