Making Lawn Darts
The original game of lawn darts, popular in the '70s and '80s, fell victim to a government ban in December 1988. The idea of pointed metal darts, hurled through the air by young children, did not sit well with lawmakers or the parents of the three children killed by the dangerous projectiles. Safer versions of the game soon came into being, reinstituting the love of lawn darts. If you want to take part in a game of lawn darts but can't get out to the store, make a simple version out of potatoes.
Instructions
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1
Open a five-pound bag of potatoes. Choose four potatoes that are equal in size and weight.
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2
Cut four pieces of twine, 12 inches in length. A sturdy jute or hemp twine should suffice.
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3
Tie a piece of twine just under the head of a 2-inch flat head screw. Tie the twine tightly so that it does not come undone.
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4
Press the screw into one of the potatoes up to where the twine meets the head. The twine should rest comfortably between the head of the screw and the end of the potato.
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5
Repeat the above process, creating three more lawn darts. If a potato breaks, attach a comparably sized potato to the screw.
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Tips & Warnings
Use two different colored twines to distinguish the darts between two teams.
Instead of two different colored twines, you could also use two different colored potatoes, such as a red potato and Yukon gold.
You can use a hula hoop for the target.
Do not use a pointed screw. A flat head screw poses much less of a hazard than the pointed version.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit potato image by dinostock from Fotolia.com