Homemade Family Board Games: Fun DIY Ideas
Do you love playing family board games but getting tired of the same old ones? If so, have you considered making your own? Playing board games together is an excellent way for the family to bond, and why not take that to the next level by getting creative and making your own? In this article, we’ll explore some awesome ideas and how to make your own homemade family board games. Fun for all ages and all levels of gaming experience!
1. Getting Started With Homemade Board Games
Creating your own homemade board games has never been easier – and can be way more fun! Whether you’re looking for ways to keep your kids entertained, engage with a group of friends, or just want something new and exciting for game night, these DIY ideas are sure to delight everyone in the family.
- Design a unimagined game – make something unique that hasn’t been done before. Take a basic game and transform it into something you’ll all enjoy. Think of a theme, decide on the rules, and map out the game pieces and board.
- Make a classic board game – if you’re feeling creative but don’t want to create something entirely new, make a classic. Design a game like Monopoly or Sorry with a twist! Modify the rules, create your own pretend ‘currency’, or design a board with unique shapes and patterns.
- Turn a favorite activity into a game – does your family do a special activity together? Transform it into a board game so you have even more fun! Design pieces and rules for the activity and, depending on the game, add challenges for extra excitement.
With these DIY board game ideas, you can make something simple yet special that your family will love and be sure to play over and over again. Spend some time designing and creating and you’ll be surprised by the board games you can make at home!
2. Crafting the Ideal Board Game for Your Family
Whether you’re bored of unboxing your preexisting board games or you’re looking to build something more personal for your family, crafting homemade board games is an enjoyable and entertaining way to spend quality time with loved ones. Here are some ideas to help get you started:
- Trivia Night – Put your knowledge to the test by creating your own family-themed trivia night. Ask questions relating to inside jokes and past experiences shared with each other to make it even more personalized!
- Monopoly – Design and build your own custom-made version of monopoly. Instead of street and property names, why not use family names, funny nicknames, or goofy inside jokes from the family?
- Memory Match – Take some blank tiles and create a memory match game by detailing some of your most beloved family memories including photos, moments, and stories.
These are just a few of the ideas you can use to craft the perfect family board game. Begin the creative journey today and you’ll be able to kick back fondly as the family plays your creation!
3. Creative Board Game Ideas to Get You Started
Whether you’re looking for a hilarious game to while away the hours with your family, or you want an educational game that teaches good lessons, these family-friendly board game ideas offer just that. All of these DIY ideas are low-cost, but they’ll be sure to provide plenty of fun for everyone.
- Memory Match-Up: This game is great for testing your memory. Prepare several sets of cards with pictures or words, which you can print from the internet or draw yourself. Place the cards face down on the table and take turns flipping them over and trying to find a matching pair. The one with the most pairs wins!
- Bingo: This game requires no explanation. You can play traditional Bingo with a numbered board, or incorporate themes such as animals or fruits. Prepare a set of cards with numbers or words, and print them and cut them out so everyone has a card. Have one person call out the numbers or words, and the first one to get five in a row wins!
- Battleships: You can easily make your own version of Battleships. Prepare a set of cards with the numbers one through five, and draw two grids or use a big sheet of paper and draw five columns and five rows. Take turns calling out the location and firing at your opponent’s fleet. Be the first one to sink all the ships to win!
- Snakes and Ladders: For this board game, you’ll need a big board or a poster with numbered squares and some markers. Draw a few ladders with arrows and a few snakes with their mouth pointing down. Players move their piece according to the number they rolled on the dice. If a piece lands on the mouth of the snake, the player falls back down and has to move back. If it lands on the bottom of a ladder, it climbs up the ladder. The first one to the final square is the winner!
These homemade board games are sure to provide lots of fun and entertainment for the whole family. If you want to challenge your friends or family to an interesting game, these ideas are a great starting point.
4. Using Items You Have at Home to Create Board Games
Board games have been around for centuries and continue to provide hours of entertainment to adult and child players alike. For a fun and creative twist on game night, consider making your own family board games. Here are some ideas for getting creative with items you have around the house:
1. Travel Games
- Create your own travel game with a map of the world or a section of it. Write down interesting facts and questions related to the areas of the map onto paper cards. Players can take turns guessing the answers or drawing funny pictures related to the questions.
- Design a game board with markers, string, and other small objects. Each player will need to traverse the board by rolling dice and completing challenges as they move from one destination to another.
2. Memory Games
- Put together a memory game with old photos or postcards from your family’s collection. Photocopy the images and cut them into squares. Mix them up and let players take turns finding pairs or groups of related images.
- Create a memory game board using cereal boxes or cardboard. Tape down images or other objects to the game board. Players can take turns flipping over two objects to see if they match.
3. Counting and Numbers Games
- Turn old buttons and other small objects into a counting game. Create separate bags for different types of objects. Challenge players to see who can accurately count out the objects the fastest.
- Make a number game by recycling old containers and writing numbers on the sides. Players can use the objects to guess how many are in each container. They can take turns trying to guess the exact numbers.
These DIY board games are a great way to bring your family together for some creative fun. Get creative with materials around your house and you’ll be building your own fun board games in no time!
5. Making a Board Game That Every Family Member Will Enjoy
It’s no secret that family board games are a fantastic way to spend time together. If you’re feeling crafty, why not try your hand at making your own board game? Here are 5 fun DIY ideas your family members will love.
1. Create a Family-Themed Memory Game: Find your favorite family photos and get them printed on cardstock. Cut each photo into two equal sizes and you have your very own memory game! Place the cards face down on the table and let the game begin, the player with the most matches at the end of the game wins.
2. Design a Theme Park Board Game: Get out your old craft supplies and get to work creating a fabulous theme park board game. Draw a map and create “lands” for players to explore, and create custom pieces to represent each theme park-goer. The aim of the game is to ride all the rides and win the most points.
3. Build a Tower Game: The game all starts with a few simple supplies – paper plates, cups, and straws. Each player will build a tower together using the supplies and the challenge is to see who can make the tallest tower. The game can be easily adjusted for younger and older children, making it enjoyable for everyone.
4. Make a Roll the Dice Game: Choose a few simple rules and write them on paper. Each player will then throw the dice and move around the board, the aim of the game is to land on the finish line before anyone else. You can make the game easier or more challenging by changing the speed of the game and adding additional rules.
5. Create a Snakes & Ladders Game: A classic game that never gets old. Use a large piece of cardboard or paper to draw out the board and write out the rules. This classic game of luck will provide hours of fun – rolls the dice and see who can reach the finish first (or last!)
Crafting a homemade family board game is an enjoyable way to spend time together. Put your creative skills to good use and make something the whole family will enjoy!
6. Invaluable Resources and Tips for Crafting Your Family Board Game
Creating Your Own Family Board Game
Making your own family board game is an entertaining way to have fun with the whole family! All you need are the supplies and some basic knowledge. Here are a few resources and tips to help you create an amazing and unique game for your family.
Research:
Start by looking at other board games for ideas. Get a feel for their layouts, rules, materials used and levels of difficulty. Take notes or create sketches that you can refer to for your own game.
Game Pieces:
Choose your game pieces carefully. For outdoor games, you can use items like stones, leaves, sticks or shells. For indoor board game use coins, beads, wooden pieces or any other type of material with which you can create various gaming pieces.
Game Board:
The game board is the foundation for your game. You can create game boards on paper or cardstock, or paint it directly onto the table. If you have the materials and expertise, you can also build a wooden board game. Be creative and add features like pathways, decor, shapes, and symbols.
Game Rules:
Your game needs a set of basic rules in order for it to be enjoyable. Think of the purpose of the game, who will play it and what are the rules for each player. Make sure that the game’s rules are easy to understand and follow for all ages.
Game Supplies:
Gather all of the supplies you would need for the game. This includes dice, cards, markers, scoreboards, paper, pens or pencils, and any other components necessary for the game to run smoothly.
Testing and Finalizing:
Once your game is ready, test it out with a few friends or family members. Evaluate what works and what needs improvement. Make the necessary adjustments, and then play the game one more time. If all goes well, your family board game is now ready to be used and enjoyed!
7. Having Fun with Your Homemade Board Game
Design Your Own Board Game. Create your own board game by gathering materials you can find around the house. Use pieces of cardboard, construction paper, or the corner of a room. Utilize items like a die, markers, or game pieces. Don’t forget to customize your game by creating your own set of rules and strategies. When you’re done you’ll have a one-of-a-kind game that everyone can enjoy!
Unique Themes. One way to make homemade family board games even more fun is to give them themes. Some ideas:Harry Potter, Star Wars, Back to the Future, and Dinosaurs. Let your family use their imaginations to create their own game with a unique theme.
Gather Necessary Materials. Once a theme is decided, it’s time to gather necessary materials. Here is a list of items to consider:
- Pencil
- Sheet of paper
- Small pieces of cardboard or other cardboard type material
- Scissors
- Markers
- Game pieces
Create the Board. Now it is time to create the board. Cut cardboard to the desired size and write the titles of boxes on it. Have players take turns drawing arrows and pathways. Keep it interesting by adding obstacles or surprise boxes.
Construct Characters and Rules. Make the game truly one of a kind by constructing characters and rules that make sense for the theme. For instance, if you made a Harry Potter game, you could make the game pieces look like Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid. Once the characters are decided, establish rules like how many turns a player gets, how many pieces they can move, and what happens when someone lands on a specific box.
Closing Remarks
Making homemade board games is a great way to get the whole family together for some quality time. Whether you’re using ready-made kits or creating your own from scratch, it’s sure to be a great time for everyone involved. Get creative and have fun with it – and you may even come up with the next classic family board game!