How to Make a Magnetic Fishing Pole Game

Cut a piece of strong string about 3- to 5-feet long. Put glue on the piece of doweling, about 1 inch from the end. Put it all the way around the doweling about ½-inch wide. Make it fairly thick. Wrap one end of the string around the doweling on top of the glue. Let it dry completely. After it is dry, securely tie a strong horseshoe-shaped magnet to the other end of the string.

Cut fish shapes put of the art foam sheets or the cardboard. Make long skinny fish, short fat ones, big ones, little ones, a sea snake, a crab, a whale, an old boot, an octopus, a treasure chest, a round life preserver, a tin can, a shark and so forth. There should be a variety of different identifiable fish and objects.

Glue a small flat washer to one side of each cut-out shape near the top of the shape so it can be caught by the fishing pole. Allow glue to dry thoroughly before the game starts or the fish will fall off of the washers.

Set up the game so the person fishing can’t see what they are going to catch. Spread the fish out washer side up behind any kind of barrier, like a table or a board. Then have the kids go fishing.

Make each item have a point value, for an added twist. The old boot can be either the piece that makes the person who catches it the winner or the one that eliminates one player if it is caught while fishing. It can also be the piece that makes someone miss a turn. Be creative putting the individual rules together that fit whatever group is playing the fishing game. If small children are playing this game, put a different number on each fish or object to help them learn numbers.