Make Room for Fun!
I've put together 30 printable games to help children appreciate what they have. Give it to a family you love, and they can print the first game today.
By Joshua BeckerNew York Times bestselling author and founder of Becoming Minimalist
1. Send it as a gift
2. They print a game
3. Play it together
A printable game book with 30 games about stuff, space and what matters most
If you love a family with young kids, you've probably seen how quickly the toys pile up. Every birthday and holiday brings a few more, and it gets harder to find a gift that won't end up in the pile.
For years, one of the gifts our kids got each Christmas was something to do together. Make Room for Fun! is a gift in that same spirit.
It's a collection of 30 printable games for kids ages 5 to 11. Kids practice making thoughtful decisions about their own things, and every game comes with a short note for parents explaining the idea behind it. Because it's a PDF, there's nothing to ship and nothing new to store.
My own journey toward minimalism began the day I realized how much time I was spending taking care of my things instead of spending time with my young son. I made this book so families can explore these ideas together, one game at a time.
Toy Vacation
Kids pack 12 toys into a bin and tag it “On vacation!” Two weeks later the toys come home and get sorted into “I missed these!” and “I didn't even notice.” It's a simple way for children to discover what they actually enjoy playing with.
Memory Makers
A stack of coupons, each one good for something to do together, like a picnic in the park or baking cookies. Two are left blank for a grown-up to fill in. If you print the book before you give it, you could write in one of your own, like a sleepover at your house.
Need, Want, Do
Kids draw one thing they need, one thing they want and one thing they'd love to do together. Then they fill in a gift-list card for any grown-up who asks what they'd like, which might be you. It's the three-gift rule my family has used for years.
Most of my work helps grown-ups own less. Kids need a different way in. If you've ever asked a kid to pick toys to give away, you know how it goes: they hug the pile. Hand the same kid a toy swap with friends, and the choosing becomes part of the game.
So I made every page of this book a game. Kids get races, puzzles, coupons and cut-outs.
I've never believed that children need to get rid of all their toys. Some things bring real joy, and these games help them notice which ones.
Who made this book
Joshua Becker
3M+ followers
Own less. Live more.
Joshua Becker started Becoming Minimalist in 2008. His newest book, Uncluttered Faith, made The New York Times bestseller list in 2026, and his earlier books include Clutterfree with Kids, The More of Less and The Minimalist Home.
His work has been featured on CBS Evening News and the TODAY Show, in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and in the Netflix documentary Minimalism.
Joshua and his wife, Kim, started owning less when their son was five. Many of the games come straight from ideas he's shared with his readers for years, like the 12-12-12 Challenge and the three-gift rule, made into something kids can play.
Every game teaches one of six ideas, from appreciating what you have to discovering the joy of giving.
1
We own more than we think, and favorites matter more than piles.
2
A home for everything, and clearing space in short, quick bursts.
3
Kids are capable, and a job done well feels good.
4
Giving feels good, and time together is the best gift.
5
Needs vs. wants, the tricks inside ads, and what things really cost.
6
More play with less stuff, limits that help, and gratitude.
The book arrives in your inbox right after checkout. From there, it's yours to pass along.
Forward the download email to the family on the day you choose, like a birthday or a holiday morning. They can print the first game that same day.
Print a few games and slip them in a folder with a box of crayons and the gift card. Then forward the email so they can print the rest.
Print the free card and write a note. A checkbox says where the games are waiting: in their inbox or right inside.
Print the free gift card (PDF)Right now, during the launch, you can give all 30 games of Make Room for Fun! for $27.
That's about the price of one more toy, for 30 activities a family can enjoy again and again.
After the launch, the price goes up to $47.
Make Room for Fun!
$47$27
Available for $27 during the launch. Regular price: $47.
Then it's a gift for a family that does. Send it to your grandkids or to friends with little ones. You'll get the book by email right after checkout, so you can pass it along whenever you're ready.
Nothing in the book tells anyone they own too much. The kids' pages are games, and the note for grown-ups on each game explains the idea behind it, so the parents will know exactly what it's about.
They're real games: a race against a grown-up, a treasure map, swap tickets and a bingo board. Kids make their own decisions along the way.
Nope. Most games use what families already have: a pencil, crayons, scissors, tape, a timer, a box or two and a paper clip. (That's kind of the point!)
You'll get the book right after checkout. If it isn't a good fit for the family you give it to, send one email within 30 days and you'll get a full refund. No complicated process.
The games fit kids about 5 to 11. Younger kids can play with a grown-up reading the steps, and kids who can read the steps can run most games on their own.
Right after checkout, you'll get an email with the download link. Forward it to the family, or print a few games to hand over and forward the email for the rest. The free gift card prints on regular paper.
The whole book as a PDF: 69 pages with 30 games. Each game has a game page that explains how to play and a play sheet to write on, cut out or tape up. There's also a Fun-Maker Passport to stamp after each game and a certificate for the end.
Each purchase is one copy for one family. To give it to two families, check out twice, and you'll get a separate email for each one.
No. They can print just the game they want to play next, or print the whole thing and keep it in a folder. Black and white on regular US Letter paper is perfect. On A4 paper, choose “Fit to page.”
No. Some games are about passing things on, but nothing has to go. Many are about enjoying what a family already has, like a museum of their 10 favorite things or a jar of things they're thankful for.
Yes, and some games need a grown-up, like the 12-12-12 Hunt, where a grown-up races the kids, and Memory Makers, where a grown-up cashes in the coupons. One of the book's five house rules is “Play along,” because kids learn more from what we do than from what we say.
They're two different books. Clutterfree with Kids is my book for parents. Make Room for Fun! is for the kids themselves: 30 games they play, with short notes for the grown-ups.
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My story begins in suburban Vermont. I was cleaning the garage, my wife was cleaning the bathrooms, and my 5-year-old son was playing alone in the backyard. I got talking with my neighbor, who said, “Maybe you don't need to own all this stuff.”
That day in my garage changed the way I thought about possessions. The things I owned weren't making my life better. In many ways, they were distracting me from the people and experiences that mattered most.
That little boy is grown up now. Over the years, I've learned that children are capable of understanding these ideas, sometimes better than we expect. But they need opportunities to practice them.
That's what I hope Make Room for Fun! can bring to the family you give it to. And perhaps, along the way, you'll get to play a few of the games together.
Joshua Becker
Founder of Becoming Minimalist, author of the NYT bestseller Uncluttered Faith
$47$27
One purchase, one family. Ready to forward or print.