Simple DIY Money-Saving Toy: Cardboard Ball Toss Game

A few days ago, I posted this photo on Facebook, and many people asked me what kind of cardboard toy I was making for my kids??

To be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing to unveil this toy. Every time I see many parents skillfully turning cardboard into kitchens, little shops, cars, houses, rockets… and so on, yet I actually dare to bring out something like this… I really have to admire my own courage.

The inspiration and motivation came when I saw the ball toss game set shown in the picture above at an online store. I was tempted, but the price was over 30 US dollars. I thought, it’s just tossing a ball—does it really need to be that expensive?? I just couldn’t bring myself to take the money out of my wallet, so I got a sudden idea and decided to make it myself.

I cut out six holes on the top and labeled them with points. It took me about ten minutes to finish. (This step probably doesn’t need much explanation.)

The cut-out circular cardboard pieces can also be used by the kids to draw their favorite designs on them and turn them into frisbees. These frisbees can fly really high and far—they played with them all afternoon and ended up scattered all over the neighbors’ yards and rooftops.

At first, the kids had a hard time getting the balls into the holes and needed some practice, but they gradually got the hang of it and felt a great sense of accomplishment. (Let me share a tip: gently toss the ball upward from below.)

Even 22-month-old Momo could play it too.

For younger kids, you can have them stand a bit closer to throw. Momo took forever preparing to throw the ball into the box, squatting there and muttering to herself (like chanting a spell)—does that make it easier to get the ball in??

Sure enough, Momo’s trick worked, and she almost hit every shot.

The kids put in all their effort to practice just to get the balls in. Who would’ve thought such a simple and crude cardboard toy could make them this happy!!

You can have the kids keep track of their scores to see who wins in the end. It’s recommended to set smaller point values, like 1, 2, or 3, so it’s easier for them to calculate.

When taking turns, they even give each other high-fives to cheer each other on.

This homemade cardboard ball toss set is even more appealing to them than many of their toys. You can check out the video of them playing—they get more and more excited, especially Momo, who’s super proud of herself.

After just ten minutes of playing with them, my brother and sister were both fully immersed and couldn’t stop. Meanwhile, I slipped into the kitchen, listening to their delightful laughter while gracefully baking my cake.

An hour passed……

Look at this….. such a masterpiece is only made when a mother is calm and graceful. The color and cracks baked onto the cake are so beautiful, and the kitchen is filled with sweet aromas. I called the kids in to eat the cake Up!(I’ll share the recipe with you all another day.) Now who dares to say this toy is crude?! It earned me an hour of precious alone time and resulted in such a perfect cake.

Read more: Five Methods for Buying Toys—Teaching Kids to Let Go