The best backyard games for families are simple lawn games like cornhole, ladder toss, bocce and kubb, plus a few no-equipment team games, water games and glow games so every age has something to play.
Backyard games are the easiest way to get everyone outside at once: toddlers, teens, parents and grandparents. The right game is easy to learn and lets a 6 year old and a grandparent compete on fair terms.
Below are 30 yard games grouped by type, with ages, space and gear for each, plus quick picks by group, rules primers based on official league rules, setup tips and a safety checklist.
Key Takeaways
Cornhole, ladder toss, bocce and kubb are the best all-ages lawn games.
Let younger kids throw from a shorter line so games stay fair and fun.
Agree on house rules before you start, since backyard rules vary.
Keep throwing lanes clear and supervise horseshoes and kubb closely.
Use shade, water breaks and touch supervision for any water play.
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Table of Contents
Best Backyard Games by Group: Quick Picks
Quick Answer
The best backyard games for a mixed family crowd are cornhole, ladder toss, bocce and kubb: they are easy to learn, slow enough for grandparents, and fair enough that a 7 year old can beat an adult. Add giant tumbling blocks or lawn tic-tac-toe for little kids, capture the flag or flashlight tag for big kids, and a water game for hot afternoons.
For running and tag games aimed mostly at kids, such as freeze tag and hopscotch, see our guide to outdoor games for kids. This page covers yard and lawn games the whole family can play together.
Group
Try first
Toddlers (1 to 3)
Lawn tic-tac-toe with a grown-up, giant tumbling blocks (supervised), rolling a ball toward a bocce pallino
Kids 5 to 8
Cornhole from a shorter line, ladder toss, egg-and-spoon race, glow-in-the-dark bowling
Tweens and teens
Kubb, ultimate, capture the flag, badminton, disc golf
Hit targets with a flying disc in the fewest throws
5+
Large yard or the whole property
Discs, targets you choose
Classic lawn games for the backyard.
Buying one set? Pick a game your youngest player can join. Horseshoes and kubb need more arm control and closer supervision.
Rules Primers: Cornhole, Ladder Toss, Bocce and Kubb
These are the four backyard games people search for rules most often. The numbers below come from each game’s official or organized-league rules; at home, house rules vary, so agree on them before the first throw.
Cornhole. Under American Cornhole Association rules, boards are about 2 by 4 feet with a 6 inch hole, and adult foul lines are 27 feet apart, measured between the fronts of the boards. Junior players (12 and under) throw from 12 to 15 feet. Each player pitches four bags per inning, underhand. A bag in the hole scores 3 points and a bag resting on the board scores 1. Points cancel each other out, so only one side scores per inning. The first side to reach or pass 21 at the end of an inning wins.
Ladder toss. Each player throws three bolas (two balls joined by a cord). The toss line in league play is 15 feet from the ladder, though many backyard players simply step back five paces. A bola hanging on the top rung scores 3, the middle rung 2 and the bottom rung 1, and only bolas still hanging at the end of the round count. You must hit exactly 21: if you go over, your points for that round do not count. An optional bonus point goes to anyone who hangs all three bolas on one rung.
Bocce. A game uses eight balls (four per side, in two colors) and one small target ball, the pallino. One side tosses the pallino to start. The side whose ball is closest is “in” and steps aside, and the “out” side keeps rolling until it gets closer or runs out of balls. When all balls are played, points go to the side with balls closer to the pallino than the other side’s closest ball. Special Olympics singles and doubles games run to 12 points.
Kubb. This lawn game uses ten small blocks (kubbs), six batons and one taller king. Five kubbs stand on each team’s baseline with the king in the middle; tournament fields are 5 by 8 meters. Teams take turns throwing batons, and in official play each baton must spin end over end within 30 degrees of vertical. Kubbs you knock down get thrown back onto your opponent’s half, stood up, and must be cleared before the baseline. Clear everything on your opponent’s side, then topple the king to win. Knock the king over early and you lose on the spot.
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No lawn game set? These use things most families already own. Several are classic team games, so they also work for a big group of kids or a neighborhood field day.
Game
How to play
Ages
Space
What you need
11. Capture the flag
Steal the other team’s flag and get it home untagged
6+
Large
2 bandanas or towels
12. Kick the can
Hiders sneak back to kick the can the seeker guards
6+
Large, with hiding spots
1 empty can or bucket
13. Kickball
Baseball rules, but you kick a rolled ball
5+
Large
Playground ball, 4 bases (towels work)
14. Backyard baseball
Baseball with a plastic bat and ball
4+
Medium to large
Plastic bat and ball, bases
15. Ultimate
Pass a disc to a teammate in the end zone; no running with it
8+
Large
1 flying disc, cones
16. Four square
Bounce a ball between four squares; miss and you rotate out
6+
Small, on a patio or driveway
Playground ball, chalk
17. Egg-and-spoon race
Race balancing a plastic egg on a spoon
3+
Small to medium
Spoons, plastic eggs
18. Three-legged race
Partners tie inside legs together and race
6+
Medium, soft grass
Soft scarves or fabric ties
DIY and no-equipment backyard games.
Water Games for Hot Days
When it is too hot to run, add water. Keep these to shallow buckets and hoses, and see our full list of water games for kids for pool and sprinkler ideas.
Game
How to play
Ages
Space
What you need
19. Water balloon volleyball
Pairs use a towel to launch and catch a balloon over a rope
6+
Medium
Towels, a rope or net, water balloons
20. Sponge bucket relay
Run soaked sponges to fill an empty bucket
4+
Medium
2 buckets per team, sponges
21. Sprinkler limbo
Limbo under a hose spray that drops each round
4+
Small to medium
Hose with nozzle
22. Squirt bottle target race
Squirt plastic cups off a rail; first to clear wins
4+
Small
Spray bottles, plastic cups
Water games that work in a backyard.
Pick up every water balloon scrap when you are done so little kids and pets cannot put them in their mouths, and dump every bucket as soon as the game ends.
Night and Glow Games
Once the heat breaks, glow sticks and flashlights turn familiar games into something new.
Game
How to play
Ages
Space
What you need
23. Flashlight tag
Tag players with the flashlight beam
6+
Large, cleared of tripping hazards
1 flashlight
24. Ghost in the graveyard
The ghost hides; when found, everyone races to base
Night backyard games with flashlights and glow sticks.
Walk the yard in daylight first and move hoses, tools and lawn game stakes out of the play area. Glow sticks are for play, not chewing: keep them away from toddlers, who may bite them open.
Giant Versions of Tabletop Games
Giant versions of tabletop favorites suit small kids and anyone who would rather not throw. Buy a set or make one from lumber and paint.
Supervise closely. Nobody stands near the target lane or collects until everyone has thrown.
Lawn darts
Do not use them. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned their sale effective December 19, 1988, and urges owners to destroy them, not give them away.
Sun
The AAP advises shade, less midday sun, a wide-brimmed hat, and SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reapplied every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Keep babies under 6 months out of direct sun.
Heat
The AAP says kids should drink plenty of water, with breaks built into play on hot days.
Water play
The AAP says young children can drown in as little as an inch or two of water, quickly and silently. Use touch supervision (within arm’s length) for young kids, assign a “water watcher” at parties, and empty buckets and wading pools right after play.
Night games
Clear tripping hazards in daylight and set visible boundaries.
Many backyard games move inside: tape a tic-tac-toe grid on a rug, bowl in a dark hallway, and toss beanbags into a laundry basket instead of a cornhole board. For more ideas when the weather turns, try our indoor activities for kids and rainy day activities.
You do not need a big yard or a pile of equipment to make backyard games a family habit. Start with one classic lawn game that your youngest player can enjoy (cornhole, ladder toss or bocce), add a no-equipment team game like capture the flag for the big kids, and keep a water game in your back pocket for hot days. Agree on house rules before the first throw, keep throwing lanes clear, and keep water play within arm’s reach for little ones. The rest is just time outside together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular backyard games?
Cornhole, ladder toss, bocce, horseshoes, croquet, kubb and badminton are some of the most familiar backyard games. Giant tumbling towers and four-in-a-row suit younger kids, while capture the flag and flashlight tag are favorites for big kids on summer evenings.
What yard games are good for all ages?
Bocce, ladder toss and cornhole work well for mixed ages because they are easy to learn and luck evens out skill. Let younger kids throw from a shorter line. Lawn tic-tac-toe and giant four-in-a-row are great for preschoolers playing with grandparents.
How far apart should cornhole boards be?
Under American Cornhole Association rules, adult foul lines are 27 feet apart, measured between the front edges of the two boards. Junior players 12 and under throw from 12 to 15 feet. In a small backyard you can move the boards closer, as long as everyone agrees on the distance before you start.
What yard games can two people play?
Cornhole, ladder toss, bocce, horseshoes, washers, croquet, badminton and kubb all work one on one. Disc golf and yard dice are easy for two as well. Most of these also scale up to teams, so one set covers a quiet evening or a party.
What are fun games to play in the backyard at night?
Flashlight tag, ghost in the graveyard, glow-in-the-dark bowling with glow sticks in water bottles, and glow ring toss are easy night games. Walk the yard in daylight first to clear hoses and tools, set visible boundaries, and keep glow sticks away from toddlers, who may bite them.
Are lawn darts illegal?
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the sale of lawn darts in the United States effective December 19, 1988, after deaths and many emergency room injuries, most of them in children. The CPSC urges people to discard or destroy old lawn darts and not give them away. Choose ladder toss or cornhole instead.
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