Tic-Tac-Toe: Concrete Pieces For Outdoor Fun

Oversized Tic-tac-toe is a great way for the family to play games together and enjoy the outdoors.

Tic-tac-toe, also known as Naughts and Crosses, has entertained people for centuries. It’s been found everywhere from the temples of ancient Egypt to the medieval cathedrals of England, according to UC Berkeley GamesCrafters.

Read on to learn how to make concrete Tic-tac-toe pieces.

Concrete tic-tac-toe pieces next to chalk-drawn board — *Tic-tac-toe is a fun game for any age. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

Materials

Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix
5 6-inch silicone cake pans
5 spray-paint can lids or another cylindrical object
Fast-drying caulk
Melamine shelf boards
Miter saw
Wood screws
Drill & Drill bits
Tape measure
Wood pencil
Trowel

Hands gluing a spray paint can lid onto a silicone cake pan to create an o mold for concrete tic-tac-toe — *Silicone cake pans allow for easy removal once the concrete pieces are cured. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

Create Forms

To create forms for o’s, use 6-inch silicone cake pans and lids from spray-paint cans. Glue the lids to the centers of the cake pans with fast-drying caulk. Wipe off the excess caulk.

Hands drilling screws into melamine board to create form for concrete tic-tac-toe pieces — *Melamine has a hydrophobic (water-resistant) coating that allows concrete to cure at the surface. This makes it easier to remove when the concrete is cured. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

To make the x’s, cut a melamine shelf board to build a 30-inch by 6-inch open tray.

Triangle cuts of melamine board — *A miter saw makes it easy to cut the triangles at a perfect angle. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

You need two triangle sizes to create the x’s:

Cut 10 triangles at a 38-degree angle from a 2-inch piece of melamine board.
Cut 10 triangles at a 59-degree angle from a 1-⅞-inch piece of melamine board.

Hands using measuring tape to create x forms in melamine board — *Arrange the triangles to form multiple x’s in the melamine tray. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

To form the x’s:

Drill a large triangle with the point facing inward at the end of the tray.
Measure 1-½ inches over and place two small triangles along the top and bottom edges of the box.
Measure over 1-½ inches over and place another large triangle pointing toward the two smaller ones.

Continue this process until you have five x’s.

Gloved hands pouring Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix into a Home Depot orange bucket — *Use a bucket or plastic container to mix* *Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

Mix Concrete

We’re using Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix for our tic-tac-toe pieces because it’s ideal for applications that are less than 2 inches thick.

Slowly add water to the mix until it’s a workable plastic-like consistency. Use a concrete mixer or a shovel, rake or hoe to work the mix.

O-shaped silicone cake pans with concrete mix inside them and a trowel spreading concrete over a melamine form with x shapes — *Use a trowel to level the mix on the top of each form. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

Fill Forms

Once the concrete is thoroughly mixed, scoop it into the forms and use the trowel to level the mix with the top of each form. Cover the molds with plastic to help curing.

Hands peeling a flexible silicone cake pan form away from a concrete o-shaped tic-tac-toe piece — *The o’s are easily removed from the flexible silicone cake pans. (3 Echoes Content Studio*)

Cure

Let the tic-tac-toe pieces cure for five days in warm weather (at 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher) or for seven days in colder weather (50-70 degrees Fahrenheit).

Once the pieces have cured, remove them from the forms. Rough edges can be easily removed by sanding.

Now, all you need is a little sidewalk chalk to draw your game grid — then the fun can begin!