Monday, July 19, 2010

Make This: Stripey Sticks

Beeper received a set of pick up sticks for his birthday this year and it has been a popular family game pretty much ever since.   The thing is though, with something as classic and simple as a set of pick up sticks, well, I couldn't help but imagine how I could make my own--so these little stripey sticks came to be (because stripes are so much better than solids--and when you are a skinny bamboo stick, some horizontal stripes actually add some much needed dimension to your figure).
They are pretty straightforward to make ( no need to even get out a sewing machine, folks!)--and really, you could get the kids in on this.  In fact, give them the clipped bamboo sticks and let them paint their own designs--to hell with my design--and then they can assign their own point values to their designs.
So here you go--make your very own stripey pick up sticks:

Oh--and the tutorial also includes game instructions on the last page--in case you have just arrived from Uranus and have never played...but even an alien can play this game.  Just play fair, okay?  No Uranian mind tricks.

5 comments:

  1. what a greeeeat idea for a gift! thank you very much of reminding me of this game of my childhood!

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  2. HI there,
    As it happens I DO come form Uranus and have never played, so thanks for the instructions :-)

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  3. Hello,
    Thank you so much for sharing. This will be a great activity with the kids.
    This game is also called Mikado, at least in France, and I once bought a "garden" version of it for my son: the sticks are bigger, about 1/2 yard long and 1/2 inch diameter, so you can play on the grass, and it's easier for smaller hands. This would be great for a gift, packed in a nice fabric bag.
    BTW, your site is just amazing, thanks again!

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  4. I loved pick-up sticks as a child! It was so much fun, but I have really big hands so it was never easy :)

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