According to the plan presented on this page, you can make an old German game for children and adults called ‘Bauernroulette’.

First we found a picture of this game in an old magazine under the name ‘spinner game’, so we called it the same in our plan. Later we found more information about this game, which made us change its name. It is easy to conclude from the very name that the game was invented in Germany; the translation of the word ‘Bauernroulette’ is ‘poor man’s roulette’, i.e., ‘roulette for peasants/farmers’. The game is very simple and consists of a wooden container (bowl) with small holes inside (hollow indentations within the surface), wooden balls, and a spinning top also made of wood.

We would like to emphasize that here we are dealing with an old version of the game described. If you search the Internet, you will see that there is also a modified version of it. The modern version of the game has a slightly modified playing container - in addition to holes, as in our version of the game, there are chambers that are located outside the spinning area where the balls can land as well. It’s up to you which version of this game you will choose to make!

 

Bauernroulette game for kids
Project difficulty
Simple
Skill level
for school classes and beginners
Level of workshop equipment
Lathe
Dimensions

D 152 mm (6'') and H 32mm (1 1/4in).

 

To make the game more interesting, you can paint the holes and/or the balls using different colors; depending on their color, the balls will earn you points of different value. This way you will be able to add up your points at the end of each spin or round. Well, this sounds like real fun, don’t you think!?

 

Spinner Game for Kids - Parts and assembly drawing

Gameplay:

  • Put all the balls in the container.
  • Spin the top in it.
  • During rotation, the top (spintop) will collide with the balls rolling in the container and finally the balls will fall into the holes.
  • The winner is the one whose top throws the most balls into the holes.

The Bauernroulette is rather a game of chance than a game of skill. All you need to know is how to spin the top, and the outcome of the game does not depend on the players. This type of game can be great fun for children since it will keep them amused for hours and also show them that there are various forms of entertainment other than computer games and TV. 

This is an ideal plan for all who are into woodturning and like making gifts for kids. The Bauernroulette game is a great gift for your grandchildren or your neighbors' children.

This toy is by no means intended for children under 3 years of age as it contains small parts that can be very dangerous if swallowed, or if they get stuck in the airways. The spintop also has sharp parts which can hurt the children. Since this game requires formed motor skills by itself, therefore it is not intended for very small children.

We hope you will like this plan. Please do not hesitate to send us pictures of the finished Bauernroulette game made by you, so that we can publish them in our showroom gallery.

 

Download project (high resolution images)

Submitted by Ceh Jan