This basketball cup and ball craft is easy to make and fun to play! Perfect basketball birthday party activity, team parties, or just a fun craft for the kids while the grownups watch the game!
With very simple supplies, you can keep the kiddos busy making their own basketball cup and ball game. They are so cute and fun for kids!
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Basketball is a big thing this time of year. Our family is not what you would call a sports family… At times, I feel like that puts our kiddos at a disadvantage. I love camaraderie and team spirit of sports, and the drive to improve and succeed at something.
I played softball as a kid (as well as being in gymnastics and horseback riding) and it was so much fun! Unfortunately, I married someone who is not interested in sports unless it also involves motors. So, our kids haven’t shown much interest. We’ve tried a soccer camper, baseball parent-child classes, gymnastics, dance, karate… You name it. They haven’t really found that thing that clicks.
So, this past weekend, we decided to watch a little basketball.
As this idea did not go over well with the whole family, we also added a fun basketball cup and ball craft. That was much more of a hit!
The game is your typical cup and ball game where you try to get the ball into the cup by swinging it on a string.
This craft is great for kids during the game, as a basketball birthday activity, or just something fun to do with friends. If you’re having friends over to watch the game and you want to keep the kids busy, this is perfect!
Also Read: Spy Party: Secret Agent Birthday Party They’ll Never Forget!
Basketball Cup and Ball Craft
Materials
- White plastic bath cups – We used these from Walmart
- Orange paint
- Silver Sharpie
- Orange ping pong balls
- Black Sharpie
- Something to pierce the holes in the cup – Awl, screwdriver, etc.
- Wood Chopsticks
- String – I think embroidery floss would work best
Instructions
- Paint an orange stripe around the rim of the white plastic cup.
- With the silver Sharpie, draw diagonal lines one direction all the way around the cup. Then draw them the other direction all the way around the cup.
- With the black Sharpie, draw basketball lines on the orange ping pong ball.
- Cut your wooden chopstick in half.
- Carefully, make a hole – slightly smaller than the chopstick – about 1/3 of the way up the side of the cup. Insert the chopstick into the hole.
- Cut a piece of string, roughly 12-18 inches long.
- Thread a needle with the string and push up thought the bottom of the cup. Tie off the end inside the cup.
- Insert the other end of the string completely through the ping pong ball and tie off at the end.
- Play with the basketball cup and ball craft by trying to swing the ball into the cup.
Some hints for the basketball cup and ball craft…
We learned some things while creating this project. So, I’ll share all the tips with you so things go a little smoother!
First, white cups and orange ping pong balls saves a lot of time and mess.
I looked high and low all over our house because I knew I had a mini cup and ping pong ball set from the Dollar Tree. After making a mess of the house, I found those only to have found the white plastic cups and realize they’re better because you don’t have to paint them. I also realized my husband has some old orange ping pong balls, which also doesn’t need painting.
Second, the plastic cups are very flimsy so you have to carefully cut the holes.
We had a tool my husband found that was tapered at the end and had a bit of a blade around it so I could carefully carve out a hole in the plastic. Does anyone know what the heck this is? Comment below if you do, because I’m clueless. I suggest using an awl if you have one or just carefully poke a hole with a screwdriver. You want it to be a tight fit when you put the chopstick in. You can always give it a little hot glue if needed. We had the hot glue gun ready but found we didn’t need it.
Third, it’s easier than you think to make a basketball.
I was a little intimidated to make the basketball lines on the orange ping pong ball. However, I found that it’s easier than you think as long as you start with the two cross lines all the way around the ping pong ball. Start the first line right across the writing on the ball and go all the way around the equator of the ball. Then, turn the ball a quarter turn and go around the other way so they crossed twice at the center. From the midpoint where they intersect, draw two curves to the right at left and repeat on the other side. Once you have those curved lines, you can draw a slightly curved line the other way to complete them.
Fourth, use a string that is strong enough to be swung around, but thin enough to fit through a needle.
This was our biggest struggle! We couldn’t find our embroidery floss anywhere. Instead I took some of this string, which was too big for our needle and separated the three colors. At that point it was still too big for our small needle, so I just taped it to the end tightly and it ended up making it through the cup and the ping pong ball. To save yourself a lot of trouble, it helps to use a small but strong string and a larger needle if you have one.
They were a hit!
I’m biased, but I think they turned out very cute! With all of our trial and error out of the way, they are also a very simple project for kids. I could see this basketball ball and cup craft being perfect for a basketball or sports birthday party, something fun for a basketball team get together, or just a fun activity for the kids.
Our kids had a lot of fun trying to get the basketball in the cup. They also randomly pick them up and give them a try days later. So, it s a great little activity and gives them some hand-eye-coordination practice. Win-win!
Also Read: Bunny Birthday Party
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What sports or activities is your family into?
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