The 12 Best Lawn Games to Play in Your Yard This Summer

Would you believe me if I told you that my husband and I bought our house solely because the backyard is awesome? Okay, we also liked the location and, you know, the actual house, but the yard is perfect for lawn games, which happens to be our favorite type of game! We love any and all lawn game and, considering the fact that most of us are looking at a summer at home this year, I thought it might be nice to highlight some of our house favorites.

You may remember that I’ve written about Kubb before. (Pronounced “kuuuuub.”) It was the first lawn game we really started playing (in fact, we knew where in our yard we’d play before we knew where our couch would go!) and it’s our all-time favorite.

The rules vary, but the general idea is that the teams take turns throwing batons at their opponent’s Kubbs. (Usually, the Kubbs that are knocked over are thrown into the middle for another challenge.) All five must be knocked down before you can go after the King. The first team to knock that baby over wins. Knock the King down early and it’s like sinking the eight-ball early in pool, which is to say you ruined the game.

Fun fact: The game is said to date all the way back the Vikings, although there’s a lack of legit evidence to prove it.

Buy: Triumph Premium Kubb Set, $45

Another game that involves throwing a piece of wood at other pieces of wood, Mölkky is similar to lawn bowling. (Pronounced “meul-kuu.”) Knock down the 12 numbered pins, add up the total number of points, stand the pins back up where they landed, and keep going. The first player to get exactly 50 points wins. The game is incredibly popular in Europe, so I suggest pretending like you’re in a Parisian park if you’re missing summer travels.

Buy: Mölkky, $39 at The Grommet

Real lawn darts (the kinds with the pointy metal tips) have been rightfully outlawed for safety reasons. But you can still buy family-friendly ones — and I highly recommend it. Take turns with one other player to see who can toss their darts closest to the target. The darts in this set have glow-in-the-dark tips, which means nighttime play is, uh, totally in play.

Buy: Lawn Darts, $40

Spikeball, it turns out, is a bestselling game on Amazon and has more than 1,500 five-star reviews. It’s essentially like volleyball, only instead of sending the ball over a net, teams worth together to bounce it on a netted trampoline of sorts. Just a warning, this is not a leisurely game. Do this instead of your cardio workout for the day.

Buy: Spikeball, $60

The only way to make Yahtzee more fun? Make the dice giant and use a bucket to toss them out into the yard! This set even comes with a laminated score sheet that you can use over and over again. For the uninitiated, Yahtzee is a dice game (duh). Players roll the dice and strategize to try to meet all 13 categories on the scorecard — to get at least three of a kind, for example. It’s a blast … especially when the dice are the size of your face.

Buy: Yardzee, $45 at Etsy

Speaking of oversized versions of things (how’s that for a seamless segue?), there are lots of giant Jenga games out there, but this one is made by the actual company. The tower starts two feet tall and players take turns poking pieces out and resituating them on the top. The official listing says the tower stacks up to five feet high, but I’m pretty sure we’ve gotten it taller than that!

Buy: Jenga Giant, $118

The thing about cheaper ladder toss sets is that the ladders tend to fall apart when you toss the bolas. This one continues to hold up for us (it’s been a few years) and the carrying case is nice when it’s time to pack up the fun. To play, you’ll take turns tossing your bolas so that they hang on the ladder. The top rung is worth three points, then two, and one — first player to exactly 21 wins.

Buy: AmazonBasics Ladder Toss, $41

I’m going to be honest here — this game is way more fun when it’s your turn to be deflector than when you’re the one trying to toss the discs into the can. Either way, it’s still a good time.

Buy: Kan Jam Ultimate Disc Game, $40

When you think of backyard games, this is probably what comes to mind. There are plenty of cute sets that you can get customized on Etsy, but this is a bestseller on Amazon and it’s legit sturdy.

Buy: GoSports Cornhole, $128

When our friends with little kids used to come by (think: last summer), this was always a crowd-pleaser for guests of all ages.

Buy: Ring Toss Game, $34 at Urban Outfitters

Bocce has been around since the Roman Empire, so you know it’s gotta be fun if it’s stuck around this long. This beachy-colored set will be easy to spot in the grass.

Buy: Resin Bocce Ball, $77 at Home Depot

Croquet is a classic lawn game and we love it when we’re pretending to be fancy/serious. But this modern color scheme gives it a fun update.

Buy: Standard Croquet Set, $44 at Wayfair

What are your favorite lawn games? Tell us in the comments below!