The best backyard games for kids & the whole family

As the warm weather (slowly) returns, we’re looking to our backyards and local parks for family fun. Here are the best backyard games for kids and adults alike worth investing in as we head into hotter days and the school holidays.

Bocce

When it comes to simple backyard games for kids and families, classic Bocce can’t be beaten – all you need is a Bocce set and you’re on your way! Lawn bowls lovers will love Bocce as the objective is similar: get your team’s balls closer to the pallino (the first ball put into play) than the other team’s or knock the other team’s balls further away. When all balls have been used, the closest team scores a point for each ball closer than the opposing team’s balls. The first team to 11 points wins.

Finska

If ball games aren’t your thing, you may want to invest in a Finska set. This backyard game involves throwing a wooden block at a cluster of 12 wooden cylinders, which are marked with the numbers one to 12. If you knock over one cylinder, you score the number it is marked with – knock over more cylinders, however, and you score the number of cylinders you knocked over. The first to exactly 50 points wins, but if you score above 50, your score drops back to 25.

Kubb

You may only just be hearing about Kubb, but this Swedish backyard game has been providing non-stop family fun for centuries. Best played on grass or gravel, Kubb involves setting up a small court – ideally 6x3m – with the king piece in the middle and five ‘kubb’ pieces evenly distributed along two opposite sides of the court. The backyard game then proceeds through a series of phases, through which both teams throw their kubb pieces whilst trying not to knock over the king piece until the very last round.

Giant Jenga

It’s the Jenga you know and love, made bigger and better. Giant Jenga is the backyard-approved classic block tower game that is so much fun for the whole family, and perfect for school holidays. Like regular Jenga, the rules are simple: simply take out a block and place it on top of the tower, all without toppling it over. To take things up a notch, you could write fun dares or challenges on each block for players to complete before their turn is over.

Yardzee

Why restrict the fun of Yahtzee to a tabletop?! With a giant set of dice, made from wood, plastic or kid-friendly foam, you can recreate this classic family game in the backyard. But why stop at Yahtzee? With a go-to set of jumbo dice, you could also play other games like Zilch, Bar Dice or Bunco. We do recommend picking up a large bucket or tub to act as a giant cup for rolling multiple dice at once.

Corn Toss

A classic backyard game for kids and the whole family to enjoy, Corn Toss can entertain everyone for hours on end! To set up, place two cornhole game boards on either end of the field and each team receives an even number of small beanbags for tossing. With 1-2 players on each side, taking turns, each team will underhand throw a beanbag onto the cornhole board, with the objective of throwing it through the circle in the middle of the board to receive 3 points.

Any beanbags landing outside of the cornhole but still on the board will receive 1 point and beanbags that do not make it onto the board receive 0 points. This game continues with each team throwing bean bags using an underhand motion until there is none left, and the winner is determined!

Handball & Foursquare

One of the simplest backyard games for kids is handball, otherwise known as foursquare. A playground classic game, all you need is a small and bouncy ball as well as a clear and smooth surface to play on. Perfect for those with a balcony, deck or outdoor tiled area!

To play, set up a handball square for each player using tiling as borders or markers with shoes to indicate each area. The person leading serves the ball by bouncing it once within their square before it enters an opponent’s square. The aim of the game is to rally the ball back and forth, similar to tennis, until there is a winner.

And there you have it! A range of engaging, exciting and entertaining backyard games for kids and families to enjoy. If you end up trying out one of our backyard games, be sure to tag us @edgeearlylearning so we can see the family fun.

Still stuck on inspiration for activities to keep the little ones entertained? Read some of our latest blog posts which are full of activities, crafts, DIYs and games that your children will love.