Yard Games – How to Make Amazing Games That You Will Absolutely Love
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Last Updated on April 20, 2021 by Katherine
This week on the blog, we are talking yard games because it’s nearly summer here in Canada, and I immediately have the urge to spend as much time as I can outdoors. As I was sitting one morning, chilling with my tablet outside, I recalled my earlier post about barbeque parties and thought I’d dedicate a whole post to party games you can create yourself and set up in your backyard!
When I think about yard games, my mind immediately goes to croquet. However, there’re tons of other options out there!
Yard games can be a great deal of fun, and from the looks of some ideas I’ve found kicking around online, you needn’t spend a fortune buying the ready-made games available at stores like Wal-mart. There’s a wide variety of materials you can use to create these entertaining games, but I’ve noticed pool noodles and wooden ones seem to be the most popular.
So if you’re curious about how you can use pool noodles, wood or something else to entertain your summer guests, read on!
Yard Games Using Pool Noodles
Pool noodles can make some fantastic yard games instead of using them for the pool! Plus, you can often find a wide variety of colors and styles at your local dollar store.
Obstacle Course
I stumbled across this brilliant idea from PBS For Parents to create three types of obstacles out of pool noodles! All you need besides a selection of pool noodles are some duct tape, yard stakes, and some sponge footballs.
Pool Noodle Games
I found a variety of pool noodle game ideas from this post from Mission to Save. I particularly like the idea of creating a ring toss game using them, a great way to inspire a little friendly competition! You can also create a cool soccer goal as well.
DIY Wooden Games
Pieces of wood can create a wide variety of games to play outside!
If you are relatively handy with some tools, you might feel comfortable enough to create some beautiful wooden yard games to entertain your people. You might find pre-cut wood that will fit the bill for your project.
Tic-Tac-Toe
This adorable game idea comes from Chicken Scratch NY, and it is fairly easy to create. All you need is a wooden surface for the game (I like the idea of using what you might call a “tree disc”) and some beautifully painted river rocks. The tutorial at the link above uses ladybugs and bees, but some other cute ideas include:
- Strawberries and Kiwis (or some other fruit);
- Stars and Stripes; or,
- Moons and Suns.
Lawn Dominoes
I love playing dominoes and I like this ingenious idea from Iron & Wine to create your very own enlarged lawn set of dominoes! All you need is wood planks (sawed into domino size) and paint. I also quite like the idea of using different shades for each domino to keep things colorful.
Outdoor Scrabble
You can find the full details of this game idea on Sunset, but if you are a lover of the popular word board game, you’ll definitely want to check out this cool idea using patio stones and wooden pieces! This project will be a bit more involved because you’re creating a permanent patio space into a “board.”
Other Brilliant Yard Games
While wood and pool noodles are great mediums to create DIY yard games, I found some other super inventive ideas that you might want to consider!
Yard Twister
This idea is so simple to set up, provided you don’t mind painting your lawn. I found this idea and some other cool ideas on One Good Thing, and it’s incredibly easy to throw together. Perfect for those impromptu gatherings once the pandemic is over!
Paver Hopscotch
Paver stones with some paint create a lovely (and colorful) hopscotch game!
If you have some spare paver stones, this is a colorful idea! All you’ll need, besides the pavers, is some spray paint and number stencils. Check out all the details at Happiness Is Homemade!
Frisbee Golf
Who knew that tomato cages, laundry baskets, and beach balls could combine for some fun? Well, Chas from Chas’ Crazy Creations created a fantastically fun game, and you can read all about it on her blog.
Giant Matching Game
If you’ve ever played the matching game, it’s fun, and this matchy version from Studio DIY is lawn-sized! You’ll need some cork squares, paint, stencils, and a few other tools.
DIY Beanbag Toss
I love the simplicity of this game, and you can read all the details on the Mod Podge Rocks Blog, all you need is six things to create this fun tossing game!
Flashback To The 90s – DIY Velcro Catch and Toss!
Prepare yourself for some nostalgia! I’d like to thank Brit + Co for sharing this throwback DIY project. Best of all, it’s a video tutorial! You just need an embroidery hoop, velcro, and a tennis ball.
Balloon Darts
Test your aim with this smart idea of using cardboard and helium-filled balloons (and, of course, darts)! Best of all, these easy crafts use cardboard, which I can’t speak for everyone, but I usually have a lot of that lying about!
Ladder Golf
Most ladder golf games I’ve seen are wooden, but you can find patterns using PVC piping!
I see this lawn game come out every year for the summer, and it’s super expensive (most sets I’ve seen are wooden and around $90 or more!). You can create a much more economically friendly version using PVC pipe, check out the full tutorial on Momtastic!
Cup Racing
I love the simplicity of this cute game from All For The Boys. All you need is some string, some plastic drink cups, and water guns. Simply thread those cups onto the line and anchor that string in the air and have at it!
Cork Boat Racing
Yep, another racing idea. My final inspiring yard game idea is fashioning some simple cork boats. All you need are some corks, toothpick, and Washi tape (different colors so you can identify each “boat”). You can find the full scoop over at No Biggie, along with a cute idea to fashion a finish line!
Wrapping It All Up
When hosting summer parties, it’s vital to entertain your guests, and I think one of the best ways to do that is a friendly competition at a yard game or two. However, the ready-made yard games you see in stores are often quite expensive, and it’s hard to justify spending $100 when you simply don’t have the budget. All the ideas I’ve discussed here aren’t just fun as heck to play, and they aren’t expensive to set up either. They are also sure to provide hours of entertainment!
Alright, that’s it for this week, thanks so much for reading! I’d love to hear about your favorite game idea, especially if you have one that’s not listed here. Drop me a line in the comments below and be sure to share this post to social media!
Until next time, stay crafty, my friends!
