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How to Build a Bean Bag Toss Board

Whether at a school fun-fair or carnival, children gravitate toward games that involve throwing. You can quickly make a home version of a bean-bag toss game with simple materials and tools. This version is not as long-lived as the carnival version but is perfect for birthday parties, family gatherings or outdoor fun. Lightweight, it's easy to set up--and as your children grow, it's easy to make a more challenging version.

Things You'll Need

2 sheets of 3-by-4 foot foam board
Utility knife
Cut-proof work surface
Pencil
Metal or wooden yardstick, or ruler
Plates or bowls for patterns
Masking tape
Markers or paints, if desired
Weights for bottom--2 bricks or 2 milk bottles filled with water and capped

Instructions

- 1
  Leaving one piece of foam board whole, cut a rectangular piece from the narrow end of the other, using a pencil, ruler and utility knife. This leaves you with a 3-by-3 foot piece--which will form the back support of your board--and a 3-by-1 brace for the bottom, plus the 3-by-4 front piece.
- 2
  Using plates, bowls or other objects, trace the holes you'll cut on your board front. Most games have holes of various sizes; just make sure they're large enough to get the bean bags through fairly easily. One clever parent used two saucers, a salad plate and a dinner plate to produce a clown face. Cut free-hand shapes if you feel confident.
- 3
  Use markers or paints to turn your holes into an animal or clown face. Add flower petals, sun rays or even numbers if your children like to earn points or keep score.
- 4
  Use masking tape to assemble your game board. Join the front panel to the back, then add the base to form a triangle. Place tape on both inside joints and outside ones to increase durability.
- 5
  Set up the triangle and place the weights on the bottom, inside the triangle. Gather up the bean bags.

Childrens Toys