make the most of your time outdoors with these classic and modern lawn games
When the sun is shining, there's nothing better than a lazy afternoon in the backyard, or at your local park or beach. You don't need your phone. You don't need dinner reservations. Just some good company, plenty of drinks and a lawn game or two. Channel your inner competitive spirit and start playing. Because let's face it: human beings just like throwing things at other things. Herewith, the best games to consider for your next weekend barbecue.
The OG of backyard games, this has fallen out of favor for many of us because of it's old fashioned reputation. But badminton's a classic for many reasons: It's the kind of game that can be enjoyed by people of all skill levels and can played while holding a drink in your hand. And isn't that the maker of any good summer game?
Portable net and racket set,$69.99 / $66.64 by Park & Sun Sports
This oversized set of Jenga-Like wood blocks stands two and a half feet tall, and depending on your level of experience, can reach a height of six feet. This set is made with natural, solid pine wood and is hand cut and sanded for smooth game play.
Giant Tumbling Timbers,$99.99 / $79.99 by YardGames.com
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We've been fans of bocce for a while. Why? Because it's about as laid-back and carefree as a competitive sport can get. And it's the perfect game for summertime—play it as the sun starts setting and the drinks start coming out. It's a social game, so the drinking and gregarious smack talk seem to go hand in hand, paying homage to the game's Italian heritage.
Classic bocce set,$39.99 / $29.99 by Hey! Play!
This college campus favorite, sometimes called tailgate or simply "bean bags," is easily played with a drink in one hand and your bean bag in another. Players take turns throwing bean bags at the namesake hole in the board. Points are assigned according to where they land on the board. But your opponent can knock your bag off (or into the hole), so points are only counted after all bags have been thrown.
Foldable wooden bean bag toss set,
$60.59 by Triumph Sports
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A mixture of skill and chance, this game (also called ladder golf) has each player sling the bolas (two golf balls attached by a string) at a three-rung ladder. Points are assigned for each rung. The other team tries to get their bolas on the rungs while also knocking yours off. Oh, and heckling is strongly encouraged. The tosses, you can imagine, will get aggressive so opt for a sturdy set constructed out of wood.
Solid wood ladder toss game,$66 / $63.02 by Hathaway
A relative newcomer to the backyard game arena, this game—a riff on disc golf—has picked up popularity pretty quickly. Teammates stand at opposite ends of the field and take turns throwing the frisbee toward the bucket-shaped goal. But unlike most other throwing games, both teammates can be involved in every toss as you assist your partner by helping deflect their toss into the goal. And if you make it into the bucket's slim slot, it's an automatic win. And if you want a more portable option, consider Disc Bash.
Ultimate disc game,
$39.99 by Kan Jam
This game started out as a Kickstarter darling that quickly hit its goal with a prototype consisting of various sized baskets and a long PVC pole. This more streamlined version of Bean Bag Bucketz offers up a portable game that can be played on the beach, in the lawn or even on a tabletop. The game works like a mixture of cornhole and beer pong.
B3 Blitz,
$29.99 by Creative Brainworks
Historians believe that lawn bowling originated in Ancient Rome, with a game played by Roman soldiers that involved rolling a ball "as close as possible to a mark on the ground."
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