DIY Tin Can Toss Carnival/Circus Game

Are you looking to DIY a Tin Can Toss Game on a budget? Glad you found this page!

For my son’s first birthday Circus/Carnival theme party, I wanted to be sure we had simple, yet fun games for the kids to play. I had to narrow it down to a few games (we had 5 games total) that I thought were easy to DIY and budget-friendly.

Can Toss was definitely an easy and budget-friendly game to pick. Since you only need 5 (or more) cans and any type of paper to wrap the cans with, your done! Also, you need something to throw. We had a hacky sack sitting around the house that we used, but you can use anything. We had to be sure it was kid-friendly, easy to throw/lightweight. Here is how I made my own DIY Can Toss Game:

Supplies:

  • 5 Empty Cans (or more)
  • Hacky Sack (or anything that will knock down cans)
  • Paper (Wrapping Paper, Scrapbook Paper, Craft Paper – any type of paper)
  • Glue Gun (Tape or another type of Glue if you don’t own a glue gun)

Our set up was 3 cans at the bottom, 2 on top of the 3 and then 1 on top. I used colorful scrapbook paper I had in my craft supplies to wrap the cans. I wanted to be sure it went with the Circus/Carnival theme.

I don’t have many canned foods, so I had to ask a friend for help – thankfully she had some! They were empty cans so I traced the circular part (open side of can) on the scrapbook paper and then I rolled the paper on the can to determine the length and width needed.

I then cut out the circle, making sure I cut it a half-inch bigger then what I measured. I wanted the circle to be a little bigger than the actual can because when you wrap the can with paper, it will be a little wider. Worse case you can always trim the circular shape after it’s glued. I also cut the length/width I needed for the can.

Once everything was cut, I wrapped the can with the scrapbook paper and glued the edge. I then lined the edge (open end of can) of the can with my glue gun and added the circular shape on top. If you don’t have a glue gun, you can use tape or another type of glue.

That’s it! It really is that simple and budget-friendly. This game cost me $0 (technically 😉 ) because I already had the supplies sitting around. I didn’t have to go out and spend MORE money.

*The sign taped to the game was to let the guests know the name of the game, the directions on “how to play” and how many tickets they would win. I quickly made the sign in photoshop but you can use Paint, MS Word, any type of program that allows you to type.

  • Name of Game: Can Toss
  • Instructions: Knock down all 5 cans with a hacky sack to win 1 ticket
  • Tickets Won: 1

I hope this encourages you to create your own can toss game, even if it isn’t for a circus/carnival theme party. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself because you will be surprised by how well your project turns out. Just stay focused and be patient.

If you haven’t seen my original blog post about my son’s first birthday party, check it out here. You can find the details of his party and other fun projects/carnival games!

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