Boredom Busters: 15 DIY Games to Make and Play (Ages 3 to 9)

"I'm bored" is where good play starts. These 15 games are built from things already at home, like bottles, socks, paper cups and tape, and most need nothing you have to buy.

Every game is on one page, with:

• Age, time, cost and mess ratings, so you can pick one in seconds.
• "You need": a checklist with exact amounts.
• "Make it": three simple steps.
• "How to play": the rules in one go.
• Make it harder (6 to 9) and make it easier (3 to 5), so siblings can play together.

The games:

• Quick builds (5 minutes): bottle bowling, ring toss, sock bean-bag toss, cotton-ball hockey and peg colour match.
• A bit of making (10 to 15 minutes): cup-and-ball, bottle-cap tic-tac-toe, ice-cream-stick puzzle, cereal-box memory and tape-road city.
• Bigger play (15 to 30 minutes): shoebox marble maze, torch shadow theatre, spoon-and-lemon race, cushion obstacle course and kitchen-band guessing.
• Plus a family scoreboard for game night.

Safety: games that need a grown-up or an age limit are clearly marked.

Format: one A4 PDF (18 pages), delivered instantly. Print as often as your family needs.