Grass is becoming greener, tulips are starting to sprout, and it is the perfect time to start making plans for your yard. You are most likely accustomed to utilizing your outdoor spaces for relaxation or dining and currently equipped with the full gamut of lounge chairs, tables, barbecues, and other essentials that make your living areas even more great. Though you may be in possession of these backyard items, what you may be lacking are some fun and fantastic games that can provide hours of enjoyment while spending time with family or hosting others.
While you may already have access to permanent pastime additions like a basketball or tennis court, smaller, moveable, games can add even more amusement to the times that you cherish. There’s an endless list of games that you can play under the sun, but we will focus on some tried-and-true favorites that are built for tons of laughter and longevity.
Best for Indoor/Outdoor Rooms
Take your family game days or nights outside, set up tournaments, and get some exercise by engaging in activities while surrounding yourself with nature. Popular games such as darts, pool, or ping pong work well in indoor/outdoor spaces such as sunrooms, LifeRoom, or screened-in porches since they are not traditionally built for constant and direct exposure to the sun and other elements.
- Darts – perfect if you have a LifeRoom. Create a fully immersive bar-like experience. Turn on your favorite sports, grab some eats, and throw some darts at a dart board installed on the wall.
- Pool Table – best for use in sunrooms or other areas that are protected from the elements and where there is ample room to position cues. Or you can go for custom, outdoor models.
- Ping Pong – ideal when covered, but can be placed on decks or grass. If you would like to leave outside, look for a version that is built to withstand mother nature.
- Card Tables – setting up a table in your LifeRoom, enjoying some warmth and a nice breeze is a great way to play cards or tile games like Mah Jongg or Rummikub.
Sun and Fun
We’ll start by admitting that many of these games can also be played indoors, but given the size, space needed, or general nature of tossing objects, we suggest that they be placed outdoors for optimal enjoyment and limited stressing about any breakage of surrounding objects. The great thing is that any of these games are enjoyable for individuals of all ages, so you can choose one or two that will work for any family members or guests that you may have over.
- Ladder Ball – just as the name implies, a ladder-like structure with three rungs that players aim bolas (golf-like balls attached to ropes) at to earn different levels of points. Giant Connect Four – a giant version of the traditional indoor game, where players work against each other to place colored discs in a pattern of four.
- Cornhole – two rectangular platforms with holes that opponents aim beanbags at to score points.
- Croquet – requires installation of wickets around the yard that players putt balls into using a mallet.
- Tetherball – a pole installed in the ground comes with a volleyball attached to rope that opponents hit to wrap or unwrap around the pole for points.
A huge benefit is that some of these are generally portable, coming complete with storage cases, so you can always bring the entertainment to another’s party or lend to a friend.
Water Winning
If you have a pool, there are also many options for continuing competition while keeping cool in the H2O. Basketball hoops, volley ball nets, inflatable tic-tac-toe, and even water-friendly versions of cornhole are options to keep the gaming going when you need some cooling off or swim time. We are confident that our previous blog posts have helped you to create the most enjoyable environment for taking advantage of splendid weather, but we hope that these suggestions will assist with taking things to the next level.
With proper storage and care, any of these games should remain intact for the long term, enabling you to get years of enjoyment and bragging rights.