Backyard Games

This month we are making, building, and constructing things from cardboard. You can make anything out of cardboard!!! 

It's sturdy, strong, and abundant. You can paint it, mark it, tape it, glue it, and attach it using simple tabs and slots and brads (for moveable parts). 

And it's free!

We happen to have several large sheets of cardboard, and kids LOVE making things that are BIG - like life size! 

So we started out by making arcade games, similar to our cornhole game that we play in the backyard.

First we sketched out some design ideas with pencil and paper. The the kids traced lids where they wanted the holes for beanbag or ball toss games, and I cut them out with my Canary Cutter. (If you work with cardboard, you gotta get one! Safe for middle schoolers and older to use themselves.)

Then they painted their games and we placed them out in the sun to dry. It was a windy day so we had held them down with flower pots.

While the games dried, we made quick no-sew bean bags. We cut colorful plastic party table covers into rectangles, folded them in half, taped the two sides, filled them with pinto beans, taped the tops, and put them in snack size zip lock bags. Even the youngest could do it!

Some games required balls, which we also had on hand - a great garage sale find! The kids took home the number and colors of balls they needed for their game.

This mini basketball game definitely needed balls to play it properly. 

Our games can be played indoors or out. 

The biggest challenge was getting them into the car for the trip home!