Make a ring toss game

This game is perfect for a picnic, Scout meeting or just while hanging out with friends and family.

What You’ll Need

• 11’ three-strand rope, 1/2” to 3/4” in diameter
• 6 6’ lengths of strong twine
• 2 pieces of 12”-square plywood
• 2 1” dowels, 8” in length
• Drill
• Sandpaper
• Pocketknife

What You’ll Do

MAKE THE RINGS

1. Cut the rope in half.

2. Untwist the rope until you have six strands of very curly material 51/2’ in length.

3. Form a 6”-diameter loop in the center of one of your strands and tie an overhand knot.

4. Continue wrapping each end of the strand around this loop. The wraps you make should mesh perfectly with the twists already in the strand. It’s helpful if you use a twisting action on the strand as you wrap it around the ring.

5. Continue to wrap and twist until the entire ring is three strands thick.

6. Cut the strand ends at an angle and push them into the groove in the ring.

7. Use any type of strong twine to make a whipping knot as shown. Wrap the twine as tightly as you can, and pull the loop about halfway under the wraps. Trim any extra twine flush with the edge of the knot. You can apply some wood glue to the knot to make it extra strong.

MAKE THE TARGETS

8. For the peg holder, drill a hole in the center of each baseboard. The hole should hold the peg securely but not so tight that it can’t be removed for flat storage. Sand the top of the peg round, and sand the baseboard to remove any splinters.

Playing the Game

The typical distance between targets is from 8 to 15 feet, but you can choose any distance. In the simplest version of this game, each player throws three rings from the same distance and a point is scored for each ringer.