Let the Games Begin
Warmer temperatures mean you and the family can finally escape the close quarters and get some fresh air outside. Give the backyard a boost with these DIY lawn game ideas. The whole family will enjoy (and get in the competitive spirit) playing these fun outdoor games.
Giant Jenga
Take your mental engineering prowess to the grass with this outdoor version of the classic game Jenga—on steroids. It’s played exactly like the original, except you might have use two hands to manipulate the oversize blocks as you stack them. Lemon Thistle has the full instructions for making the pieces of this fairly simple DIY project. Just remember, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!
Related: 14 Cheap DIYs for a Better Backyard
Twister Alfresco
Take Twister outside by using a cardboard template to spray-paint those classic dots on your lawn. Making your own “mat” gives you the opportunity to size the play space down for smaller kids, or up for the adults!
Related: 11 Low-Cost Buys to Boost a Boring Backyard
instructables.com via Steve Moseley
Backyard Bowling
Bowling is a crowd pleaser, but who wants to spend a sunny afternoon in the alley? Melissa, from The Polka Dot Chair, shares her clever take on the activity. You most likely already have the supplies needed for her super simple DIY, but if not the items are cheap to buy. Once your DIY bowling alley is complete, grab a beach ball—or really any ball for that matter—and go for a strike!
Related: The Best Things to Get for Your Backyard from Sam’s Club
Cornhole
Cornhole, known in some states as Baggo, is a game with an unknown history but a vocal following, especially in the South and Midwest. Players attempt to toss beanbags—usually filled with corn kernels—in a hole on the opposite platform. A cornhole game is a simple DIY project and a fun activity after a cookout. Get the tutorial for this stars and stripes board at A Wonderful Thought.
Related: 10 Genius Ways to Make Your Backyard a Blast
Ladder Golf
Also called Flingy Pongy, Ladder Golf is a tethered ball toss where players try to get their roped balls around the rungs of a three-tiered ladder. Colleen at Lemon Thistle shares her tutorial for building this modern-looking set. No worries about anyone cheating or losing track of the score, Colleen's ladder golf is finished with a few coats of chalk paint so you can keep tally.
Related: 9 Backyard Games to Make and Play This Summer
Ring Toss
This common carnival game can be easily re-created in any backyard to provide hours of amusement for kids and adults alike. There are oodles of sets on the market, or you can make this DIY version from The Country Chic Cottage with glass bottles and spray-painted wooden hoops.
Related: 8 Best Buys for an Outdoor Kitchen You Can Afford
Horseshoes
Getting a game of horseshoes together is as easy as driving two stakes into the ground, exactly 40 feet apart—the regulation distance. Up the ante by building your own pit with some inexpensive lumber and sand. Grab a brew, and listen for the clank of metal on metal!
Related: 18 Inspiring Ideas for Easy Outdoor Entertaining
Tetherball
A pole, some rope, and a volleyball are really all you need for tetherball fun. You can purchase a set or make one yourself by either sinking a pole into the ground, or setting one in concrete inside an old tire. Get a tutorial for building your own at Simply Kierste.
Related: 10 Cheap Ways to Bring the Beach to the Backyard
Shishkaball
With some welded-wire garden fencing and plywood, you can create this ball-drop game that will keep friends and family entertained all afternoon. It’s a yard-size version of KerPlunk...if you’re old enough to remember that late sixties classic.
Related: 19 "Zero Dollar" Upgrades for Your Outdoor Living Area
Hopscotch
Put your own stamp on this popular playground game by giving your course some twists, turns, and special instructions, like “Stomp 5x” or “Spin Around 2x.” It's enough to make any grown-up feel like a kid again.
Related: 12 Outdoor Upgrades That Make Your Home More Valuable
Game Time
Lawn games make your yard the place where everyone wants to gather.
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