Make Room for Fun!
I've put together 30 printable games that turn everyday objects around the house into fun activities for kids ages 5 to 11.
By Joshua BeckerNew York Times bestselling author and founder of Becoming Minimalist
1. Print a game
2. Gather a few things you own
3. Start playing
A printable game book with 30 games about stuff, space and what matters most
No expensive supplies or complicated setup. Just print a game, gather a few things you already own, and start playing.
A paper clip spun on a pencil becomes a spinner. A pile of clean socks becomes a race against the clock.
Along the way, children discover how much fun they can have without needing something new. Every game also comes with a short note for parents explaining the idea behind it.
My own journey toward minimalism began the day I realized how much time I was spending taking care of my things instead of spending time with my young son. I made this book so you and your kids can explore these ideas together, one game at a time.
The Bored Board
A bingo board where every square is something to do with things you already have, like building a fort with cushions or making a paper airplane. Your child colors each square they finish and goes for five in a row. The free square in the middle says “Daydream 1 minute.”
One Thing, Ten Ways
Your child picks one ordinary thing, like a box or a blanket, and invents 10 different ways to play with it. Then they star their best idea and go play it.
X Marks the Spot
Your child hides a small treasure in their room and draws a map that leads right to it. Then a grown-up tries to find it using only the map, with the timer running.
Kids don't need much to have a good time. Give them a simple challenge and a timer, and the fun usually takes care of itself.
So I made every page of this book a game. Your kids get races, puzzles, coupons and cut-outs.
Who made this book
Joshua Becker
3M+ followers
Own less. Live more.
Joshua Becker started Becoming Minimalist in 2008. His newest book, Uncluttered Faith, made The New York Times bestseller list in 2026, and his earlier books include Clutterfree with Kids, The More of Less and The Minimalist Home.
His work has been featured on CBS Evening News and the TODAY Show, in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and in the Netflix documentary Minimalism.
Joshua and his wife, Kim, started owning less when their son was five. Many of the games come straight from ideas he's shared with his readers for years, like the 12-12-12 Challenge and the three-gift rule, made into something kids can play.
Every game teaches one of six ideas, from appreciating what you have to discovering the joy of giving.
1
We own more than we think, and favorites matter more than piles.
2
A home for everything, and clearing space in short, quick bursts.
3
Kids are capable, and a job done well feels good.
4
Giving feels good, and time together is the best gift.
5
Needs vs. wants, the tricks inside ads, and what things really cost.
6
More play with less stuff, limits that help, and gratitude.
Right now, during the launch, you get all 30 games of Make Room for Fun! for $27.
For about the price of a new toy, you'll have 30 activities your family can enjoy again and again.
After the launch, the price goes up to $47.
Make Room for Fun!
$47$27
Available for $27 during the launch. Regular price: $47.
They're real games, like racing a grown-up through the house or folding laundry for a gold medal. Your kids make the decisions along the way.
Some days they won't, and that's okay. Start with a quick game, and play the first round with them.
Nope. Most games use what you already have: a pencil, crayons, scissors, tape, a timer, a box or two and a paper clip. (That's kind of the point!)
Usually just a few minutes. Every game page has a “You'll need” list, and most of it is already in your house.
Get instant access today, print a game and play it together. If it isn't a good fit for your family within 30 days, send one email and you'll get a full refund. No complicated process.
The games fit kids about 5 to 11. Younger kids can play with a grown-up reading the steps, and kids who can read the steps can run most games on their own.
An instant PDF download of the whole book: 69 pages with 30 games. Each game has a game page that explains how to play and a play sheet to write on, cut out or tape up. You also get a Fun-Maker Passport to stamp after each game and a certificate for the end.
The first seven are simple games a kid can do alone. The passport marks every game quick, medium or big, and the big projects, like the 12-12-12 Hunt and Swap Shop, come near the end.
Print just the game you want to play next, or print the whole thing and keep it in a folder. Black and white on regular US Letter paper is perfect. On A4 paper, choose “Fit to page.”
No. Some games are about passing things on, but nothing has to go. Many are about enjoying what your family already has, like coupons for a picnic or a game night together.
Some games need a grown-up, like the 12-12-12 Hunt, where you're the racer, and Memory Makers, where you cash in the coupons. Kids can run others on their own. One of the book's five house rules is “Play along,” because kids learn more from what we do than from what we say.
Yes, as many times as your family wants. One purchase covers your whole household.
They're two different books. Clutterfree with Kids is my book for parents. Make Room for Fun! is for the kids themselves: 30 games they play, with short notes for you.
It's a gift that doesn't add clutter. Print it, put it in a folder with a box of crayons, and it's ready to wrap.
One payment of $27, no subscriptions or hidden fees. Checkout is secure and encrypted, and your payment details are never stored on our servers.
My story begins in suburban Vermont. I was cleaning the garage, my wife was cleaning the bathrooms, and my 5-year-old son was playing alone in the backyard. I got talking with my neighbor, who said, “Maybe you don't need to own all this stuff.”
That day in my garage changed the way I thought about possessions. The things I owned weren't making my life better. In many ways, they were distracting me from the people and experiences that mattered most.
That little boy is grown up now. Over the years, I've learned that children are capable of understanding these ideas, sometimes better than we expect. But they need opportunities to practice them.
That's what I hope Make Room for Fun! can provide for your family. And perhaps, along the way, you'll create some meaningful memories together.
Joshua Becker
Founder of Becoming Minimalist, author of the NYT bestseller Uncluttered Faith
$47$27
All 30 games. One-time purchase. Print them whenever you'd like.