This project is an excellent way for bored children to pass some time, as the planning and preparation of the game will take a while, and the game itself can be played on many different levels and stored easily for the future.
Age: 4+
Find a large cardboard sheet of cardboard (perhaps from a huge cardboard box) that you can prop up against a wall.
Put a beanbag on the board in a variety of positions, and draw around it lightly with pencil, allowing a little bit of extra space. Now use those markings to create some interesting shapes - a circle, a square, a triangle, a kite, a star and so on. Cut those shapes out (adults only) and colour round the edges of each shape in a different colour with a felt-tip pen or poster paints. Give each "hole" a score if you wish, according to how difficult you think it will be to toss the beanbag through it. Add extra decoration to the board if you like, and leave to dry.
Prop the board up in a safe corner, find some beanbags, and get ready to play! All age-groups can join in. Older children can stand at increasing distances away and try to get the highest score possible with 5 or 10 throws. Younger children can be challenged to throw the beanbag through "the square window" or "the green hole".
Variations:
Instead of propping your board up and trying to throw a beanbag through the holes, you can have a flat board with various targets marked on it. Beanbags are tossed from a distance and have to be mainly inside the target to score the appropriate points. This is better for older kids and younger children may well get very frustrated! Again, make it as colourful and attractive as you can.
We have a template here to give you some ideas. On our game each shape is painted a different colour and given a different score according to difficulty and risk. If you land on any background you score nothing, but if you land on a star you lose all your points and go back to zero!
Beanbag toss at a fete or fair:
To play at a fete, simply charge a set amount of attempts and award a prize for an age-appropriate challenge.
