DIY Foosball Table

This mini foosball table is built for little hands so each child only has to manage two dowel sticks. However if you’re making it for older kids, simply adapt by using a bigger box, more dowels and more pegs or “soccer players”.

What you will need:

• A shoebox
• 4 wooden dowel sticks – the length of each stick must be equal to the width of the box plus about 20 cm
• 8 large wooden beads that can slide onto the dowel stick
• Craft paint in two different colours
• 10 clothes pegs
• A utility knife
• A pencil
• A ruler
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Wrapping paper or paint to decorate the box
• Clear sticky tape
• A ping pong ball to play with (plus extras in case one goes missing)

What you need to do:

1. Paint half of the dowel sticks and clothes pegs in one colour and the other half the other to represent the two “teams”.
2. In the meantime, cut out a rectangle on each short side of the box, which will act as the “goal post” – make sure it’s high enough for the ball to fit through, but not so big that it’s too easy to score.
3. Wrap the box in wrapping paper or paint it – your choice. Then, use colourful tape or markers to draw a “soccer field” on the base of the box.
4. Make 4 marks, equal distances apart, along the two longest sides of the box and make holes for the dowel sticks to slot into. Remember: You want the clothespins to be able to move without hitting the bottom of the box, so don’t make the holes too low.
5. Slide the dowel sticks into place.
6. Clip your clothes pegs onto the corresponding dowel sticks – 3 on one stick, 2 on the other. If they slide around or seem like they’ll clip off too easily, add a splotch of glue to hold them in place.
7. Lastly, slide a bead onto the end of each dowel stick and glue it into place to keep the dowel from sliding out.

Adapted from and Image Credit from: http://www.u-createcrafts.com/diy-mini-foosball-tableperfect-for-kids/