Make and Play Tic Tac Toe Kids Craft

One of our favorite things to do as kids while we were in the car or waiting for dinner at a restaurant was to play tic tac toe. I am the oldest of three kids, and of course never wanted to let my little brothers win. But every once in awhile they did have my number. Even so, it was still fun. We never played just once. There was always rematch after rematch, and we loved it. We would have had so much fun with this tic tac toe kids craft!

Now most down time for children is spent on technology…looking at one screen or another. I get it…kids need stimulation. But studies are showing over and over again that too much screen time simply isn’t the path to a healthy brain, no matter what age you are, but especially for little ones. The recommended screen time for a preschooler is no more than 15 minutes a day! Most of our kids (including mine at that age) get that before they even hit the ground running for the day. That is just the world that we live in.

But, let’s try to do better. Projects like this tic tac toe kids’ craft are a great way to stimulate the brain and give alternates to screen time when we are on the go. Throw it in your purse, diaper bag, backpack and take it with you (maybe you could pack those dominoes we made too).

SUPPLIES IN THE BAG

*If you are new around here and don’t know what I mean by “in the bag”, be prepared to have your mind blown (figuratively). I am about to make it so much easier for you to spend time crafting with your children without all the prep work. Check out the “fill your bag” section of this website.

• 10 large popsicle sticks
• Paint (your color of choice-I used white)
• Clothespin
• Medium pompom
• Washi tape
• 6 Pipe cleaners (colors of your choice)
• Elmer’s glue
• Scissors
• Newspaper

Step 1

• Place 2 popsicle sticks side by side, about 4 inches apart, for the base of the tic tac toe board
• Cover both popsicle sticks with a healthy layer of Elmer’s glue
• Now place the other 8 popsicle sticks on top, touching each other as pictured
• Allow the glue to dry thoroughly

Step 2

• Pinch the pompom with clothespin
• Place the tic tac toe board on a piece of newspaper
• Squeeze a small amount of paint onto the newspaper
• Paint the back of the board and allow it to dry
• Turn the board over and paint the front
• Allow the paint to dry thoroughly

Step 3

• Make the lines of the tic tac toe board using your chosen washi tape (any pattern and size will work-I used a thinner tape to give more room for the pieces)
• Trim the ends of the washi tape with scissors or simply tear

Step 4

• Cut 3 of the pipe cleaners each into 4 pieces in order to make the x’s
• Use 2 pieces of pipe cleaner and twist them together for an x. Trim the ends to desired size
• Cut the remaining two pipe cleaners into thirds (3 pieces per pipe cleaner)
• Curl each of the pieces into a circle shape and twist the ends together to secure

Step 5

• It’s time to play the game!
• Just in case you are new to the rules of tic tac toe, you can learn HERE

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