5-in-1-diy-games

We spend the entire school year looking forward to Summer. We miss our kids and can’t wait to spend some quality time with them. Then, just around this time, a few weeks into Summer, we start to panic, just a little. Summer days are longer and much more expensive. We’re struggling to keep the kids busy during the long days, without spending a fortune and making a tornado of a mess in the house. DIY games to the rescue! Last night, the entire house was clean, I had a fool-proof plan for the day, and was sure it was going to go accordingly. Not! You wouldn’t believe my day if I told you. I’m a mom. Just imagine one of your own, everything-goes-wrong days. That’s the path my day took, since 4:00 a.m. this morning. Heading into the evening, I was running so behind on my schedule. I still needed to cook dinner, pick up the tornado in the house, and get the older kids off to soccer practice. The triplets were bored and cranky. I didn’t want to offer them even more toys to leave all around the house. But, according to our “Summer Schedule,” it was almost play time. Because I’m clever, (moms are, you know!) I came up with a super fun idea: 5-in-1 Diy Games! I had them all up and running within 30 minutes.

1. Tic Tac Toe (Floor)

2. Tic Tac Toe (Toss)

3. Letters Toss

4. Numbers Toss

5. Site Reading Toss

DIY Games: TIC-TAC-TOE Floor Play & Toss

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SUPPLIES:

  • Small Bowl

  • Pen

  • Painter’s Tape

  • Scissors

  • Tri-Fold Board (or other cardboard)

  • Markers

  • A wooden block or other small box-shaped item

HOW TO MAKE YOUR 5-In-1 DIY GAMES

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Trace small bowl onto cardboard to make circle (O) game pieces. Draw outlined X(s) onto cardboard. Quantity is up to you, but I recommend a minimum of 6 each.
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You can paint your game pieces, use colored cardboard, or just leave them plain. We decided to paint them for fun.

Using painter’s tape, create an extra large tic-tac-toe board on the floor by applying the tape in lines onto the floor.

For easy level play, sit on the floor and place your pieces onto the “board.” For an extra challenge, toss your pieces onto the board from a set distance.

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Once we were done playing Tic-Tac-Toe, we decided to play Numbers Toss. For this, you’ll need a large DIY Dice. I’ll show you how to make that below. Super easy! This is a super fun way to help kids learn numbers, and even practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication. The options are endless!

You can do the same with letters, and site reading words. Have an adult write the letters or words on index cards. Write the letters and words in large print on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Place the papers on the board. Have the adult call out the letters or words and the kids have to toss the game pieces or another object, such as a ring, from a designated distance, onto the correct letter or word.

Not only is this super educational, it’s a great wait to teach sharing, waiting, taking turns, and how to be a good winner and that it’s okay to lose.

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To make the large dice, I just used a wooden block we already had, taped all sides with the painter’s tape, and wrote numbers on each side.

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What are your favorite DIY games?

If you liked this, please let us know by commenting, liking, sharing, tweeting, or pinning. Thanks! You might also love this adorable DIY Emotions Activity to help young children identify and express their emotions.

By:  Alicia Gonzalez