Best outdoor games to play with friends and family in 2021

GoSports

Kubb (pronounced “koob”) has been a favorite of the Broida family for years. This lawn game is great for all ages (even a young child could play it) because all you have to do is throw a wooden peg and try to knock over some wooden blocks. It’s a bit of horseshoes, a bit of chess, incredibly fun for two-player play (although team sizes can vary if desired). And unlike a lot of games here, this garden game can be played even on windy days.

GoSports offers both regular and backyard versions, the latter just being a bit smaller and priced at $ 10 less. Either way, you’ll need a yard that’s spacious enough to play in.

Wicked Big Sports

The problem with most cornhole games is that they are big and heavy, which makes them difficult to transport from one place to another.

Tipping Point is stand-alone and fully portable, and the game itself adds a little twist to the experience: instead of two separate boards at each end of the play area, here you only have one in the center. . And it can tilt either way if a bag lands just that way, making it all the more difficult to hit the hole.

You need a solid, level surface to play on; Tipping Point is not ideal for sandy beaches. But if you love the cornhole and want a game that you can carry in one hand, this is it.

Wicked Big Sports

The idea is pretty great: a compact and portable pong set, complete with cups, balls, stands and a carrying case. Now you can play beer pong just about anywhere, without having to devote an entire table to it.

The execution isn’t perfect: the set comes with just two balls, so be prepared for a lot of chases after the bounce hits. And the different plastic parts all look a bit flimsy, making it feel like it’s a bit pricey for what it is.

But what it is is a ton of fun for beer pong fans who want a fully portable solution.

Kan jam

Kan Jam is a really fun two-on-two game. The “Kan” is a kind of hard plastic bucket, with a slit in the front. The object is to throw a flying disc through this slot or into the upper opening. If not, your teammate may try to run over him in mid-flight Kan. You get varying points depending on what happens. Then it’s the other team’s turn.

This outdoor activity is great for families with older children, partly because it takes some coordination to throw accurately, which can be difficult for a younger child, and partly because Kan Jam can be hard on the hands. you are constantly crushing a fast moving hard plastic drive.

Polish sports

I don’t know the origin story of Bottle Bash, but I guess this outdoor game started with a fence post and a bottle: “I bet you can’t throw that frisbee and knock the bottle down.” ! This two-on-two game comes with two plastic poles (which are easy to plant into the ground), two plastic bottles that sit on top of them, and a flying disc.

The goal: to drop this bottle. Meanwhile, the defending team tries to grab the disc – and the bottle, if you’re able to touch it. We liked the handy score slider on each post, but found the game to be more difficult than we expected – even at a minimum distance of 20 feet, hitting that post or bottle isn’t easy. Younger people can be easily frustrated.

RampShot

The reason cornhole and beanbag throwing games are so popular is that people love to try and throw an object into a hole. RampShot takes this idea, widens the hole, and replaces your standard ottoman with rubber balls. Now it’s a team game, with your teammate trying to catch the ball if it bounces off the surface and an opposing teammate trying to catch a bounce. Very simple, tons of fun.

However, while RampShot requires four players, only three are active each turn. The laps go pretty fast, but if you want an outdoor activity where everyone participates all the time, choose something else.

Spikeball

Spikeball is an extremely popular outdoor game, condensing elements of volleyball into a small circular space. Instead of hitting a big ball on straight net, you hit a softer grapefruit-sized ball on a bouncy, ringed ball, much like a tie ball but without the string. It’s a fun game, but quite difficult.

And brace yourself, parents: it’s a pretty physical game, requiring quick movements and probably a few dives if you want to earn points. Therefore, it could be better for children, even if it requires four players.

Cross network

Four square is the popular playground game involving a kickball and four chalk squares on the floor. Crossnet takes this classic game into the air, with a four-lane volleyball net and ground boundaries that mark out the squares. Once it’s set up, you’re literally playing four squares, but with a volleyball. The net can be set to three different regulation heights, so the game is suitable for both children and adults – although obviously it does require enough skill to hit a ball over a net.

It also takes a bit of time to set it up and take it down, so ideally this is something you would leave installed in the yard. But it’s well worth the effort. It’s one of the few games with an individual score rather than a team, and although only four people can play per turn, it’s easy to spin additional players. (In other words, Crossnet is a great game and works well with large families.)

Unfortunately, as of this writing, this outdoor game is sold out on Amazon, and the company’s website says direct orders won’t ship until early July.

Rollers

Rollors is one of the few games that can be played one-on-one or two-on-one, and it’s simple enough for kids as young as 4 to participate. The goal is simple: roll your three wooden discs towards a small tower and try to bring them as close as possible. Whoever comes closest scores points.

The game can be played on grass or sand and comes in a zippered carrying case.