Rainy afternoons in Yorkshire have taught me two truths: kids will happily throw things for ages, and cardboard boxes are basically free entertainment with delivery. So today we’re making my favourite party mash-up: a DIY “Feed the Monster” bean bag toss, where every score unlocks a silly dare or a kid-safe joke.

It’s loud, it’s easy, and it looks wildly impressive even if your monster ends up a bit lopsided. (Mine usually looks like it’s seen things.)

Quick note: I’m going to call them “bean bags” throughout, even if you’re using rolled-up socks. Same chaos, less sewing.

A parent and two children in a living room aiming small bean bags at a big cardboard box monster with a mouth cut-out, party game setup

What you’re making

A large cardboard “monster” with one or more mouth holes. Kids toss bean bags (or socks) to feed it. Each successful “chomp” earns points, and points unlock a quick dare, joke, or funny challenge.

This works brilliantly for birthdays, family game nights, classroom breaks, or any moment when you need a cheerful energy-burn that does not involve climbing the curtains.

Supplies (use what you’ve got)

  • 1 large cardboard box (moving box size is perfect)
  • Strong tape (packing tape or duct tape)
  • Scissors or a craft knife (adults only for the knife)
  • Markers or paint (optional but fun)
  • Paper, card, or scrap packaging for teeth, eyes, horns
  • Glue (PVA or glue stick)
  • 3 to 8 “bean bags”: real bean bags, rolled-up socks, or zip-top bags of rice sealed inside a second bag
  • A bowl or small bag to hold your dare and joke slips
  • Pen and paper for writing dares

Quick safety note: If you’re making rice bags, double-bag them and seal the tops with strong tape. For under-3s (or any child who still puts everything in their mouth), skip rice bags and go with socks or soft store-bought bean bags instead.

Safety first (the boring bit that stops tears)

  • Cutting: adults do all craft-knife cutting.
  • Throwing zone: keep a clear lane. No one stands next to the monster while someone is throwing.
  • Aim low: gentle, underhand throws work best and keep bags away from faces.
  • Trip hazards: if you use string for the throwing line, tape it down fully or use a strip of tape instead.
  • Glow sticks: only with supervision. Chemical glow sticks should not be chewed or opened, so keep them away from toddlers and replace any that crack or leak.

Build the monster (10 to 20 minutes)

1) Make the box stable

Stand the box upright so one large side faces the players. Tape the bottom flaps from the inside if you can, so the base stays rigid and doesn’t fold inward mid-game. Reinforce the outside edges too. If the box wants to scoot around, tape it to the floor or place it against a wall.

2) Cut the monster mouth

Draw a big mouth shape on the front. For younger kids, go generous. A wide oval is perfect.

  • Easy mode: 1 big mouth hole
  • Party mode: 1 big mouth plus 2 smaller “snack holes” (like nostrils or side mouths)

Adults cut the holes. Then run tape around the cut edges so nobody gets a cardboard papercut. Cardboard papercuts are tiny, personal, and incredibly rude.

3) Add teeth and a face

Cut triangles for teeth and tape or glue them around the mouth. Add big eyes, eyebrows, spots, a tongue, whatever your monster is into. Googly eyes are always a solid life choice.

A cardboard box monster on a table, decorated with paper teeth and big cartoon eyes, with markers and tape nearby

Make it a real game: points and rounds

Set your throwing line

Use tape on the floor, a scarf, or a bit of string. These are good starting points, then adjust for the room size and how confident the throwers are:

  • Ages 3 to 5: try 1 to 1.5 metres
  • Ages 6 to 8: try 2 to 3 metres
  • Ages 9+: try 3 to 4 metres (or add a “one foot only” round)

Pick a scoring style

Choose one of these, depending on how chaotic your group is feeling.

Option A: Simple scoring

  • Big mouth = 1 point
  • Small mouth or snack hole = 2 points
  • Hardest hole (if you add one) = 3 points

Option B: Monster moods

Before each round, the monster is in a “mood” (you call it out):

  • Sleepy monster: only underhand throws
  • Greedy monster: you must toss two bags quickly, one after the other
  • Shy monster: players throw while facing sideways

Decide how kids earn dares

My favourite is: every 3 points earned lets the player draw one dare slip. That way, it feels like a reward, not a punishment.

Silly dares (kid-friendly and party-safe)

Write each dare on a small slip of paper and pop them in a bowl. Keep them quick, clean, and doable in a living room.

  • Do your best monster roar for 5 seconds.
  • Walk like a robot to the throwing line and back.
  • Speak in a squeaky mouse voice for the next turn.
  • Do 3 slow-motion “victory jumps”.
  • Make a funny face and hold it until the next player throws.
  • Pretend your bean bag is a tiny pet and introduce it to the group.
  • Do 5 star jumps, then take your next throw.
  • Tell the monster “thank you for eating” in your fanciest voice.
  • Hop on one foot while counting to 10.
  • Act like you are stuck in jelly for the next 10 seconds.
  • Do an imaginary drum solo for 7 seconds.
  • Make up a new dance move and teach it to one person.
  • Compliment the next player like a sports commentator.
  • Pretend your next bean bag is stinky and you’re disgusted by it.
  • Do your best superhero landing (gently, knees happy).

Joke unlocks (so the giggles keep rolling)

Mix joke slips in with the dares, or make a separate “Joke Jackpot” bowl. If you want a bigger stash of kid-friendly jokes, our Kids Jokes guide is a good place to start.

Quick monster-approved jokes

  • What do you call a monster who loves jokes? A pun-ster.
  • Why did the monster eat the light bulb? It wanted a bright idea.
  • What do you get if you cross a monster with a snowman? Frostbite.
  • Why don’t monsters eat ghosts? Because they taste too spooky.
  • What do monsters use to wash up? Sham-poo.
  • Why did the monster sit on the clock? It wanted to be on time.
  • What’s a monster’s favourite game? Hide and shriek.
  • Why did the monster bring a ladder to the party? To reach the high notes.
  • What do you call a monster who tells knock-knock jokes? A knock-knock-a-saurus.
  • Why did the monster eat a map? It wanted to travel through its tummy.

If your group loves interactive jokes, pair this game with an origami joke teller station so kids can grab a laugh between turns.

How to run it at a party

My simple setup

  • 1 monster against a wall
  • 1 throwing line
  • 1 “bag bucket” (a bowl or tote for bean bags)
  • 1 “dare bowl” (slips of paper)
  • 1 scorekeeper (older sibling, willing adult, or the birthday kid in a fancy hat)

Keep turns fast

Give each player 3 throws per turn. Total their points, then draw dares based on the total. Fast turns mean fewer arguments and more time for snacks. This is not a scientific fact, but it feels extremely true in my house.

Make it fair across ages

  • Let younger kids stand closer.
  • Give little ones a bigger mouth target.
  • Offer a “second chance throw” for anyone under 6.

Make it inclusive

  • Seated throws: put the line at a chair and let kids throw sitting down.
  • Roll instead of toss: roll bean bags along the floor into the mouth like bowling.
  • Closer line option: everyone can choose the “near line” or “far line” each turn.
A group of children at a birthday party taking turns throwing soft bean bags toward a cardboard monster target while an adult supervises nearby

Variations

Two-mouth monster

Cut a second mouth on the side of the box, then rotate the monster between rounds. Suddenly the angles change and everyone swears the monster moved on purpose.

Treasure belly

Put a small basket inside the box. Tape it down or weigh it (a couple of books beside it works) so it doesn’t tip when bags land. Every bean bag that lands in the basket earns a bonus joke slip.

Glow monster (low light)

If you have glow sticks, tape them around the mouth opening so the target is easier to see. Keep it simple and safe, supervise little ones, and bin any glow stick that cracks.

Theme swap

Turn the monster into whatever the party theme is: dinosaur, shark, dragon, even a grumpy toaster. The rules stay the same.

Troubleshooting

The box keeps falling over

  • Add a few books or a small weight inside the bottom of the box.
  • Tape the back of the box to a wall (painter’s tape first if you’re protecting paint).
  • Widen the base by taping extra cardboard “feet” to the bottom corners.

The mouth is tearing

  • Tape around the mouth edge with packing tape.
  • Glue an extra layer of cardboard around the opening like a frame.

Kids are arguing about points

  • Switch to “every mouth counts as 1 point”.
  • Or go fully joyful chaos: no points, just draw a dare after every successful chomp.

Clean-up and storage

If you want to keep the monster for future parties, fold the top flaps in and store it flat behind a sofa or in a closet. Bean bags (or socks) can live in a shoebox with the dare slips, ready for your next “we need an activity in five minutes” moment.

For more easy game ideas that use simple materials, have a browse through our Party Games guide. It’s basically my parenting survival kit in webpage form.

Quick rules card

  1. Stand behind the line.
  2. Throw 3 bean bags.
  3. Count points for each chomp.
  4. Every 3 points, draw a dare or joke.
  5. Laugh. Repeat. Feed the monster again because it is never full.