When my nephews were here for Halloween last month, the meals we enjoyed at favorite local restaurants were accompanied by long games of tic-tac-toe, thanks to some clever kids’ menus provided by the restaurants. What is it about tic-tac-toe that keeps us all, no matter what our age is, playing just one more game? With a big meal on the horizon, and possibly some down time waiting for it to be served, have a stack of reusable DIY tic-tac-toe boards on hand to keep your child entertained while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.
Your child can help make these or you can surprise him with a personalized board that he’s sure to appreciate! When it comes time to play the game, all they’ll need is a dry erase marker and a tissue. Once the game is done, simply wipe off the marks with the tissue and get ready to play again.
Materials
- Card stock in white and a variety of harvest colors
- Ruler
- Scissors or paper trimmer
- Tape runner or glue stick
- Marker
- Fall decorations – stickers, cutouts, etc.
- Personal laminator (optional)
Instructions
Start out by prepping the game board pieces. With your paper trimmer (or ruler and scissors), cut the following squares: one 7.5-inch square (harvest color), one 6-inch square (harvest color), one 5-inch square (white).
Next, apply your tape runner or glue stick to the back of the 6-inch square. Position this middle square onto the biggest square, centering it more toward the top of the paper.
Repeat for the white square so that all paper pieces are glued together.
It’s time to draw your tic-tac-toe board! Draw a larger pound sign in the middle of the white square.
Personalize the game board by adding your child’s name as well as a few other Thanksgiving- or fall-themed decorations, like this leaf cutout.
Your board is complete once you’ve laminated it. If you have a personal laminator at home, run one game board through a lamination sheet at a time and then trim off the excess film. If you don’t have one, head over to your local copy shop and have them laminate it for you. Once the board is cool and trim, it’s ready for action!
