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Way Back Toys Wooden Pick Up Sticks

Family Games · Way Back Toys · Affiliate

Thirty colorful wooden sticks and a tidy carry tube — this is pick up sticks done right, no frills needed. A solid reintroduction to a game that still earns its place at the table.

Travis
Travis Owner & Reviewer
4.5/5
$8.99 Price at time of review
Updated Apr 2026

TL;DR Summary

4.5/5 Excellent

Pros

  • Smooth wooden construction with clear, well-differentiated color coding
  • Cylindrical carry container doubles as a dispenser and travels well
  • Compact footprint makes it genuinely portable — bag, pocket, or shelf
  • Accessible entry point for ages 5 and up with no complex setup
  • Straightforward, honest format that respects the original game

Cons

  • Scoring rules not printed on the container — requires a quick lookup for new players
  • 30 sticks is a smaller count than some competing sets at similar price points
  • Finish on sticks may show wear with heavy repeated use over time

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Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Price shown ($8.99) reflects what we paid at time of purchase and may differ from current seller pricing.

Extended Observations

Thirty colorful wooden sticks and a tidy carry tube — this is pick up sticks done right, no frills needed. A solid reintroduction to a game that still earns its place at the table.

Pick up sticks is one of those games that never needed improving, only preserving. Way Back Toys seems to understand that. The set arrives as 30 wooden sticks, color-coded by point value, bundled inside a cylindrical carry container that keeps everything together without fuss. No cardboard box to crush, no loose pieces rattling around a junk drawer.

The sticks themselves are wooden — smooth, lightly finished, with colors that read clearly without being garish. Color differentiation matters here because the whole scoring system depends on it, and these land the contrast well. The diameter feels right for small hands without being so thin they snap under modest pressure.

The carry tube is the quiet hero of this set. It's sturdy enough to toss in a bag, compact enough to fit in a coat pocket, and doubles as the dispenser when you bundle the sticks and drop them into a pile. That's a functional design decision, not just packaging.

This is the right buy for a parent who wants something screen-free for a road trip, a grandparent stocking a game shelf, or a teacher looking for a fine-motor activity that doesn't require a rulebook longer than a paragraph. Ages 5 and up is accurate — young enough to develop patience and dexterity, old enough to track a score.

Two minor notes: the point-value rules aren't printed on the container, so first-timers will need to look them up or agree on their own system. And at 30 sticks, the set is slightly leaner than some 41-piece competitors. Neither issue changes the fundamental value here, which is real.

Our Verdict

Thirty colorful wooden sticks and a tidy carry tube — this is pick up sticks done right, no frills needed. A solid reintroduction to a game that still earns its place at the table.

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