What I Made Wednesday {Kid-Made Board Game}

OK, I'll admit it. I'm copping out on this one. I didn't exactly make this week's project, but my son did. It's such a great project during Spring Break when the "bored" side of kids begins to surface. I am so proud to say this homemade game board was completely my son's idea. I, of course, obliged as I'm just a pushover for creativity and imagination.

What You'll Need
White foam core board
Markers
Cardstock
Scissors or paper cutter
Pencil or pen
Dice
Game markers (my son used his Go-Go's)
Any kind of game board prop or embellishment

What You'll Do
You'll have to figure out what kind of game board you want to design. Ask your kids what kind of theme they want to focus on then build the game idea from there. My son wanted his game board to be an ongoing, epic game. His premise was taking the players through time travel, one board at a time. His first board, Egyptian times, his second board, Medieval times, his third board, Roman times, and his final board is the Tech, or Future, board. Each game ends with a time machine taking the players to the next era.

Have your child draw the board squares with marker, then mark certain squares with special tasks. For instance, whenever a player lands on a skull square, they have to start back at the beginning (pretty risky). Some squares require the player to take an action card.

Create the action cards relating to the theme of your board. Cut small, business card-sized cards from the cardstock. My son's action cards included wrestling a crocodile in Egypt, but losing a turn. For his Medieval board, players may fight dragons and if they roll an even number, they advance 2 spaces. Get it? It's whatever the kids come up with. It is so much fun to watch their creativity and imagination put to task.

What You'll Need to Know to Finish
Have your child color in the entire board with markers and be sure to encourage game board props and embellishments. For the Egyptian board, my son made a pyramid out of a thin foam sheet, and for the Medieval board he placed a dragon in the board's center. He plans to make a gold cross for the Roman board and the Tech board will be donning old computer chips and motherboards as my son raids Super Hubby's office.


The most important part of this project is at the very end. You must play the game with your child. You'll see how proud your child will be in creating something all their own and sharing it with you as you play their game while making memories that will last longer than a Monopoly car game-piece.

This is such a great Spring Break boredom-buster project! I'd love to hear your kids' game board ideas so be sure to share in Comments.