Board game | National Museum of Australia

Create your own board game, inspired by the games in the National Museum's collection. Some are more than 100 years old!

Did you know ...

Board games often reflect events or trends in society. Board games were popular family entertainment in 1913, when there was no television or computer games.

Games on the arrival of the first Australian naval fleet and exploration in Antarctica were included in the Glorious Days: Australia 1913 exhibition.

How to make your own board game

Here are some questions to get you started:

Do you like to play board games?
Can you think of board games you have played that show events or trends of the time?
What is it about these games that show they come from a particular time? (Hint: Compare an old version of Monopoly with newer versions, which have electronic banking and credit cards).
What sort of board game would you design?

Make your own board game: fun at home activity 6:56

Games from our collection

Check out board games from the Museum's collection, for more inspiration.

'Antarctica' board game showing a white landmass at centre, with game squares radiating out to Australia, Africa and South America. - click to view larger image — Antarctica: The Race to the South Pole board game

'Skippy' board game with a central image of a kangaroo and game squares set in locations including Hidden Valley and Sydney. - click to view larger image — Skippy board game

A hand-coloured lithographic playing board made of eight paper sections mounted on linen, with a polygonal twelve-sided teetotum or spinning dice and three small painted metal playing pieces in the shape of tall ships. - click to view larger image — Race to the Gold Diggings of Australia board game

Two cardboard discs attached at the centre via a brass stud. Red and white text printed on the upper disc reads: 'AUSTRALIA WHEEL'. On the lower disc on a blue background are illustrations of flags, a map including Australia and New Guinea, a kangaroo and emu, and a large red arrow. Ten captioned cut-out windows on the upper disc reveal text and illustrations printed on the lower disc. Around the edge the lower disc text and arrows are separated by red lines. - click to view larger image — Australia Wheel board game

A colour-printed game board inscribed in part 'Autobrite, Silicone, CAR POLISH'. A stamp verso reads in part 'J.H. GARDINER & CO. PTY. LTD. ...'. - click to view larger image — Autobrite board game

A game board titled 'Boy Scouts' with 90 numbered squares and images of various campsites. - click to view larger image — Boy Scouts board game

Square game board titled 'Commonwealth Navy', with white game squares at centre. Images of various war ships surround the playing space. - click to view larger image — Commonwealth Navy board game

A game board titled 'GINGER MEGGS, PAPER CHASE. DELUXE EDITION' with game surface incorporating various logos including 'GREGORY'S', 'GRACE BROS', 'Advance Bank' and 'AUSTRALIA'S WONDERLAND'. - click to view larger image — Ginger Meggs Paper Chase board game

A game board with blue paper exterior and game surface interior, inscribed 'HEY HEY it's Saturday'. The interior shows white game spaces, text and illustrations in colour. A blue plastic arrow is affixed to the board in the upper left quadrant. - click to view larger image — Hey Hey, it's Saturday board game

A sheet of card printed with a spiral pattern of coloured and numbered spaces over a green oval-shaped background. Logos reading 'PEPSI' and 'Mirinda' appear in each corner of the card. A grid of creases is visible verso. Instructional text printed within a white field reads in part: 'HOW TO PLAY THE PEPSI & MIRINDA OLYMPIC GAME'. - click to view larger image — Olympic Game board game

Board game with coloured games squares in a circuit, surrounded by images of endangered Australian animals. - click to view larger image — On the Brink: The Fun Endangered Game board game

A printed cardboard game board with separate instruction sheet inscribed 'SKY-SCOUTS'. - click to view larger image — Sky Scouts board game

A colour printed cardboard disc with illustrations of football players in different positions, and accompanying descriptive text. There is an illustrated portrait of John Warren at the centre with text 'JOHNNY / WARREN'S SOCCER / COACHING / CLINIC / Produced by / Wales Bank / First Bank in Australia / A Sponsor of / Australia's 1978 / World Cup / Challenge'. - click to view larger image — Johnny Warren's Soccer Coaching Clinic wheel chart

A square-shaped cardboard game board. The surface shows a concentric path of numbered yellow fields, with an illustration of a horse and rider jumping a hedge [from left to right] centre. - click to view larger image — The Steeplechase Game

Board game with game squares on a map of Australia. Misadventures including snake bite, accident and kangaroo kick surround the map of Australia. - click to view larger image — The Flying Doctor board game

Board game showing houses on a suburban streets, with game squares numbered to 67, and a central railway line. - click to view larger image — The Safety Game

Game board with multi-coloured squares and images of a golden boomerang and Australian landscapes. The game's rules are printed bottom right. - click to view larger image — The Search for the Golden Boomerang board game

Board game showing air routes on a map of Australia. There are spots marked on the board for 'Jet cards' and 'Airport cards'. - click to view larger image — Travel Around Australia board game

Board game with London at the centre and game squares spiralling around the stages of wheat production and export from Australia. - click to view larger image — Wheat-Convoy board game

A variety of items that could be used to make a board game including paperclips, stickers, pens, buttons and modelling clay.

Skill level: ★ Easy – you may need an adult to help
Time: 40–60 minutes

What you need:

A3-size cardboard or paper that can go through a printer
printer (optional)
spare items from the stationery drawer such as paperclips, stickers, cardboard, stamps, sticky notes, pens and pencils
anything you have around that could be used as a game piece, such as buttons, modelling clay, rocks or photos
a dice or spinner (or you could make your own out of modelling clay or cardboard).

Download Template 1 — roll the dice game for younger children85.7 kb pdf [ PDF | 85.7 kb ]
Download Template 2 — add game cards, for older children77.0 kb pdf [ PDF | 77.0 kb ]

Step 1

You can draw your own board game on a piece of cardboard or you could print out one of our two templates, above. They are A3-size when printed.

Template 1 is a simple roll the dice game for younger children. Let your imagination run free and decorate your board to match your theme.
Template 2 is aimed at older children. You can make your own game cards to place in the speech bubble space in the middle of this board.

A board game template entitled 'Summer Holidays'.

Step 2

Think of a theme. This might be the hardest part! Your theme can be about anything. We chose a Summer Holiday in Australia theme. Here are some suggestions if you need ideas:

Best Pets in Show
The Grand Final Game
A Healthy Eating Game
Rivers and Roads around Australia
Animals of Australia
Landmarks of your Town
The School Excursion Game

The possibilities are endless.

Step 3

Make game pieces from everyday objects such as buttons, coins, shells or small rocks. Here are some ideas for making your own:
- Get a photo or do a drawing of each of your players. Cut out and mount on paper or bulldog clip.
- Put some modelling clay in a small cupcake case and stick coloured flags on top.
- Model your own characters with clay.

A section of a board game template displaying the words 'Bitten by Mozzies Back 3!' and a drawing of a mosquito making 'BUZZ' sounds.

Step 4

Now that you have a theme, you might like to decorate your board with textas or pencils.
You will also need to think of rewards or challenges in your game that fit with your theme. You can place these rules or moves on your board using textas, stickers or sticky notes.

Step 5

When you have finished making your board game, challenge your friends or family to a game and enjoy!

Share your creation

We’d love to see your creation by emailing us a photo to: programs@nma.gov.au

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