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Games for Kids With Toothpicks

Toothpicks lend themselves to a few games for kids. The small, slender wood sticks come in handy on an inclement weather day when children are stuck indoors looking for some fun. Always supervise kids as they play with toothpicks, as they are sharp and kids need to be cautious when using them. A few kids and a box of toothpicks are all you need to get started.

Towers
- Give each player a bowl of toothpicks and a roll of tape. When you say, "Build," the players must start building the tallest tower they can using only the tape and toothpicks. Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, all players must stop building. The player who has the tallest standing toothpick tower wins the game. If a player's tower falls before the timer goes off, he can start rebuilding it. Another variation to this game is to use marshmallows instead of tape.
Ring Pass
- Divide the players into two teams and give each player a toothpick. Have the players on each team stand in a single file. Give the first player in line a ring-shaped candy, such as a Life Saver. When you say, "Go," the players must pass the candy ring from player to player using only the toothpicks. If any player drops the candy ring, he must start over at the beginning of the team line. The first team to get the candy ring all the way down their team line wins the game. To make the game more difficult, have the teams pass the candy ring all the way down and back up their team lines.
Pile-Up
- Pour out a box of toothpicks in the middle of a table and have the players sit around the table. One at a time, a player must try to remove a toothpick from the stack without moving any of the other toothpicks. If she succeeds, she keeps the toothpick and goes again. If she moves another toothpick or a toothpick falls, she must place the toothpick back in the toothpick box and the play moves to the next player. When all the toothpicks are gone, tally the number of toothpicks for each player. The player with the most toothpicks wins the game.
Words
- Have all the players sit around a table and give each kid a bowl of toothpicks. You must call out a category, such as animals or colors. The kids have to use the toothpicks to spell out a word in that category. For example, if you say, "animals," the players have to use the toothpicks to spell out an animal, such as "cat" or "dog." The first player to spell a word (correctly) with the toothpicks wins the game.

Kids Games