Hit the Coin Game is a traditional children’s game in Brazil that requires good aim and some practice! Easy and inexpensive to make, both children and adults will have fun. Although this is usually played outside, we have created a “portable” game that can be used indoors or outdoors.

Hit the Coin Game Materials

• 1 gallon recycled plastic milk or jug
• 14″ – 18″ dowel rod, straight branch, bamboo stick, or broom handle about 7/8″ in diameter. It must be able to fit in the opening of the milk jug
• rice, sand or other dry weighting material
• chalk or 38″ piece of string tied into a circle.
• coins

How to Make the Hit the Coin Game

Note: To play this game all you really need is a stick stuck into the ground and coins. If you have a hard dirt patch, simply pound the stick in the ground far enough to make it stable. In the dirt draw a 1 foot diameter circle around the stick, then play.  We came up with a different method which makes this a “portable game”.

Wash an empty recycled 1 gallon plastic milk jug with soapy water. Rinse and invert to thoroughly dry. Keep the lid.

Cut a 7/8″ dowel rod, straight branch, bamboo stick or broom handle 14″ – 18″ ong. The top and bottom should be cut at a right angle to the stick.

Fill the washed and dried milk carton halfway with rice, dry sand or other weighted material. We used rice. Push the stick into the rice making sure it is at a right angle to the ground.

If playing outside on a driveway or sidewalk, draw a circle with a 12″  diameter with chalk. If playing indoors, tie your 38″ piece of string into a circle and lay it on a rug or hard surface creating a circle.

Place the jug in the middle of the chalk or string circle. You are now ready to play.

How to Play Hit the Coin Game

Set up the game with the jug and stick in the middle of your chalk or string circle.

Place a coin on top of the stick. You can also use the inverted top of the milk jug on top or any other light weight item like a soda bottle top or button. Note: if playing with younger children, you can use some like weight that has some height like a peanut or small wooden peg. You can also use something bigger life a plastic golf ball or even a bean bag to hit the coin.

Stand back 3′ – 4′. Again, if playing with young children they can stand closer.

Players take turns throwing their coin at the coin on top of the stick trying to knock it off. If they knock the coin off the stick and it lands outside the circle, they get a point and get to go again. If they miss it is the next person’s turn.

Whoever has the most points at the end of the game, wins.

NOTE: To store the game, remove the stick from the jug and screw the lid back on.