Creating a wooden board game may not be cheaper than games readily available in stores, but the satisfaction of making a new family heirloom is priceless. Try these great board game templates, and you'll be ready for a unique game night.
Making Your Own Legacy
Newer board games have gotten more elaborate over the years. With so many rules and multiple pieces to muddle the works, board games have almost become more of a job than a casual activity. Contrary to newer trends, simple is best when making your board game because the goal is to spend time with your family, not carving wood in the garage.
All the following printables assume the use of pennies, golf tees, and even candy instead of elaborately carved tokens. Making elaborate pieces just to lose them isn't fun, and unlike the ancient gamers, dice aren't the focal point. If you need help downloading the printables, use this guide for Adobe printables.
Cribbage
A cribbage board creates a track for small pegs to navigate as you count points using standard playing cards. Two series of card play will carry you through the obstacles to the finish line. This great tutorial shows you the basics of cribbage, but you won't become proficient until you play against seasoned cribbers.
Cribbage Printable
This cribbage printable uses a rollercoaster playground to add a bit of nostalgia to your game. The design doesn't quite follow the standard 121 holes for a cribbage board, but that just adds to the fun! If you don't have standard cribbage pegs, you can always use toothpicks, but be careful they don't break off in the holes.
Checkers
Checkers is a fun thinking activity for all ages, and with this simple design, coins make a great checker piece. Finding them is easy money! Be sure to get re-acquainted with checkers rules before you play.
Checkers Printable
Cutting perfect squares for a board is difficult, but with a set of precut 1-inch wood squares, you can cut a depression in any board following the attached to-scale printable and glue the pieces into the gap. Stain half the squares before gluing them into the pattern, and you will make a perfect checkerboard for your game. Use coins for the checkers (heads for red), and you won't ever find a shortage of checkers wherever you go.
Triangle Peg Game
Everyone has played this infamous game at some point in their lives. This simple game challenges one player to jump pegs diagonally, removing each of 14 pegs until only one remains. You can drill the triangular pattern into any wood surface in minutes and entertain friends and family for hours as they jump pegs to try to outdo the other's score.
Triangle Peg Printable
The triangle peg printable has perfectly distanced holes to lie atop any wood surface. Mark each hole with a punch through the paper. Drill a half-inch deep hole for each mark, grab 14 golf tees, and you are ready to play.
Mancala
This sixth-century game is played using divots in either the ground, sand, or a piece of wood. It uses rocks, seeds, or dried beans as the travelers. The travelers are then "sown" around the small board in an attempt to capture your opponent's seeds or leave them unable to play, where the opposing player then forfeits. It's easy to learn mancala, but play is different in many parts of the world. Some versions are named after the area they represent.
Mancala Printable
Mancala rules are easy to learn, and the board printable helps you create the game at home. You can use small candies in place of rocks, dried beans, or seeds to make capturing your opponent's travelers more profitable.
Creating Family Time
All board games bring the family together, and teaming up with multiple players on a two-player game will build cohesion and provide a little friendly competition. So grab your router, drill, and other implements of construction and make something the whole family will enjoy.
