To create consistent-shaped dots, we used a foam paint roller as a stamp.
I created this free printable domino template to help us paint the correct dot combinations. Once the black blocks were dried, we painted domino dots on about half of them. The older girls had more painting stamina and were able to do the black coat on all the wood blocks as well as the PVC pipe and caps for the Ring Toss.ĭIY Backyard Games: Giant Dominoes & Stacking Game Unfortunately four-year-old Rockwell had a tough time holding down the trigger. Modette quickly claimed the can of pink spray paint, used on half of the rings. Then the kids had their chance to spray paint. The girls worked on measuring and cutting the rope, making rings for both the Ring Toss and Tic-Tac-Toe backyard games.
Once the kids were tired of sanding, my husband and I used an electric sander to finish this part off. I think the most labor-intensive part of making these backyard games was sanding these wood pieces. We are lucky enough to have a miter saw, and so Rockwell helped my husband measure and cut out the 54 wood pieces for the dominoes/stacking blocks. Absolutely everything we needed for making and storing all these backyard games was available in this one stop! Also if you don’t have access to a saw, you can even get The Home Depot to help you cut down the 2×4 lumber. Next we headed to The Home Depot to collect all our supplies.
The kids were pretty adamant that they get to be the ones wielding the cans of spray paint LOL!
There are so many projects I want to try with my crew, but to start off, we decided to create this set of backyard games from an activity called Big Fun Small Space.Īlso don’t miss the Parent’s Tip Sheet (found at the bottom of the page) with great advice on how to allow your kids to “take the wheel” on a project while still providing appropriate supervision and guidance - this can be an incredibly difficult balance to strike and there are some smart tips.Īs the plans suggested, we held a family “team” meeting to discuss ideas and who would do what. Science Fair Central provides learning opportunities the whole family can work on together, including younger siblings.Īs a homeschooler, I checked out both the tab for “Teachers” and “Parents” and was impressed by the detail in each of the activity plans. In fact, if your family is anything like ours, those younger ones will have some pretty big ideas of their own. These projects provide learning opportunities the whole family can work on together, including younger siblings who can watch and absorb info along the way. There are lots of ideas to help bring STEAM power to classrooms, but I love that Science Fair Central takes it a step further by offering a collection of Family Activities found under the “Parents” tab. The Home Depot built Science Fair Central to give teachers, students and families the tools they need to take projects to the next level. The ideas found on Science Fair Central include hands-on investigations, field work, and encourage kids to participate just as would real scientists and engineers. I found the plans for these backyard games on Science Fair Central - have you heard of this website? The Home Depot and Discovery Education joined forces to create this free resource, which is a treasure trove of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (or STEAM) projects you can do with your kiddos. This Post is Sponsored by The Home Depot. If your family is excited about getting outdoors this Spring and Summer, you’ll definitely want to make this backyard games set so be sure to pin this post!
This yard games set also includes a Ring Toss game and huge Tic-Tac-Toe board. The kids have already been having a blast playing with the Yard Dominoes, which double as a GIANT Jenga-inspired stacking game. Our family just made a set of DIY Backyard Games, and I couldn’t wait to show them to you.