How to Make a Cardboard Arcade Claw Machine

Build your own working claw machine using cardboard and string to practice your coordination and engineering skills.

1. Prepare the box. Ask a grown-up to cut a large rectangular window in the front of your box. You can also cut a small door on the side to reach in and reset your prizes.
2. Create the support beams. Poke two holes in the top of the box and slide your wooden dowels through them so they sit across the top. These will hold the strings that move your claw.
3. Build the claw. Cut three plastic cups in half vertically to create 'fingers.' Tape them together at the top with rubber bands so they can hinge open and closed. Attach a long string to the top of the claw.
4. Install the controls. Thread the string from your claw over the wooden dowels and out through the top or side of the box. Pulling the string will lift the claw, and releasing it will let it drop.