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Home > Arts and Crafts Projects > Games and Toys > Wooden Miniature Chinese Checkers Game
Many children are thrown when tying to learn a game which to them seems complicated. Ordinary Chinese checkers, with so much space filled with dozens and dozens of holes, and involving 20 marbles, frequently discourages young children from learning the game. I tried abbreviating the game as illustrated here, and the children not only liked the smallness of it, but it turned out to be a quick way to learn the game, and a good game for quicky matches with friends at odd moments of the day. (You Might Also Like Our Wood Pocket Checkers Craft Too)
awl
carpenter saw
drill and countersink
pencil
square
sandblock
garnet paper
3/4-inch wood
glue
paints
brushes
(Parental Supervision)
Since most children will have trouble laying out the board themselves, make a full size model yourself, and then make a pattern out of stiff cardboard with small holes in it for the countersink spots. Pre-cut the wood blanks for the children, and lay and punch this pattern over it.
Make holes with the countersink, after first making a slight depression with an awl, so that the holes will be started in the proper places. Make sure the countersink is sharp, as a dull one simply will not cut wood to over 1/16 inch in depth. For appearance, try to make all holes the same depth. A drill and countersink for each three children is sufficient, since their hands will tire quickly. In between turns at the drill, the children can smooth the edges of the wood with a sandblock, and prepare the fence for the outside, and score jump lines with a pencil.
Marbles inevitably become dislodged, so to avoid marble hunts all over the floor, make a fence of 1/4-inch slats of wood around the edge of the block. If small pebbles are used for counters, the fence will be unnecessary.
Six counters are needed for each side: either marbles or pebbles of contrasting colors. If pebbles are used, leave one half plain, and paint the other half with a contrasting enamel.