As an aged care nurse in a residential care home, I often step into the role of activities officer when our regular coordinator takes holidays. Knowing I’d be filling in for a full month, I wanted to create something fun, engaging, and interactive for the residents to enjoy. That’s where the idea for this DIY horse racing game came from. It’s inspired by a target shooting game I made in the past, which the residents loved.

This game is ideal for aged care and group homes. The beauty of the horse racing game is that it can be scaled to suit your space. You can create a table-sized version or a larger floor version that lets residents stay seated in their comfortable chairs while still getting fully involved.

This detailed tutorial will walk you through each step, including how to build the horses, create the track, design custom foam dice, and even make your own race money and hurdle cards.

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How to make a Horse Racing Game

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Materials Needed

• Scrap wood for horses and bases
• Wooden dowel (16mm)
• Jigsaw or scroll saw
• Spray adhesive
• Drill and spade bit (16mm)
• Paints – acrylic or Unicorn Spit
• Stencil and permanent marker
• Wood glue and screws
• Thick paper roll, astroturf or green felt for track
• Foam dice
• Felt fabric in two colours
• Fabric glue
• Computer and printer for tickets
• Laminator (optional)
• Cable ties

Making the Horses

I used all recycled timber from my scrap wood pile, which is why each piece varies slightly. Start by finding a silhouette of a horse online. Choose a simple shape—nothing with thin legs or long tails that could break easily if the horses fall.

Print the horse design in your preferred size. Use spray adhesive to stick the paper to the wood. Cut out the design using a jigsaw or scroll saw.

Building the Horse Base

For each base, I cut:

• 6 support blocks at 100mm (L) x 70mm (W) x 60mm (H)
• 6 pieces of 200mm (L) x 120mm (W) x 20mm (thick)

Drill a 16mm hole into the centre of each support block to insert the dowel. I used 800mm-long dowels to save on bending over while playing.

Glue and screw the base and support blocks together. Ensure screws are countersunk so the horse stands flat.

Glue the dowel into the drilled hole using strong wood glue.

Adding Horse Numbers

Each horse gets a number to match a number on the race track. I cut large wooden circles from scrap wood, painted them to match their corresponding horses, and used stencils and permanent markers to number them. Drill holes either side of the dowel, then use cable ties to attach the number discs securely.

To attach the horses, drill a 16mm hole underneath each one. I discovered the silhouette needed a flat area, so our horses ended up with three legs—totally fine for fun!

Attaching Horses and Numbers

Drill two small holes on either side of the dowel at the top of the number disc—big enough to thread a cable tie through. Drill a 16mm hole into the base of the horse so it fits snugly onto the dowel. Our design needed flat sections for drilling, so we adjusted the horse shapes slightly.

Painting the Horses

Each horse should be painted in a unique colour. I used Unicorn Spit and acrylics for vibrancy. Secure a scrap dowel into the base to hold the horse upright while painting both sides.

Paint and number discs in matching colours for easy identification. Seal everything with an oil-based polyurethane for durability.

Making the Race Track

I was lucky enough to get a roll of thick paper from our local paper mill. You can use Kraft paper, astroturf, or green carpet. For a full-size game, the track should be roughly 10m long and 1.4m wide.

Paint the track green with poster paint using a foam roller. Reinforce the edges with duct tape if you plan to use it often.

Marking the Lanes

Use a long, straight piece of wood to divide the track into 8 equal lanes across the width. Along the length, space out markers slightly longer than the horse bases.

Add two extra lines for the finish line and starting numbers. Use a black Sharpie and stencils to draw and number each lane.

Making Large Foam Dice

Unable to find suitable large foam dice, I made my own using old couch cushions. Cut 10cm squares with an electric carving knife.

Cover with stretch velvet or similar fabric.

Cut felt dots in two colours—one set represents horse numbers, the other indicates movement. Each die needs 21 dots. Glue them in place using fabric glue.

Here is the dice configuration.

Making Horse Tickets and Game Money

To keep track of which horse each resident has, create horse number tickets in Microsoft Word and print them out. Create matching prize money tickets as well. Laminate the tickets if you plan to use the game regularly.

How to Play the Horse Racing Game

Each resident picks two horses to race during the session. Play the Lone Ranger theme music to kick off the excitement!

The first player rolls dice #1 to select a horse, then dice #2 to see how many spaces it moves. The first horse to reach the end of the track wins one horse dollar.

To make the game last longer, require players to roll the exact number needed to finish. If the finish is 3 spaces away and they roll a 4, the horse doesn’t move.

Add hurdle cards for extra excitement! Example cards:

• Move back 2 spaces
• Skip your turn
• Move forward 3 spaces
• Go back to the start

The resident with the most horse dollars at the end of the hour picks first from the prize table, followed by second place, and so on.

At the end of the hour, the player with the most horse dollars gets first pick from the prize table. Everyone else picks in descending order.

More great projects

If you’re creating a game for a nursing home, consider pairing it with this perpetual wall calendar. It’s an excellent project to help residents easily keep track of the day and month with clear, visible displays.

Another game you might enjoy building is this car racing game. Designed as a table version similar to the horse racing game, it’s a great way to entertain the kids.

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