Table of Contents
Introduction
As the scorching summer season is in full swing, our family recently settled into our new home (hooray for permanent residence!). With the kids on a break from school, finding moments of calm amidst the chaos has become quite challenging. Fortunately, I’ve discovered a solution that keeps the kids engaged while granting me a brief respite from having little ones bouncing on my lap or tugging at my skirt. These 5 enjoyable bottle cap games are perfect for keeping the kids busy and granting me some much-needed time for myself. Some are classics, while others are newer creations, but they are all absolutely fun!
We always have an abundance of bottle caps readily available. My husband and kids love their tea, so we naturally accumulate a surplus of lids as well…and bottles too, but that’s a story for another day. So, whenever I require a moment of tranquility to sit back and enjoy a refreshing drink, I set up these 5 games for the kids to play with bottle caps.
Spinning Bottle Caps
While not technically a game, this activity has managed to captivate the kids for a considerable amount of time. To participate, simply place a bottle cap on its edge while steadying it with one finger. Using your other hand, flick the edge of the bottle cap to set it spinning. You can even organize a contest to determine whose bottle cap spins the longest or how many times in a row a cap spins for more than 2 seconds.
Tic-Tac-Toe
For this game, you’ll need some sidewalk chalk. Find a shady spot to draw a tic-tac-toe board on the ground (it’s best to avoid sunny areas as pavements tend to get scorching hot). The bottle caps serve as the playing pieces, with one player using the top side up and the other player using the bottom side up.
Shooter
We might have coined the name for this game ourselves, but that didn’t dampen the fun in any way. To get started, use your sidewalk chalk to draw a circle on the pavement. Place a bunch of bottle caps in the middle of the circle (we discovered that placing them top-down works better). Each player keeps three bottle caps. Taking turns, flick one cap into the circle, attempting to knock the other caps out of the circle. The player collects any caps that go outside the circle, and we established that caps on the line are considered “outside.” The player can use any won bottle caps as extra attempts to knock more caps out. Play continues until all the caps are out of the circle or one player runs out of bottle caps.
Memory
Apply sets of two stickers on the inside of the caps, then engage in a traditional game of memory by flipping the caps. The player with the most matches at the end emerges as the victor!
What’s Missing?
Attach stickers with numbers 1-10 on the tops of the caps. Arrange them in sequential order to begin, and then instruct the other player to close their eyes. Proceed to remove 3-5 caps and challenge the player to put them back in the correct order. This game is perfect for preschoolers who are just starting to learn their numbers!
But wait, there’s more!
Stack the Caps
Engage in a thrilling challenge to determine who can stack the most caps without toppling them over!
Whenever the kids are happily occupied (and not bickering), it’s the perfect opportunity for me to catch my breath, recharge, and get ready for the next round of excitement.
