Kids Target Ideas?

[Te Hopo]

I have the privilege of teaching a fun group of kids how to shoot safely and accurately with my Ruger Air Hawk.
Paper punching gets old and I like to keep things fun so I'm on the look out for some ideas.

So far I've set up golf balls, tin cans, bottle caps and made some silhouettes and they're already nailing those regularly.
Now I'm onto thinking up other things like a rolling or swinging tennis ball and maybe a field target shoot.

I'm looking for any suggestions of shapes, reactive targets, games and other things to keep things interesting.

[03fatboy]

Way to go getting kids on the way to a good start.
The target my boys like is a shoot-n-see battleship,found them at walmart.
Would think a air rifle would be enough power,My boys are shooting them with 22's

[JimB..]

Neko wafers or sweet tarts.

Favorite ever was shotgun primers, but be sure to drill a small hole all the way through the board or they will come back at you.

[Outer Rondacker]

Growing up with not much money we used to shoot the stems off daisy's. Anyway. Dumb Dumb candy makes for a fun target. Tums make a small puff. Same with smarties. Cheap and kinda fun.

Good for you on teaching the kids.

[PerpetualStudent]

I like the idea of thin ice targets, they sell a mold for it on pyramid air but I haven't bought one yet.

These days there are a lot of silicone novelty baking pans and ice molds. As long as it's thin enough to shatter with the hit it's hard to get easier clean up. I got some of those wide Popsicle molds from the dollar store last fall but I haven't tested them yet. I'm planning on letting them freeze with some string to hang them on. They might be a bit thick for air rifles but it might be worth looking for some ice targets.

Similarly I've heard people casting plaster of paris targets.

[HollowPoint]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...gets&FORM=IGRE

When we were kids we'd set up our little plastic GI joes as targets. Being one of eight kids we always had someone who was going through the "I Like Dinosaurs" phase in a kids life, we'd also set up their toys as targets. Of course this was done with the promise that we'd let them shoot our daisy bb guns if they let us shoot at their dinosaur toys. I don't know what age bracket you're teaching but shooting at or killing dinosaurs always seems like a non-offensive target to shoot at.

HollowPoint

[Lethemgo]

Yes neccos we used to have a necco challenge when we went camping. Side walk chalk works good but cutting it into wafers is the thing. Band saw would work. They get really good we graduated to aspirin ants cheap. Toy solders or cowboy and Indians is always fun. I once made a ramp and rolled clay pigeons but they can break easy with a bad batch. We went to tennis balls than golf balls. Hard to hit stuff when its on the run. Problem with golf balls they can ricochet back so be careful.

[BlackoutBuilder]

Sparrows...Reactive targets are always the best. Pretty hard to beat a puff of feathers following a good headshot.

[trails4u]

I agree with most above......ANYTHING reactive, and the more creative the better. I chuckled at the GI Joes....we did the same with them and Star Wars figures. Wonder what that cost us in today's collector markets????

My daughter and I still shoot a lot of reactive stuff.....she's 11 and has been shooting somewhat regularly for a couple years. We spend sessions between fun, reactive stuff to keep her interested, with a small amount of paper punching mixed in where we work on and talk about technique. Probably 70/30 on the fun/work ratio. She's become very interested in squirrel hunting, so that gives me the leverage I need to keep her working on aiming/hitting small.

[metricmonkeywrench]

The grandkids and Wife's favorite with rimfires are shotgun clays... It gets more challenging to break up the smaller pieces as you go. Extra bragging points are awarded when they can cleanly knock out the center.

[40sand9s]

My brother and I had 2 sets of cheap plastic soldiers that we would lay out and we each had our own colors. We would take turns firing a shot and whoever shot toe others army down first won.

[sparkyv]

Way to go getting kids on the way to a good start.
The target my boys like is a shoot-n-see battleship,found them at walmart.
Would think a air rifle would be enough power,My boys are shooting them with 22's

Battleship or Tic-Tac-Toe or Know Your Limit are all really fun because you can compete and keep score, but they're not reactive.

[MusicMan]

Oyster crackers

[Te Hopo]

Great suggestions lads, I'm loving the idea of ice targets and know your limit.
Something else we used the other day was some cherry tomatoes, they explode pretty good.
I used to set up plastic soldiers and shoot them, thanks for the reminder, I'll try and find them!

As for sparrows, well hunting is the goal but I want them to feel comfortable making a shot that will result in an ethical kill.
There's plenty of starlings, sparrows, rabbits and possums around here that they can work up to.

[Snow ninja]

I used to shoot cheap crackers- club or Ritz and the like. No cleanup is a plus, just left it for the birds. For a challenge I'd turn them to the side and try to cut them in half.

[Grmps]

I make colored ice target in plastic butter containers, fill your cooler with targets and pop and off you go.
They hit the target it disintegrates and there nothing to clean up Also fun for them to help make.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I got these for my kids and I'm having this made for me I pick it up this weekend
I thought it would be fun at 100 yards and my 30/30 and SBH 44 magnum

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I would like to add when i was a kid i used these

[JBinMN]

Shooting at lit Birthday candles without hitting the candle & putting out the flame. { make sure the compressed air from the air pistol/rifle is far enough away to not blow out the candle}

Shooting out the "pips" of playing cards. Hearts,diamonds, clubs spades. { Shooter who uses the least amount of shots to make all of the "pip(s)" disappear is the winner.}

Swinging ping pong balls with a couple BB's inside for weight. {Drill a hole big enough for the BBs thru top & bottom of Ping Pong ball. Take a cord( like mason line) & go all the way thru the P.P ball from top to bottom. Add a small light weight washer onto the cord, or even a toothpick to keep the knot from going back up thru the bottom hole & tie a knot to keep the washer/toothpick on the bottom of the ping pong ball.} Shoot while the ball is still, or let it swing slowly for a tougher shot.

Set up dominoes so that when ya hit one, others fall.

Rubber balloons with candy/prizes or prize cards inside.

Those are just a few that came to mind trying to remember all the doo dads my old man & my uncle came up with for me to use to practice with my Red Ryder BB gun back when I was a lad. There are more, but I would have to think on it to remember them & then type them up.

G'Luck! & I think it is grand that you are doing what ya are for the kids!

[PeashooterJoe]

Balloons, with air and water on board for tic tac toe.. Soup cans with holes thru middle on clothes hanger wire in u in ground so it spins.Makes a good ting.Peashooterjoe