DIY Tick-Tac-Toe Game

Young children are constantly outgrowing their clothes and becoming bored with their plethora of toys. I personally feel like buying brand-new items for kids is somewhat of a waste. Shirts get food stains, jeans get torn knee holes, and toys get broken. We have great success finding clothing and toys for Eisley at local consignment shops (which also supports our local community versus national corporations), and I can promise you that she isn’t any less excited than if they were bought new. Something else that is even better than buying used games and toys is CREATING new ones out of materials already lying around your house!

DIY Tic-tac-toe game for children and families. Reduce, reuse, recycle

You can involve your child in the process of making this game, which will give them a sense of accomplishment once it’s complete! More fun for everyone! Depending on their age, they can trace the lines, cut out the board, or help color the pieces. The supplies you need to create this DIY Tick-tac-toe game are:
  • Cardboard
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Stapler
  • Ziplock bag (we reused a snack size bag)
  • Ruler or something with a straight edge
  • Pens/paint/colored pencils/crayons/glitter (anything you want to decorate with) 
Directions: First of all, cut out a rectangle for the game board and two thinner rectangles, that are about 1/3 of the width of the board. Next, cut each of the thinner rectangle strips into five pieces, which will become the pieces of the game. Use a ruler or straight edge to draw the "tick-tac-toe" lines on the board. After that, decide what you want to draw on your game pieces! Do you want the traditional X's and O's? Do you prefer something more unique? We chose to go with crescent moons and pine trees.
DIY tick-tac-toe game pieces, moons and trees, PNW
Now, you and your child can color or decorate the game pieces however you choose. Use the stapler to attach the Ziplock baggie to the lower part of the board, below the playing area. This allows you to store the game pieces when you aren't using them, and hopefully reduces the chance of losing them!


Finally, you are good to go! Enjoy this time playing with your child or having them play with a friend. Talk about the symbols you chose to decorate with and explain how to get three symbols in a row.
Child toddler playing DIY tick-tac-toe game reduce reuse recycle

What other ways can you create simple games out of items you already have? If you create this at home, please share your pictures below in the comments! I'd love to see what everyone else comes up with!

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