At Astor, we believe in fostering creativity and collaboration in our students, not only within the classroom but also at home. One way we can encourage this is through DIY (do-it-yourself) games, which provide students with the opportunity to design and build their own learning experiences using simple, everyday materials. Recently, some of our students repurposed recycled bottles and toilet rolls to create their very own bowling game, while others designed their own memory game cards from scratch. These activities not only tap into their creativity but also help develop fine motor skills, strategic thinking, and teamwork.
If you're looking for ways to support your child's creativity and learning at home, here are three fun and easy DIY game ideas you can try:
Recycled Bowling Game
In the Games enrichment class our students have enjoyed making their own bowling sets using recycled materials. This project is simple but full of possibilities! Here’s how you can try it at home:
Materials: Empty plastic bottles, toilet paper rolls, paint, a small ball
How to Play: Encourage your child to paint the bottles or toilet rolls with vibrant colours or patterns to make them unique. Arrange the painted items as pins and use a small ball to knock them over. This game can help children practice coordination and counting as they tally the number of pins knocked down.
Bowling with recycled materials is not only a fun game but also a great way to talk about sustainability and the possibilities of reusing items around the house.
DIY Memory Cards
Another engaging activity that the Astor students enjoyed was creating their own memory game. Memory games help develop cognitive skills such as attention and recall.
Materials: Blank paper or cardboard, markers, crayons, scissors
How to Play: Have your child cut out several small squares or rectangles from the paper or cardboard. On each pair of cards, they can draw or colour the same image (for example, matching animals, shapes, or patterns). Once the cards are ready, shuffle them and lay them face down in a grid. Players take turns flipping over two cards at a time, trying to find matching pairs. The player with the most pairs at the end wins.
This is a great way for your child to combine creativity with memory development, and the game can easily be adapted with new themes and challenges.
Paper Plate Ring Toss
Ring toss is a classic game, but it can be made at home with just a few household items.
Materials: Paper plates, scissors, a cardboard tube (e.g., from a paper towel roll), paint or markers
How to Play: Cut the centre out of several paper plates to create rings. Your child can then decorate these rings with paint or markers. Attach the cardboard tube vertically to a base (such as a piece of cardboard or an old box) to act as the target. Children take turns tossing the rings and aiming to land them on the tube.
This game encourages hand-eye coordination, and children can get creative with the size, colour, and design of their rings.
At Astor, we emphasise that learning is not confined to the classroom, and through activities like these, children can continue to grow and develop in ways that are meaningful and fun.
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