The Best Yard Games to Get You Outside This Summer - for Adults and Kids!
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The history of lawn games goes back centuries, and it doesn’t take a genius to see why. When the the sun is out and the grass is green, there’s nothing like grabbing the people you enjoy being around most and playing a game in your own backyard. We’ve created a list of the best yard games, for kids and for adults, so you can get outside and enjoy time with your friends and family this summer.
The Classics
When it comes to yard games, one cannot forget the classics. Croquet, Bocce Ball, Badminton, and Horseshoes have all endured through the years, and for good reason. Any of these games will be sure to provide hours of backyard entertainment while you light up the grill and gather the family around on long summer weekends.
Revised Classics
As time has gone by, creative-thinkers have taken the classics and made them their own. Try one of these revamped classic games, like shuffleboard for your driveway, giant ping pong (which also works for pickle ball), a net-less version of badminton (hilariously called “jazzminton”), and four square meets volleyball.
Go Big or Go Home
In recent years, lawn games have only become bigger and better, so try one of these giant versions of games you already love. With the giant yard dice, you can play over twenty games, like Farkle and Yardzee (where the yard meets Yahtzee). With the giant tumbling block game (like Jenga on a much larger scale), the blocks are numbered so you can make up custom rules. The giant four-in-a-row game (an enormous off-brand ConnectFour) has a certain shock factor. And the giant chess set can be used to play checkers, too.
Games with a Spin
Do we have your head spinning? These yard games all require you to toss something just right, either to get your disc in a bucket (Kan Jam), knock your bottle off its pole (Bottle Bash), land your ring on a stake (Ring Toss), or wrap your ball around the rungs of a ladder (Ladder Toss).
Out to the Ball Game
These ball games may be the most popular on this list, especially Spikeball, which makes an appearance at backyards and beaches everywhere. Bucket Ball, a bigger and alcohol-less version of beer pong, also keeps a strong following, as does the similar (but different) Bulz-i-Bucket. Want to play table tennis but don’t want to invest thousands of dollars into a ping pong table? Try this portable version, which you can play on any table.
Bean Bag Toss
Cornhole has always been a backyard favorite, and now you can bring it with you wherever you go with this portable version. If you’re tired of Cornhole (hey, we get it), try one of these other bean-bag-tossing games, like Bean Bag Bucketz or Bullseye Bounce. If you’re still looking for the perfect alternative, set up the Tin Can Alley game and practice to win at your local carnival.
Wood That You Could
Have you ever played Kubb? Kubb, also known as “Viking Chess”, has won distinction among yard game enthusiasts and amateurs alike. In it, and also in Olsa, you toss the wooden batons to try to knock over wooden blocks. Wooden tic-tac-toe toss is self-explanatory but much more fun than the original pen-and-paper game, and Rollors combines Bocce, Lawn Bowling, and Horseshoes.
What’s your favorite lawn game? Let us know on social @makeadateofit #makeadateofit
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