Mini Wooden Foosball Box Project!

"No son of mine is gonna play any foos-ball." Mama Boucher, The Waterboy

Don't tell mama, but I'm going show you a kid friendly way to build a wooden foosball box! A bunch of awesome elementary school aged rockstars made these in my workshop last summer and we had a blast making them.

All measurements are for reference!

Some parents thought these were too big and others too small. We made them heavy, so they wouldn't move around during an intense foosball game.

You'll need:

Wood! (It's cm in Japan-SORRY!)

-1.5cm X 35cm X 50cm bottom piece. (I wish I went thicker)

-2cm X 20cm X 50cm side pieces X2

-2cm X 20cm X 39cm front and back pieces X2

-60cm long-10mm X 10mm Woden rods X4

-12cm long- 2cm X 2cm wooden strips for foosball guys X10

-Ping pong ball for the ball

Tools!

-Power drill

-Step drill bit (optional for side holes)

-11mm auger bit

-Jigsaw

-35mm screws X22 for the foosball box

-15mm screws X10 to attach foosball guys to rod

-Wood putty (optional)

-Sandpaper

Paint!

-Any colors

Safety! (For the kids)

-Supervison

-Eye protection

-Hearing protection

-Gloves

-Dust mask

Any rectangular box will work.

Tips

-I've had kids of all ages join this workshop and it's best to have all of the wood cut and ready.

-I used 1.5cm thick particle board for the bottom because I had it in the workshop. I recommend using at least 2cm thick especially if the kids are drilling pilot holes.

-Buy a drill guide for kids.

-Make all of the pilot holes for younger kids.

-We countersunk all of the screws and filled the holes with wood putty just for something else to have fun doing.

-I wish I went with a fatter wooden rod and longer screws for the players. 10mm X 10mm is fine, but rough play will loosen the foosball players. Most of my students made one and took it to school for their summer project. These are strong as is, but it's not too difficult to intentionally knock the players off their screws. They're not Nelson Muntz proof.

-Drill the holes in the foosball guys. My kids loved trying, but we couldn't use half of them.

Believe it or not, but that paint was masterfully organized before these workshops started!

Before the workshop, I asked the kids to bring a rough draft of their design. This helps them concentrate and keeps them from rushing. I let them use anything in the workshop and the hot items were painters tape for designs, glitter and paint pens.

They're working on the field in these pictures. Again, I wish I went with a thicker piece of wood, because the kids had trouble drilling pilot holes. Drill guides work awesome for younger lads.

Tips

-Don't let them pour their own paint.

-Keep paper towels and alcohol wipes nearby at all times.

-Use wet-naps to clean paint brushes quickly. My students often changed colors. Smaller synthetic brushes work better.

-Popcorn and potato chips are fun workshop snacks.

Looking back, I would've drilled the holes for the rods, before painting.

I also asked that they pick solid colors for the outside.

Be careful letting kids use power tools. I know it's obvious, but these things are dangerous. Glove up, mask up and put on sound protection.

Tips:

-Kids love the jigsaw, but it's best to keep your hands on their hands and guide them along. Let them cut up some practice wood first.

-Same with the drill. I have blocks of junk wood the kids love drilling holes in.

-Clamp the two side pieces together to drill the rod holes. It's the easiest way to get straight holes.

Cute and simple! I used 2cm X 2cm wooden strips and cut them down into 12cm pieces. Each box has 10 foosball players. I had the kids make 2 teams of 5. They drew fronts and back on each piece and numbered them.

Tips:

-Make sure the holes are on top. I had a few kids draw their players upside down.

-Pick two team colors and paint the ends of the rods these colors. Let the players know that they can only touch their color.

-We used ping pong balls and those super bouncy balls to play.

The finished foosball boxes!