How to make your own Disneyland board game

Making board games is something I have fun doing with all the kids I babysit. It's a great craft and game at the same time, and a fun way to either anticipate a trip or relive fun memories of a place you love. My favorite version is Disneyland, but it can easily be adapted to fit other vacation spots or fun places/activities that the kids like. It's basically like Candyland on steroids (i.e., with more of the special cards).1. Create the game board. Have a path (or multiple paths) from start to finish. Fill in about a third of the squares with specific activities or places within the overall theme-Disneyland rides and attractions, for example. Ask the children you're with about their favorite things to do and include them, and they can be part of the creative process. Fill in another third with the word "card" (or, I have the Disneyland ones say "Fastpass.") Then leave the rest blank.

2. Next, create the game pieces. You could borrow dice and pieces from other games, or you could create your own. For Disneyland, I make the kids' favorite princesses and have them color them in. Draw the Princesses' face and torso and arms. Then for the skirt, fill in a semicircle-ish shape with the color/pattern of the skirt. Then cut out the pieces, and twist the skirt piece into a cone, then tape the top on.

You can also make your own die by cutting out the pattern above, then folding on the lines and taping.

For non-Princess pieces, you can make cones like the plain Princess skirts-

Or color small pieces of paper a little bigger than a penny. Then fold the pieces over pennies and tape them together in the back, so you have small weighted colored pieces.

3. Color! Kids can help color the squares in and draw little pictures along the game board of the different places written on the squares.

4. Make your cards (or Fastpasses). Fold a piece of paper into sections and cut on the folds. On each of the cards, put a direction to go to one of the special squares on the game board. You can also have cards with directions such as "Long lines-go back one space" or "Send another player back to start," etc.

5. Play! Roll the dice, and when you land on a card square, follow the directions on the cards. Kids have fun playing this, and I really do too! They also take great pride in having made their own game.

This little Beast was from another toy I had and I used him as my game piece.

I'll probably be doing more Disneyland themed posts as my trip there approaches! (Only 60 more days!!)