Outdoor Games for Families (That Both Kids & Adults Actually Like)

Spending time with your family outdoors is always a good idea. Not only do you get fresh air and sunshine, but you also get to bond with your loved ones in a fun and engaging way. Whether you have young kids or teens, a classic outdoor game is a great way to keep the whole family entertained and get in physical activity. In this post, I'm sharing the top lawn games and outdoor games for families, including those that we personally have in our own backyard and love. I've included options to buy or DIY. So get ready to have some fun in the sun!

A collection of seven colorful backyard games under a blue banner that reads, "outdoor games."

Table of Contents

Lots of moms are thinking it, but I'll say it out loud… There are some outdoor family games that I just don't like. Add in the sweltering heat and humidity of the great outdoors here in the South, and most yard games do NOT appeal to me at all. Chances are I'm pretty tired after a day of working, cooking dinner, and cleaning up. After dinner is really the best time to play a game outside since the temperature is somewhat tolerable in the evenings. So, if our girls ask us if we want to play [fill in the blank] after dinner, there are only a few favorite outdoor games that will elicit a “yes” from me. I know that makes me sound like a downer, but it's the truth.

I figure I am not the only parent who feels this way. So I decided to put together this post all about yard games that my husband, daughters, and I all genuinely love. These classic lawn games work for older kids and younger ones. They're a guaranteed great time, even in the hot summer months.

Yard Games We Have and Actually Love to Play

Cornhole

Cornhole or bean bag toss is a popular outdoor game that’s easy to learn and perfect for all family members. It involves two boards with holes cut into them and bean bags. The goal is to toss the bean bags into the holes to score points. It improves hand-eye coordination, develops teamwork skills, and promotes friendly competition.

If you have followed me on Instagram for any length of time, you have undoubtedly seen me playing cornhole with my family in my Instagram stories. We made our own set years ago and it's still a favorite. We all love it and have fun every single time we play it. It never gets old. I kind of wish we didn't already have a set so I could have an excuse to purchase this colorful cornhole set.

A beachy-colored set of cornhole boards and bags. The boards have orange, blue, and yellow stripes. The image also includes photos of the travel bag and bean bags -- there are four blue-striped bean bags with O's on them, and four orange-stiped bean bags with X's.

I recently purchased this inflatable cornhole set to take on vacation with us later this summer. Perfect to set up on the beach! Our regular cornhole set is far too bulky and heavy to take on vacation, but this inflatable version is PERFECT!

An inflatable cornhole set in pastel colors includes pink and blue bean bags.

Yard Pong

We purchased this Yard Pong set for Joe for Father's Day this year and gave it to him over a week early because we were so excited to play it. This great yard game has not disappointed and has quickly become a favorite of ours. It's so good, in fact, that we have been playing it more than cornhole recently. It's MUCH harder than it looks, but it's so fun. I also love that storing it takes very little space when we aren't using it. We highly recommend it.

A set of red cups and white and yellow ping-pong balls for outdoor family gaming.

Trampoline + Trampoline Sprinkler

Our girls graduated from 5th grade this year and we bought them this trampoline for their graduation present. Frankly, they have begged for a trampoline for years and we have never wanted to do it (for various reasons, including safety concerns). But we finally relented and we have zero regrets. Not only do they love it, but Joe and I hop on it more than I ever would have imagined. We recently hooked up the trampoline sprinkler for the first time, making it downright pleasant to jump on even in the blazing heat. It's truly a fantastic way to beat the warm weather (and better than a kiddie pool)!

A black trampoline is shown with a safety net all around the inside.

A child in blue swim trunks bounces on a trampoline with sprinklers spraying water from the top.

Other Popular Outdoor Games for Families

Here's a list of games we don't personally own, but that people seem to love genuinely.

Spikeball

Spikeball is the one game on this part of the list that I plan to order because we have talked about getting it for so long. It looks like one of the most fun outdoor games. Our girls have played it at school and are big fans and it does SEEM like something we will all really like. But at the moment, we don't have it so I can speak to its popularity amongst my family just yet. Spikeball is a little bit like volleyball. Two teams of two people can play, so it's perfect for a family of 4. One person from a team throws a rubber ball on a net. The other team can use 3 alternating touches, with the object of the game to get the ball back onto the net (kind of how a team of two works to get a ball back over the net in volleyball).

Croquet

I actually LOVE Croquet. If we had a yard flat enough to play it, I would absolutely buy a set for our family. But it just wouldn't work in our yard (we play cornhole, yard pong, etc. in our driveway since it's reasonably flat). I love this croquet set. It's truly a classic backyard game that never gets old.

Bocce Ball

Bocce ball is a game that originated in Italy and is now popular worldwide. It involves tossing balls at a smaller ball called a pallino and scoring points based on the proximity of the balls to the pallino. Believe it or not, I fell in love with bocce ball when I learned to play it with Joe's grandmother at her retirement community. It's fun and manageable for all ages and activity levels. I love the different colors and the practicality of this cute bocce ball set. You don't need a huge open area to play this classic lawn game.

Tic Tac Toe, Yard Dice, Giant Jenga and More

You can find more outdoor games for families by clicking on the image below.

Click the image below for links to all the outdoor games pictured.

A set of seven outdoor games, including bocce, croquet, and cornhole, are displayed under a blue banner that says, “outdoor games.”

10 Awesome DIY Outside Games

If you are a DIYer who prefers to create your own outside games, go for it! You can create many incredible games with your own two hands. Here are some of my favorites!

DIY Yard Dice by Blue I Style

Four large wooden dice with black dots are resting on green grass next to a black and white bag that says, “Yard Dice.”

Yard dice are super cute and fun for family gatherings. You can play all the dice party games, and it's a great way for little kids to practice counting.

DIY Giant Dominoes by Lemon Thistle

A very large wooden domino game is set up on the grass for outdoor play.

Another perfect DIY outdoor game is giant dominoes. It works for all different age groups. It's a great way to boost those problem-solving skills.

Angry Birds Football Toss by Her Tool Belt

A backyard is shown with a white table; on the table are six footballs that look like Angry Birds and in the background is wooden house cut-out with holes for the footballs.

Toss these footballs (with cute Angry Bird faces) through the cut-out holes—a great game for a large group of kids.

Big Kid's Seesaw by That's My Letter

A backyard has a large wooden seesaw displayed on the green grass in front of a fence.

If you're looking for less competitive family games, a seesaw is a great addition to any backyard. It's a fun way for younger children to get in on the outdoor activities. This one is sturdy enough for big kids too.

DIY Cornhole Boards by Amber Oliver

A set of homemade DIY cornhole boards are sitting against a white background.

Make your own DIY cornhole boards with this tutorial—backyard games don't have to cost much time or money.

Backyard Connect Four by Jennifer Largesse for The Home Depot Blog

A large wooden DIY Connect Four is set up in a grassy back yard. A father and two young boys are playing with the white and blue game pieces.

I'm loving this DIY backyard Connect Four game! It's so cute and looks like so much fun.

Monster Toss Yard Game by Reality Daydream

Two children in a park are tossing bean bags into a sandwich board painted to look like a monster mouth.

Practice throwing with the monster toss yard game. This stand up version of cornhole is the best way to introduce little ones to the game.

Giant Jenga by Lemon Thistle

A stack of large wooden Jenga-style blocks are piled high in a backyard with grass behind them.

Giant Jenga is one of those classic favorites, guaranteed to make everyone descend into fits of laughter.

Bug Tic-Tac-Toe by Chicken Scratch NY

A ladybug and bee-themed tic tac toe game is made from colorfully painted rocks and a wooden stump.

If you're looking for a quiet, cute game for kids, you can't go wrong with Tic-Tac-Toe. The bees and ladybug motifs are summery and charming.

Backyard Ker-Plunk by Audrey Kuether from Oh-So-Lovely

A colorful Ker-Plunk game is set up in a grassy yard and played by two children; the colorful balls are in a wire net, and the pins are in place.

Another fun backyard game? Ker-Plunk! While this setup might take a little longer, it provides a lot of colorful fun.

Aren't these backyard games awesome? I am obsessed with the huge Connect Four and the Yard Dice. They look so fun—makes me want to have friends over for a couples' game night!

Of course these are all great games for families too, but who says kids get to have all the fun?! Enjoy your summer more (even on those hot days) with these family favorite games for outdoors!