I received product/compensation in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.

I often joke that my 9-year-old is going to be an engineer when he gets older. He loves to build and he will build with whatever materials he has. A pinball machine is not something I ever thought he would be able to build, but he has now thanks to PinBox 3000.

So how did my son come to build his own pinball machine?

PinBox 3000 is a kit that comes with everything you need to build your own cardboard pinball machine. Seriously everything is included and super self-explanatory. No tools required either!

The pinball machine took my son and I just over an hour to build, with him building it and me punching out the pieces. Each piece of the set comes on a piece of sturdy cardboard with perforated edges that you just pop out.

To build, you just fold flaps whichever way it shows and everything actually stays put once pushed in place. There are though plastic reinforcements called rickets that you snap in to really hold the set together. No tools required other than hand strength!

I cannot stress enough though how easy it was to build and how amazing the instructions are to follow. You really can’t make a mistake, unless you are not paying attention of course! Each piece of cardboard is one step and then there are letters to match each fold up to.

Once done you can of course start playing with your new pinball machine or start decorating it! My son could not wait to make the pinball machine his own. For guidance, we checked out the pinball design resources on the PinBox 3000 website and found a great theme to use. We just printed it out and he cut and glued on the pieces. We used the scraps of cardboard and the extra sheet of shapes you get for raised pieces and obstacles!

Here it is all done:

Here it is after it was glued, spray painted and taped on:

You also get an extra cardboard playboard surface to create a new design. The player can easily swap out gameboard designs for whatever mood they are in. Oh and you can also buy Playboard Kits with specific designs that are a little more professional than one you will print out at home. I am eyeing the LED Teck Pack to make our machine light up!

So I admit when I first opened the box, I wasn’t sure I expected a toy that would last in my house. I thought my son would build his cardboard machine, and then that would be that. Well, this Pinball machine has become not just a toy in our house but a piece of artwork almost. I have it displayed in our front room and am so proud to show it off when guests come over. Don’t be fooled though as this machine really does work and holds up to use, which my family has tested almost daily!

If you are stumped on what gift to buy for the child who has everything or looking for something your child can both build and play with, PinBox 3000 is something that is sure to make anyone smile. I ended up giving it to my son for Christmas and out of all the toys he received, this is the one he said was his favorite!

Get your own pinball kit

Check out the PinBox 3000 website to buy your own pinball kit!