Full Sized Candy Land Yard Game

So do you remember back when I was on “so you think your crafty”? yeah, I barely remember it too, it was 18 months ago- the month I got pregnant with Baby Boy!  I didn’t last long, and then got distracted by morning sickness, so I never did get around to posting everything I made!

One of my most favorite projects was actually this full sized Candy Land yard game!  Since it was the winter when I made it we didn’t get to play it outside, and then I gave the game away without taking pictures of us playing it outside, so even though the Theme of the Point of View this month is Outdoors, there is not a single outdoor picture!

I actually came up with this game idea when we decided to rip up the carpet before remodeling our “master bedroom”.   The carpet was ugly, but it was in pretty good shape, so I brainstormed what I could make with it!  I decided to cut it up into squares and started debating what board game it would be fun to create!

Candy land won and I split up the carpets and painted them in rainbow colors! I just used a few layers of normal spray paint.  Make sure to spray paint 6 pieces pink for the “special” candy locations!

Then I mixed them  up- all ready to lay out, this way you can change the formation of your “game board” every time you play!

Instead of a stack of cards, I decided to make a spinner to determine moves.  I cut out an arrow with my jig saw, and primed both the arrow and the large circle!  Then I taped off a section for paint- the same paint as the carpet pieces!

You can see my first color, and the pencil lines for the rest…  It took a little math and a little time, but doing it right is worth it!

To make the spinner work I drilled holes in the center of both the circle and arrow.  Using a hex nut, bolt, 4 washers and a locking bolt, place a washer on the back and stick the nut through and on the front add another washer and the bolt.  Tighten it good!  Then add another washer!

Next the final washer and the locking bolt!  Getting the right nut length is the key to all of this, the arrow should be slightly loose, but not too wiggly…

Mine was PERFECT!  It spun just like I’d hoped it would!  It’s actually my favorite part of the whole game!

In the real Candy Land game they have some cards with two color squares on it, so I used the last space, and a stencil I hand cut (before the Silhouette machine days) to add “go two times”.

The idea is if you spin and land on “go two times” spin again then go to two of that color… Make sense?

When you land on PINK you draw one of the 6 special space cards I made.  I was going with the Candy Land of my childhood and grabbed real images of  all the locations!  So if you land on pink, draw a card (keep them upside down obviously!

I used those same images and glued them to foam core board, cut the shapes out and added them to dowels!  You’ll stick the dowels into the ground by the pink carpet spots!  You’ll have your starting and ending location, with 6 special locations and the colored board winding around your yard!

And finally I printed and laminated these cute figures for each player to wear!!!!  Don’t they look amazing!  We just stuck them to our shirts, but I think I’d add them to lanyards if I was doing it again!

The first time we played we set it up around the house- in the kitchen… (modeling the spinner- look how young they both look!)

Up the stairs….

And through the living room… (see Computer boy on a pink spot?  The gumdrop dowel didn’t stay up on the carpet very well…)

The only problem is all the room the carpet squares take up… we put everything in a huge 12 gallon box, but this last year gave the game away… I’d love to make it again, just as full sized, but somehow smaller???

Don’t forget to link up your outdoor projects!