Make a DIY Mancala Game From an Egg Carton

Create a colorful mancala game from a couple of empty egg cartons, and learn to play this fun counting game!

Making a DIY Mancala Game

I love this DIY mancala game for so many reasons!

Firstly, you can make it for absolutely zero dollars; I bet you have everything you need already in your cabinets or craft supplies!

All you need is a couple of empty egg cartons, some paint, and some small items to use as game markers.

I also love that you can customize it to make it look any way you like! Use different colors, different patterns, or skip the decoration completely and get right into playing the game.

More DIY Game Ideas

We’re famous around here for our DIY games, and if you like this one you’re going to absolutely love some of the ones I pulled together below.

Be sure to bookmark or pin your favorites so that you can find them easily when you’re ready to make something fun!

• DIY Yahtzee Game with Printable Yahtzee Score Sheets
• DIY Jenga Game
• Make Your Own Shut The Box Game
• DIY Chinese Checkers Game
• DIY Backgammon Board Game
• Wes Anderson Guess Who Game

Supplies You’ll Need

• 2 egg cartons
• paint
• paintbrush
• scissors
• low-temp glue gun
• small game pieces

How to Make a DIY Mancala Game

1. Cut the 12-cup section from an egg carton and set aside.
2. Then cut the ends of two egg carton lids so that you have four ends (each about 2” long).
3. Overlap two of the ends and glue together to make a rectangular cup. Repeat with the other two so that you have two rectangular cups.
4. Place a few drops of paint into all cups and use paintbrushes to paint the bottoms of the cups. Allow to dry.
5. Once everything is dry, you can play! You’ll need 48 small game pieces; you can use marbles, coins, rhinestones, pebbles, or any other small items you have on hand.
6. Search online for a quick mancala tutorial. It’s easy and fun to play, and great for teaching kids around age 5 and up.

Playing Mancala

I love playing mancala with the family; it’s an easy-to grasp game that is great for learning skills like quick counting, game play, sportsmanship, strategy, and more.

Check out the rest of our DIY games for more ideas of projects to make and play this summer! xoxo

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