Make a home-made a clothespin foosball table
Build a homemade clothespin foosball table using cardboard, clothespins, straws or wooden dowels, and a ping pong ball, learning measurement and teamwork.
Step-by-step guide to make a homemade clothespin foosball table
Step 1
Gather all materials and bring them to a clear flat workspace.
Step 2
Use the ruler to measure and mark a rectangle about 60 cm by 30 cm on the cardboard.
Step 3
Cut out the marked rectangle from the cardboard with scissors or a craft knife with adult help.
Step 4
Measure and mark two long side strips about 60 cm by 6 cm on the leftover cardboard.
Step 5
Cut out the two side strips.
Step 6
Tape the two side strips upright along the long edges of the rectangle to form a shallow box with raised sides.
Step 7
Use the ruler to mark four evenly spaced lines across the box where the rods will go.
Step 8
Carefully make holes or slits at each mark big enough for a skewer or straw to slide through.
Step 9
Slide a skewer or straw through each set of holes so the rods run across the box with handles sticking out each side.
Step 10
Tape the ends of the rods on the outside so they cannot slide back through the holes.
Step 11
Clip three clothespins onto each rod facing the playing field to act as players.
Step 12
Use the marker to draw a center line and goal boxes and make small goal openings at each short end.
Step 13
Invite a friend or family member to play a match and take turns moving the rods to kick the ping pong ball and score goals.
Step 14
Share your finished clothespin foosball table on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have wooden skewers, clothespins, or a ping-pong ball?
If you don't have skewers, use straight pencils or thin dowels for the 'slide a skewer or straw through each set of holes' step, replace clothespins with strong paper clips or binder clips clipped to the rods, and use a small soft bouncy ball instead of a ping-pong ball for easier kicking.
My rods wobble or pull back through the holes—how do I fix that?
If rods wobble or slide back through the holes made in step 7, reinforce each hole with a small ring of tape or a glued cardboard washer and then firmly tape the rod ends on the outside as instructed to lock them in place.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older children?
For younger kids have an adult do the measuring, cutting, and hole-making and use drinking straws with one clothespin per rod and a larger soft ball for gentler play, while older kids can measure precisely, use wooden dowels, add extra rows of rods, and make the box sturdier with glued layers of cardboard.
What are simple ways to improve or personalize the foosball table after it's built?
To enhance the finished table, paint team colors on the clothespins after you 'clip three clothespins onto each rod,' add small cardboard goal nets behind the goal openings, and glue paper score tabs to the short ends for keeping score.
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Facts about DIY tabletop games and simple engineering for kids
⚽ Table football (foosball) was created to bring soccer fun indoors — people have been playing tabletop soccer since the early 20th century.
🏓 A standard table tennis (ping-pong) ball weighs about 2.7 grams and bounces just enough for lively DIY foosball matches.
🤝 Designing and playing a homemade foosball table helps kids practice teamwork, turn-taking, and collaborative problem-solving.
📏 Measuring and spacing the player rows with a ruler teaches kids practical measurement and simple fractions while building.
🧺 Wooden clothespins became common in the 19th century and double as perfect tiny players for homemade games.
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