"Punch the Pumpkin" Halloween Game

Long time no see!  Random craft post, but I just finished making the game pictured below and my 2 year old, Gabby, had a great time helping out.  I was looking for a fun and easy game to bring to our neighborhood Fall Festival that won't require a lot of oversight.  I settled on one that reminds me of the Punch-a-Bunch game on The Price Is Right. I would say the game board was under $10 to make and I filled it with about $15 of prizes.

I just wanted to share a how-to because I can see using the premise of this game for all kinds of occasions like a Christmas advent calendar, school fair, etc.

Supplies 

(I purchased everything, but the glue at Dollar General)

BOARD
- (2) black foam boards
- (21) plastic cups
- green foam sheet
- Halloween foam stickers
- $1 chipboard pumpkin decor for embellishment
- glitter letters (the pack I purchased only came with 2 "R" letters, but I modified a "P" to use)
- (1) $1 9-foot Halloween garland
- (1) pack orange paper dinner napkins OR 1 pack of orange tissue paper (I used napkins)
- rubber bands
- scissors
- X-ACTO knife
- clothespins
- glue (I used E6000 clear adhesive)
- double-stick tape
OPTIONAL:  empty box to prop up the board


PRIZES
- fun-sized candy
- various, inexpensive non-candy Halloween items

Steps

1)  Glue (1) foam board to the side of an old diaper box to allow it to stand up.

2)  Use the X-ACTO knife to cut the second foam board in half.  Glue it on top of the first foam board.  I glued it to the back of the first foam board to make it more streamline.
NOTE:  I used some clothespins to keep the boards together while the glue dried.

3)  Put double-stick tape around the foam board and adhere the garland to the border.

4)  Arrange plastic cups into the shape of a pumpkin.

5)  Use glue around the bottom rim of each cup to adhere it to the foam board.
NOTE:  At first, I just put glue on the center of each cup bottom, but that didn't work very well.

6)  Once the glue is dry, fill each cup with prizes.
NOTE:  This is a great part to let the kiddos help!  Gabby enjoyed putting the goodies into each cup.

7)  Cut each dinner napkin into four squares. (The size of one square will be the size they come folded in the package.)  Place a napkin square on a cup and put a rubber band around it.  Repeat until all cups are covered.
NOTE:  Some folks use tissue paper for the cups, but I found it to be cheaper and easier to use napkins.  I've also seen instructions to use Mod Podge/adhesive to adhere the napkins, but rubber bands make it easy and reusable.

8)  Cut the green foam sheet into the shape of a stem and use tape or glue to put it on.
NOTE:  I glued it on top of the two center cups so that it stood out more than if I just glued it onto the board itself.

9)  Arrange glitter letters for the game name and add foam stickers.
NOTE:  Another name for the game -- "Poke the Pumpkin"

10)  Glue any additional embellishments onto the board.


The cool part about this game is that cups can be refilled.   I can use the same rubber band with a new napkin square to renew the "punch" piece.  If you don't want to have the game name on top, you can use just one black foam board with the pumpkin punchboard design.  I hope the game is a "hit" and stands up well to use.

Happy Halloween!!