STICK-TAK-TOE

by A. Landeros
(Alamo, Texas, USA)

I made this game a couple of years ago for our school's fundraising Fall festival. It is a twist on the old favorite tic-tak-toe (noughts and crosses). This new version is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. (There is a trick to winning so it is a sure money-maker!!)

You will need:

• A large piece of felt cut to size (ours is 5ft x 5ft royal blue felt)
• A hot glue gun
• A roll of duct tape (ours is yellow),
• Ping pong balls (or any other light plastic balls)
• Velcro strips (available in craft and sewing shops.

You will also need a sturdy surface to attach the felt fabric to. (We had some plywood donated from a local home improvement store.)

1. Start by hot gluing the felt to the plywood then section off 9 equal squares and mark with colorful duct tape. This will make a large TIC TAK TOE board. (Our festival was outdoors, so we placed our board up against a fence. This also allowed the space required for "foul balls")

2. Next, attach velcro to the plastic balls.

Now you are ready to test out your game board. Stand a couple of feet away from the board and throw a ball.

The game is simple: 3 in a row wins a prize.

Many kids will try a fast overhead throw which doesn't allow the ball to stick to the board. So a light UNDERHAND toss is the best throw for this game.

You might like to mark off different throw lines. (Closer for younger kids and farther for teens/adults) Give them the option of playing/buying 5 balls instead of 3 (at a higher price, of course.)

If space is an issue or if you are playing indoors try attaching the felt to an easel. This game works well at any size fundraising event. ENJOY!