How to Play Plinko at Home?
Plinko is an exciting and fun game based on the American TV show “The Price is Right”. In it, the player drops Plinko balls from the top down. The balls hit pins along the way, and they drop to pockets with different payout values. It’s a very simple game – and, as such, players can even play it right at home. To play Plinko at home, you will need the right tools, resources and guidance. This is where this review comes into play.
Plinko Versions to Play at Home
There are several Plinko versions that you’re perfectly capable of playing at home. Primarily, they’re part of “The Price is Right” home games. The first two versions of the game were created by Endless Games. The first of the two variants features a deck of Plinko cards that you can use for scoring purposes. The second version is part of Endless Games’ DVD game. You can also purchase an electronic version of the game made by Irwin Toy – originally released in 2006. It features a miniature Plinko board with a top prize of $50,000.
One of the best at-home Plinko variants is the one released by Buffalo Games in 2020 – sold at Target. It uses a wooden and plastic board that has built-in electronic sensors, alongside a deck of cards to earn chips. It’s very simple to play Plinko by Buffalo Games. It’s a family game – so it’s best played with other players around. You’ll need to drop the Plinko chip from the top and watch as it moves through the pins until it reaches the bottom. Then, you draw a card based on the number where the disk lands – and you get a prize. The goal is to get the biggest prizes to win.
Making Your Own Plinko Game
If you’re a fan of Plinko and wish to make your own at-home game – you can start guessing the prices of different objects and earn chips. This is similar to “The Price is Right” show. You’ll see various items, and you’ll be asked to answer whether the price of a particular item starts with 1 specific digit or ends with another specific digit. Every time you guess correctly, you will be rewarded with a chip.
A simple example is as follows: you may be shown a cooler item with a retail price of $25. You may then be asked whether you believe the price starts with “2” or “1”. If you make the right guess, i.e. 2, you’ll earn a Plinko chip.
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To play Plinko at home, you’ll need to build your own Plinko board setup first. We’ve outlined the exact steps you need to take below:
Step 1. Purchase a pegboard and golf tees.
You can go to the hardware store – or to an online store – and purchase a plastic pegboard. The measures should be 46 cm by 56 cm. You will also need to get a pack of around 100 5.1 cm golf tees. You can find this item in almost any sporting goods store.
Step 2. Create your first row of pegs with golf tees.
Start with a hole in the top-left corner of the board – push a tee through the back of it. Move horizontally from left to right and push tees through every other row on the first row.
Step 3. Keep making peg rows down the board.
Skip the entire second row and the first hole on the third row’s left end. Push a tee starting with the second hole – and every other hole horizontally after that. Continue this offset pattern all the way down the board.
Step 4. Cut pieces of a foam core board to make a frame.
Purchase a 51 cm by 76 cm foam core board. Cut 2 strips sized 57 cm by 7.6 cm for the sides, 2 strips sized 46 cm by 7.6 cm for the top and bottom, 2 squares sized 7.6 cm by 7.6 cm for corner supports, and 5 pieces sized 7.0 cm by 5.40 cm for slot dividers. Measure carefully.
Step 5. Make final cuts to the top edge and foam squares.
Cut each foam square into 2 identical triangles. Cut 3 separate 5.1 cm holes in the top frame piece for the balls to pass through.
Step 6. Glue the frame together and attach it to the pegboard.
Use a hot glue gun to glue the side and top/bottom pieces together. Glue 1 triangle on each corner from the back side. After the glue dries, apply glue to the front of each triangle and carefully slide the board into the frame.
Step 7. Create the bottom slots.
Evenly space your bottom slot dividers and glue them vertically to the board’s bottom. Line each slot with different colored paper to represent different prizes such as cash rewards, school incentives, or small toys.
Going with the cash prizes format will align you with the traditional Plinko gameplay. In this case, you can label the center slot as having the highest value – while the slots on either side of it will need to be valued at $0.
If you choose to play Plinko with students in a classroom, you can name one slot “free pencil”, while another slot can be “homework pass”.
Lastly, if you’re playing Plinko during a kid’s birthday party, you can give prizes in the form of stickers, markers and even small stuffed animals.
Step 8. Use ping pong balls as chips.
You’re now at the very end of creating your own Plinko board. To play the game, you will simply need to drop a ping pong ball into either of the holes at the top of the frame. Then, watch the ball drop and bounce from peg to peg until it lands at the bottom. Lastly, collect the prize displayed on the slot where the ball lands.
You now have all the tools you need to play Plinko at home whenever you want. It’s a very fun game that will help you have a great time with your close ones. Enjoy!
How to Use Plinko Boards for Birthdays and Parties
Plinko is a great game that offers a variety of different ways to enjoy it with your friends. You can use the Plinko board on many different occasions, such as:
- In place of a Piñata. This is an interactive alternative with which you will still experience the thrill of a prize drop.
- Dares or challenges. You can add a “dare” or “challenge” in Plinko slots – and thus play the game with dares. Dares may include singing a song, telling a funny story, or doing an impression of someone in the room. It’s also an option to play “truth or dare”.
- Simple treats to send home. You can even use Plinko as a send-off station. Your guests can drop a pluck before they leave.
The variety of different games and variants you can implement with a simple Plinko board is practically limitless – and bound only by your imagination.
