Outdoor Games For The Whole Family
Summer is SO close we can practically taste it! And with it comes warm weather, pool parties, and you guessed it… fun outdoor games! We’ll help you soak up every second of summer fun with our list of outdoor games for kids. From classic party games to backyard games, we’ve got plenty of ideas to keep you busy. We’ve even got the grown-ups covered with our giant list of outdoor games for adults.
So grab the kids, your neighbors, and anyone else you can think of, and let’s get this party started!
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To help make your browsing even easier, we’ve divided our list of outdoor games into the following categories:
- Classic Outdoor Games
- DIY Outdoor Games
- Outdoor Games for Kids
- Outdoor Board Games
- Water-themed Backyard Games
Are you ready to start planning your summer fun?! Well, here we go!
Classic Outdoor Games
If you’re looking for outdoor games that have stood the test of time, you’ve found them! These classic outdoor games are super easy to set up and play, and they’re total crowd-pleasers.
1 . Capture the Flag – You’re never too old for this classic game, and it might be time to share the tradition with your kids!
2 . Hula Hoop Competition – Let’s see how well you can move those hips.
3 . Three-Legged Race – Choose your partner wisely for a three-legged race!
4 . Badminton – Try setting up a backyard net and hosting a friendly badminton tournament with neighbors, family, and/or friends.
5 . Croquet – This old-time classic is sure to be a hit.
6 . Backyard Baseball – Whether you’re setting up t-ball for the kids or playing yourself, backyard baseball is a true American classic.
7 . Flag Football – A little flag football is a perfect way to flirt with your spouse while enjoying the outdoor weather.
8 . Ladder Golf – If you’re looking for something simple and unique, you have to give this one a try!
9 . Volleyball – You can play without a net, but to add a little friendly competition we recommend setting one up and creating a two-team tournament.
10 . Tug of War – Grab a rope out of the garage and see just how strong you really are!
11 . Horseshoes – This is one of the more classic party games on our list.
12 . Cornhole – If you haven’t tried this game yet, you’re missing out on some serious fun!
13 . Frisbee Golf – If you need an at-home date night activity that’s outdoors, this is the one for you!
DIY Outdoor Games
Whether it’s building your own mini-golf course or setting up a little backyard bowling, you’re sure to find something for your inner DIY-er. These party games are easy, inexpensive, and super fun!
14 . Mini-Golf Course – Creating your very own mini-golf course will make your house the hit of the neighborhood.
15 . Plinko – Create your own Plinko board for a unique game to play at your next BBQ.
16 . Ring Toss – As simple as this game is to play, it’s equally as simple to make. You can also buy one here if you find yourself short on time and creativity!
17 . Angry Birds Backyard Edition – With some four square balls, a DIY launcher, and cardboard boxes, you can make your own Angry Birds game right in your backyard!
18 . Washers – With items you surely have kicking around your garage, you can easily whip up the pieces necessary for a game of washers.
19 . Pipe Ball Toss – Cut piping into varying heights, connect them together, and grab a ball!
20 . Ricochet Table – This is a twist on the classic game of shuffleboard. Simply turn a door into a ricochet table for this fun backyard game!
21 . Glow-in-the-Dark Ring Toss – To avoid getting bored with the standard ring toss, switch it to a glow-in-the-dark version!
22 . Backyard Bowling – All you have to do for this game is grab your recyclables and upcycle them!
23 . Kubb Game Set – This idea is a cross between bowling and chess. Additionally, you can take a whack at making your own!
24 . Balloon Dart Board – This idea is both simple and fun. All you have to do is attach balloons to a board and throw darts at them.
25 . LCR Dice Game – To play LCR, roll the dice and pass your chips according to the letter you land on. The idea is to be the last one with all the chips!
26 . Irish Bowling – This is another great game to try during the tailgating season.
Outdoor Games for Kids
If you’re looking for ways to keep your little ones entertained this summer, you’re in luck! This list of outdoor games for kids is geared specifically towards a younger audience.
27 . Crab Soccer – When it comes to fun games for kids, crab soccer is where it’s at!
28 . Backyard Obstacle Course – This is a great backyard game because you can use items you have around the house to create the ULTIMATE obstacle course.
29 . Bucket Toss – To make this idea an even bigger hit, grab some cheap goodies to use as prizes.
30 . Chalk Obstacle Course – Kids LOVE chalk. Have them help you create an obstacle course on the sidewalk!
31 . Bobbing for Donuts – This idea is so good, you might just have to take a turn!
32 . Bean Bag Can Toss – Have the kids assist you in decorating the cans. Then, set them up to knock them right back down with bean bags!
33 . Freeze Tag – Nothing says “fun games for kids” like freeze tag!
34 . Extra-Large Pick-Up Sticks – This is one of our favorite games for kids and this set is much easier for them to manipulate than standard size sticks.
35 . Popcorn Dump Race – The team with the most popcorn at the end of this game wins!
36 . Potato Sack Races – If you don’t have a potato sack, a pillowcase will do the trick!
37 . Pool Noodle Games – When it comes to fun games for kids, this will for sure be a crowd favorite!
38 . Noodle Car Race – Cut a noodle in half and let the kiddos race cars or marbles down it!
39 . Hopscotch – This classic game can be recreated on pavers or by using chalk on the sidewalk. This is a great activity to set up during your next BBQ.
Outdoor Board Games
Did you know that you can play board games in your backyard? It’s true! This list of yard games for adults brings backyard games to a whole new level.
40 . Chess – Turn a section of your backyard into a large chess board!
41 . Connect 4 – This life-size version of Connect 4 is not only great for outdoor parties but weddings as well.
42 . Memory – Grab cork tiles and some stencils to see how sharp your memory is!
43 . Jenga – Jenga can be played as stated by the rules, or you can add your own fun twists as you go.
44 . Chinese Checkers – With this yard-size game of Chinese Checkers, you can sit and play at the same time!
45 . Yard Yahtzee – The only thing better than Yahtzee is an extra-large version.
46 . Twister – This game works for both big and small groups.
47 . Bananagrams – You’ll need a large yard to be able to expand upon all of your words, but this sure looks fun!
48 . Ker-plunk – Try playing this giant Ker-plunk game at your next outdoor game night.
49 . Squares Game – We love that you can pack this up to take to the park or beach.
50 . Dominoes – Try this outdoor version of dominoes and see how it stacks up!
51 . Checkers – This is a great game to pull out during BBQs for guests to take turns playing while they visit with others.
52 . Frisbee Tic-Tac-Toe – This is a twist on the pen-to-paper Tic-Tac-Toe… with the addition of a frisbee!
Water-Themed Backyard Games
Beat the heat and make a splash with this awesome list of water-themed backyard games! They’re super easy to play and are the perfect solution to a hot, sunny day.
53 . Water Balloon Piñata – For this game, simply hang water balloons from a suspended area and take turns hitting them until they burst.
54 . Frozen T-shirt Race – Using frozen t-shirts, two teams will race to see who can get theirs to defrost the fastest.
55 . Soap Boat Races – This game is true, CLEAN fun right here!
56 . Squirt Gun Shooting Practice – Set up two rows of golf balls on tees and have two people race to see who can shoot the golf balls off their tees first.
57 . Magnet Fishing – Two people will race to see who can remove the most fish out of a bucket of water.
58 . Flipper Fill-Up – This is a family favorite that is absolutely hilarious!
59 . Pass the Water Race – This is one of those yard games for adults or kids that defines fun.
60 . Water Cup Races – Cool off with a fun water cup race game!
61 . Catch the Water Bombs – To play this game, attach a bucket to a helmet and have one member of the team wear it. Then, see how many water balloons they can catch in the bucket on top of their heads!
62 . Sponge Bombs Bucket Toss – Create your very own sponge bombs and use them for a twist on the classic bucket toss.
63 . Water Balloon Batting Practice – Set up a tee and use water balloons as a fun twist on batting practice.
64 . Sponge Bullseye – Using chalk, draw a bullseye on your driveway. Then use sponges to see how many points you can score by tossing them into the bullseye.
65 . Squirt Gun Games – Squirt gun games are oldies but goodies, and we sure love them.
Are you ready for a summer spent playing the best outdoor games ever?!
For even more fun, be sure and check out our list of The Best Family Outdoor Games. We promise this summer will be anything BUT boring!
We love your comments
These are SO great for a family reunion! I feel like it’s the perfect guide to fun this summer!! Thanks so much!
This is a great list! I played a lot of these games as a kid and this list is bringing back so many fun family memories.
WOW these all look SO fun! I can’t wait to use some of these water games for my upcoming family dinner! The kids are going to love it!
For sure saving this post for all our summer weekends coming up!
We needed new ideas! I’m excited to try these!
SOOOO many great ideas in here!!!!! Pinning this for sure!
These are perfect for our family reunion!
I love all the jumbo game ideas! Unique!
This is such an interesting list of outdoor party games =, perfect for family parties and gatherings. Thanks for sharing these ideas!
Lots of fun ideas for this summer!!
These look really fun! Not only for time with my friend, but also for times with my grandkids!
These are so great! Cant wait to try some of these!
So many great ideas! Backyard bowling looks so fun! It would be fun to paint them all cute and save for future use too! Love cheap, fun, DIY games like so many of these! Thanks for sharing all of these ideas!
That’s a great idea!
These all look so fun! My husband loves corn hole so much that my parents had someone make him a set of boards for Christmas and I painted them his favorite sports team colors! They are such a fun addition to family cookouts, and even weddings!
Wow! That is so awesome. What a fun gift idea.
YYAASSS to jumbo yard games! I have always wanted to make my own Plinko game! I wonder if I could get the hubby to get crafty with me lol 😉
That would be so fun! Good luck.
I can’t wait till my kids are old enough to try these games!
Love games! Planning on using the ideas for Awana & Faith Fest at church this fall..
Oh how fun!
Love games! Planning on using the ideas for Awana & Faith Fest.
This is awesome!! Mama needs all the ideas with kids at home and something different to do! Especially since they may not be in school long – but remotely.
Okay every July 1st we have a big family reunion with a bunch of adults, kids, and teens! This is the best planning hack for games and keeping everyone busy and happy! SOOO GRATEFUL FOR FINDING THIS ARTICLE!!!
That sounds SO fun!! We hope these ideas help you get everything planned!! XO
My kids play outside a lot, love these ideas for them!
That makes us SOOOO happy!! Enjoy!!
Such fun, unique ideas!
Yes!!! Hope you enjoy a few of these ideas!! 🙂
outdoor games are my favorite! Ladder ball and corn hole are favorites od my hubby!
These brought me back to my childhood! What fun- I forgot about some of them. Can’t wait to do, great for getting active & having fun!
We love outdoor games! Can’t wait to try some of these!
I am a sucker for games! I owed to be a PE teacher and spent hours perusing the internet to not “reinvent the wheel” but rather gleen/gather ideas from others. This is an incredible list of FUN FUN FUN times to be had by all ages. Love it!
Can’t wait to try these out! The kids are getting pretty stir-crazy around here. I thought one of the most interesting games on this list was the Frisbee Tic Tac Toe – one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments lol Thanks, ladies!
Such a great list!! Thank you!
Love these ideas!! How fun! All about oversized fun creative games!! Especially outdoor ones! Thanks for always sharing great ideas!! I’ve been a big fan of the Dating Divas for years!! 😍😍
I think some of these might be fun to do with my 6th graders!
I have played some of these, they are lots of fun. Love the ideas.
I have played some of these, they are lots of fun.
I used a couple of these for a recent reunion, thanks!
I’m so glad I found this post, my sons birthday party is this weekend and it’s outside! These games will be perfect!
I’m so excited to try these out at our family birthday party in our backyard in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing!
These games look perfect for getting together with family! Also the yard games gave me some Christmas ideas!
Perfect for summer! My friends and I tried some and was super fun!
Oh the nastalgia!
So much fun! We are coming into Spring/Summer in just a couple weeks here in Australia and these are perfect for when we start having people round again!
I always need good ideas for playing outside so these are perfect!
Definitely trying some of these this weekend!
Thank you for these great ideas! I have my 7 (to be 8) year old’s party coming up and he just wants an outdoor party. Thankfully we have plenty of yard, lol Plus, these games work perfectly for “social” distancing unless you want to be close to people.
I love making games into life size versions. And I love the easy kids games too! We are always looking for exciting things to get the kids outside more! Very creative!
My son would love the noodle car race! It’s now on our activities-to-do list.
This post has lots of fun games that I’ll have to try for our next family reunion. Thank you for sharing!
We have Kubb and love it! We’ve actually gotten several of our friends hooked.
Love these ideas! They look like so much fun.
We host a biannual all-day Nerds War event, and so many of these ideas would be perfect!
These games will be great for next summer. Thanks!
I’m so excited for these games, we’re doing an “we survived a quarantine summer” event, and these will be fun to play!
Awesome list of outdoor games. This will surely help get my little ones outside and active.
So fun! I love these round-up posts with all the great ideas. Thank you for putting it together!
So fun! Great ideas for our next family reunion!
Lots of these look like a lot of fun. I’m definitely going to try the glow in the dark ring toss
Perfect for the family that like to play in the sunshine together… building memories and laughter is always a good thing!
Me and my family have tried a couple of the games and our favorite is the bowling outside. We all enjoy the idea on here. Thank you.
I love that you get family ideas too from the dating divas
Can’t wait to try some of these
These are fun ideas
This is a great resource for youth group events. Thanks!!
Awesome ideas! I love that most materials needed are very simple, easy to find and affordable!
Those sponge balls are so cute! Can’t wait to try these with my niece and nephew!
Oh my goodness, so many fun ideas. I need to have a party ASAP to try out all these fun games. Haha
How fun!
These are such great ideas for outdoor Minute to Win-It games even! Love it!
Omg! These sound so fun!! Can’t wait to try some out!
Happy birthday. Some of these outdoor games look like a lit of fun
Great ideas! We love large lawn games like dominos and giant dice! Corn hole has been a family favorite for over 10 years!
Thanks for this list! I’m always looking for creative ways to play outside. thank you!
These ideas are genius and look like so much fun!
These were great! Thank you! We did a bunch of outdoor games in our backyard 4th of July weekend. We loved the balloon dart board, popcorn race, water ball toss, soap boat race, and squirt guns. We had soooo much fun!!
Thank you for all of these wonderful ideas!!! Now on the weekends my family and I can be outside playing. I always try to come up with new ideas because my children get over it quick. Now won’t have to worry about that because so many ideas.
These games and activities look super fun. We’ll have to try some at our next family reunion or at least before the summer ends!
I love that I can find these ideas for my family all in one place!
I can’t wait to try these with our youth group. These would also be so fun at a family reunion!
We are excited to try these games before it gets too cold outside! Lol
We tried a couple of these at our daughters’ birthday party, camp out and the kids had a blast!
My girls love to play outside! These are so great ideas. I can’t wait to do them with the girls.
These are wonderful ideas! Love that they can be for adults only or for family time!
We have tried some of these on family night, so fun!
Always looking for fun ways to play together, love these ideas
I can’t wait to try these with my niece and nephew when they visit!
My family is just starting to get to the point where. We are all out of the home and so planning family reunions. These would be so fun to do together. Thank you for the ideas.
These are great! From planning school or church events for kids or youth, birthday parties, reunions or we just need to do something fun, this is a fantastic selection of easy to set up games!! Thanks for making planning easier!!
These are great! From planning school or church events for kids or youth, birthday parties, reunions or we just need to do something fun, this is a fantastic selection of easy to set up games!!
This is great! I didn’t realize there was a whole blog!!! This would be great for a family reunion!
Thanks for helping me plan exciting games for our family reunion!
You’re welcome! We are SO happy to help! Have the BEST family reunion!! XO
creative person & creative ideas. Love so much your classic & children list.
Now I have enough game list to share with my kids and such a long long list and really the list is endless! Looking forward to sharing with my kids. thanks, Paige for such a wonderful menu.
Hope your kids love them as much as our kids have!
Summer is coming and all these outdoor games are excellent.
Thank you very much for this list!
Thank you so much for your kind words, we are so glad you like it! XO
This is amazing! We are planning an old country fair themed wedding reception with tons of games. All the good parts of a family reunion with a carnival of yard games and this page goes beyond what we had planned! I was feeling a little cliche and now the rewrite of events begins! Thank you!!!
That sounds so fun! Glad you enjoyed the post. Congratulations on your wedding. XO
Fantastic post
Love all these ideas!
Thank yoU!!! Hope you enjoy trying them out with your family!
Loved them all
They look great and creative.
I think I will try them out.
Great! So glad you like some of these ideas! There are so many to choose from! Enjoy!
SOOOO many fun ideas! Love this round-up! XOXO