As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases, but this doesn't affect the reviews or recommendations—your trust is important to me!
Craft Your Own Board Game at Home: A Fun-Filled Family Activity for Young Adults and Middle Graders

Stuck Indoors? Create Your Own Board Game!
Stuck indoors on a slow weekend or seeking a creative remedy to keep the family boredom at bay? Did you know that along with the familiar board games like Monopoly or Scrabble, you could actually create your own board game with household items?
This DIY project not only fosters a vibrant creative platform for young adults and middle graders, but it also turns into a fun-filled family activity, enriching family bonding experiences like no other.
Creating a Board Game from Scratch
Whether you're crafting a board game from scratch, aiming for a homemade spin-off of your favorite classics, or designing an entirely unique concept, the adventure of board game making is a delightful mix of creativity, problem-solving, and excitement right within the cozy confines of your home.
Ready to Dive into the Fun?
So, let's dive in and master this enthralling indoor family activity in our DIY board game tutorial!
Creating Your Own Board Game - An Exciting Family Activity!
When you decide to create your own board game with household items, the first step revolves around deciding on the theme and objectives. It could be a treasure hunt spanning across the world of pirates, a safari expedition with wildlife enthusiasts, or even a DIY culinary contest! With a homemade board game, there's no limit to your imagination, keeping the kids engaged and the young adults engrossed. The theme then helps guide the creation of your board design and constituents - your game money, pawns, cards, and tokens are no longer just objects; they're integral elements to the story you're weaving!
Designing the Board Game Rules
Designing the board game rules is another integral part of the board game making process. This might seem like a daunting task at first, but think about some of your favorite board games and what makes them fun. Is it the suspense of not knowing what card you'll draw next? The thrill of racing towards the finish line? Once you have your theme, you can create rules that enhance the excitement and complement your theme perfectly. Remember, though, the ultimate goal is to enjoy this at home family activity, so keep the rules simple, especially if you’re crafting this for middle graders.
Crafting the Board Game
With the theme, design and rules laid out, next, it's time to dive into the actual board game crafting. This is where your creative family projects truly come to life! A simple cardboard can morph into a jungle explorations map, a deck of handmade cards can spur an exhilarating trivia challenge, while painted pebbles or Lego pieces could represent your game runners! Whatever you choose, try to ensure your DIY kid’s game components are not only thematic but also sturdy and safe. Remember, the real charm of DIY projects for young adults and kids lies in shaping trash into treasures; after all, who thought the old magazine stacks or empty cereal boxes could one day power your family’s laughter and joy!
Mistakes Are Part of the Process
A DIY board game tutorial might make the process of making your own games seem relatively straightforward, but it's okay to stumble and make mistakes. Don't get bogged down if your first version doesn't work out perfectly. Consider it a 'game prototype', and use the feedback from your test-players — your family, to improve. This is where the fun family activity turns into an enriching learning experience, fostering problem-solving skills and a knack for innovation among young adults and middle graders. So, keep the patience, revisit those board game instructions, and always remember to have fun!

25 Essential Craft Items for DIY Board Game Creation
- Card stock for game boards and cards
- Assorted coloured markers
- Acrylic paints for colourful board details
- Paintbrushes of various sizes
- Various themed stickers for embellishments
- Self-adhesive laminating sheets for game board and card protection
- Glue sticks for assembly
- Construction paper in assorted colours
- Washi tape in various patterns and colours
- Strips of magnet for moveable pieces
- Ruler for measurements
- Scissors for cutting
- Hole punch for creating game slots
- String or yarn for game pieces or timing devices
- Blank dice for game actions
- Scoring pads for keeping track of progress
- Sand timer for timing tasks
- Miniature figurines as game pieces
- Decorative buttons as game tokens
- Origami paper for folding into game pieces
- Popsicle sticks for creating fences or boundaries
- Decorative stamp sets for creating themed images
- Coloured pencils for sketching and outlining
- Craft feathers or pom poms for unique game pieces
- Foam sheets for creating textured game parts

Creating Your Own Board Game: A Journey of Fun, Creativity, and Learning
And so, we come to a close on our guide to creating your own board game - a wholesome family activity filled with fun, creativity and learning. Remember, it's more about the journey - the laughter that fills the air as you twirl that game spinner, the joy of watching your doodles transforming into a vibrant game board, and the thrill of watching your own narrative unravel as the dice rolls.
Every Snag is a New Opportunity
Every snag you hit or misstep you make is a new opportunity for imaginations to take flight and problem-solving skills to shine. So as you dive into the wonderful world of DIY board games, remember to remain patient, persistent, and playful. The world - or rather the board - is your oyster!
Gather Up and Embark
So gather up those odds and ends, rally the crew, and embark on this fantastic voyage of creating your homegrown board game. Who knows? You might just be crafting a future family heirloom!
Other Stuff You May Like:
25 Essential Craft Items for DIY Board Game Creation
- Card stock for game boards and cards
- Assorted coloured markers
- Acrylic paints for colourful board details
- Paintbrushes of various sizes
- Various themed stickers for embellishments
- Self-adhesive laminating sheets for game board and card protection
- Glue sticks for assembly
- Construction paper in assorted colours
- Washi tape in various patterns and colours
- Strips of magnet for moveable pieces
- Ruler for measurements
- Scissors for cutting
- Hole punch for creating game slots
- String or yarn for game pieces or timing devices
- Blank dice for game actions
- Scoring pads for keeping track of progress
- Sand timer for timing tasks
- Miniature figurines as game pieces
- Decorative buttons as game tokens
- Origami paper for folding into game pieces
- Popsicle sticks for creating fences or boundaries
- Decorative stamp sets for creating themed images
- Coloured pencils for sketching and outlining
- Craft feathers or pom poms for unique game pieces
- Foam sheets for creating textured game parts