Lawn games like cornhole and frisbee never get old, and even a classic like tag, which requires no equipment, can make for an unforgettable afternoon. But if you’re thinking of introducing something a little different at your next barbecue, we have some ideas. From Swedish game Kubb to delicious Pindaloo, here are 12 quirky backyard games to try this season.
The ultimate goal of the Swedish game Kubb (which rhymes with tube) is to knock down the king – the red-topped block in the center of the field. But if you do this before knocking down all of your opponents other blocks (aka kubbs), it’s an automatic loss. There are very specific rules on how to throw batons, set up kubbs, and what order everything should be done in, making this a great game for people who like structure.
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Don’t feel like throwing batons? Try Rollors, a game of rolling large wooden discs over a pyramid goal post. Points are awarded each round to the team with the disc closest to the goal. But it also takes a bit of luck to win: each side of the disc has a different number, and you are awarded points based on which side faces up when the disc lands.
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Flickin’ Chicken is like golf, but with rubber chickens. One person throws the target disc as far as they can, then everyone takes turns trying to land their rubber chicken on it. Your score for the round is the number of tries it takes you to complete it, and the player with the lowest score at the end of the nine rounds is the winner.
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In Tipsy Toss, each team has a bottle balanced on a pole, and the other team throws a disc to try and knock it down. You can prevent the other team from scoring by catching the disc and the bottle before they hit the ground.
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Kickit is essentially a cross between badminton and hacky sack: it’s a shuttlecock made to be kicked. Master tricks on your own to wow everyone at your next hands-free badminton game.
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This set comes with two pneumatic blasters, two dozen soft foam balls, and an electric windmill that can keep kids (and adults) of all ages entertained endlessly. Feel free to use your own Nerf guns or forgo weapons altogether; the hands also work well for throwing balls into the nets.
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The non-slip foam “stepping stones” you’ll get in this game are sturdy enough to use outdoors, which would technically make this more of a “The floor is lava” situation. A spinner determines which color you can safely stand on for each spin, and cards with guidelines like “Stand on 1 leg” and “Do a squat” test your coordination.
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This velcro-style inflatable dart board comes with four special kickballs that stick to it, as well as an air pump; you fill the bottom of the board with water so it stays put even when the strongest kicker in your neighborhood takes a turn.
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These days, you can buy a jumbo version of many popular tabletop games, from Jenga to checkers. Giantville’s 3.5-foot-tall version of Hasbro’s classic Connect 4 is a great option for people who prefer counting and planning to kicking and throwing.
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Negotiate a compromise between cornhole lovers and darts lovers by introducing Popdarts at your next party. The official rules use cancellation scoring, in which one team’s points cancel those of the other after each round; for example, if you score four points and the other team scores six, your four points cancel out four of theirs and their total for the round is two.
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The possibilities of this perforated tarp are endless. Your group can work together to maneuver all eight balls (or fewer) across the tarp without falling into a hole or sideways; or you can split into teams and try to shoot each other’s balls while preventing yours from falling. You can also focus on falling certain colored balls into certain holes; or you can create your own game.
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Pindaloo has the same appeal as yo-yos and other simple single-player games: the ball comes out of one end of the curved tube and you try to catch it at the other end. If you feel like the solitary nature of the activity can get boring after a while, we recommend buying two Pindaloo sets and competing against an opponent to see who can keep going the longest. Once you and your friends have gotten really good, you can even have a relay race where participants have to keep their ball rolling as they walk to each put-in point.
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