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DIY MINI MIKADO

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Mikado, or pick-up sticks as it is also known, is a game that we played often as children. The game got its name from the highest scoring (blue) stick “Mikado“. Mikado is the name given to the Emperor of Japan. We played Giant Mikado at Goose’s Japanese birthday party last week and as a memento to send home, we made each child their own set of Mini Mikado. I think they will also work very well in our bon-bons/crackers next Christmas too!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN:

I personally think the game works better if you can find double pointed, round toothpicks, but you could also make the regular size in the same way by using bamboo skewers. My clever Mum made these ones for me and this is what she did:

1. Color 4 bowls of water, each with different colored food dyes – Mum used Edicol powder to get a strong color.
2. Add the right number of toothpicks into each bowl.
3. Take the toothpicks out after a couple of minutes or until color is right. You can take them out by using a pair of metal tongs.
4. Leave them to dry on some newspaper or paper towel.

I searched all over the net and there doesn’t seem to be any hard and fast rule for which colors to use or how many of each color or even the score each stick is worth, so I just made up my own values and colors. Feel free to print these rules up and use for yourself.*

HOW TO PLAY “MIKADO”

1 Blue Mikado stick – 10 points

8 yellow sticks – 5 points

8 green sticks – 3 points

8 pink sticks – 1 point

Any number of people may play. Everyone sits in a circle.

One person holds the sticks upright touching the ground, then opens their hand to let the sticks fall. The sticks should all lay on top/under each other in a disarrayed fashion (the messier the better). Each person takes a turn at removing one stick from the pile, while trying not to move any of the other sticks.

If the player moves any other stick apart from the one they are trying to remove, it is the next person’s turn. But if he/she moves the stick without moving any others, they have another turn and keep going until they move a stick and then it is the next person’s turn.

When the Mikado stick has been lifted, it may be used for the removal of further sticks.

When all the sticks are gone, everyone counts the value of their sticks. The person with the highest score wins!



Up to your own discretion obviously, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that it’s probably a game for those 5yrs and up. Wouldn’t want anyone poking their eyes out!


* If anyone is tech savvy and could teach me how to attach this as a downloadable pdf document, I’d be ecstatic if you could explain it to me!

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