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Homemade Carnival Dunk Game

Traditionally, the carnival dunk game consists of the "dunkee" being dropped into a pool of water when someone hits a target with a ball. It is possible to build this type of dunk tank at home but it requires hundreds of dollars worth of materials and considerable handiness. Equally functional and much more practical to do at home is the "reverse" dunk tank. Rather than being dropped in water, the dunkee has water poured on him from above.

Things You'll Need

Lightweight trashcan
A-frame ladder
1 to 1 1/2-Inch wooden or metal dowel
Door hinge
2 by 4, 4 feet long
Drill
1 1/2-inch hole saw
Tennis ball
Water
Plastic or paper plate
Duct tape
Markers

Instructions

Preparation
- 1
  The trashcan will eventually hang from the ladder on the dowel. First, you need to drill two holes into the trashcan. Use the drill and the hole saw bit to drill two holes parallel to each other in the trashcan. Drill the holes six inches from the bottom of the can.
- 2
  Insert the dowel into the holes and make sure the trashcan can rotate around it.
- 3
  The plate will be used as the target. Use the markers to color the plate with a pattern of your choice. Then tape the plate to the 2 by 4. Make sure enough of the board is behind the plate to keep it stiff when a ball hits it.
- 4
  Screw half of the hinge to the wood. The other half will be drilled into the top of the ladder. In this position, when a ball hits the colored side of the plate, the 2 by 4 should fall away.
Build It
- 5
  Set the ladder on a hard, flat surface and make sure it is stable.
- 6
  Bring the trashcan, with the dowel inserted, to the ladder. Set the dowel on two steps of the ladder, as if it is the cross-line of an "A." The trashcan should be about an inch below the top rung of the ladder.
- 7
  Take the 2 by 4 and screw the hinge into the top of the ladder, so the colored side of the target will swing away from you. The board should be perpendicular to the ground.
- 8
  Fill the trashcan with water and hit the target with your hand, as if your hand were a ball. Mark where the water hits the ground. This is the "hit zone." Whoever will be getting the water dumped on them should stand there.
- 9
  Mark a spot about 10 yards away, depending on the age of the competitors. They can throw tennis balls from that spot at the target. If the trashcan is balanced at a "teetering point" the board will hit the side of the can and knock the water down.

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