12 Fun Summer Outdoor Games to Play Out in Your Backyard
Check out some of Ree’s old-school picks!
The best summer games don’t require much. A patch of grass, a driveway, a few willing relatives, and maybe one person who takes the rules much too seriously. (There’s always one!)
That’s part of the fun, though. Summer has a funny little pull toward the past: staying outside until the lightning bugs show up, running barefoot through the yard, arguing over whether someone was “out” of the running, and somehow working up an appetite even though you’d already eaten your weight in watermelon. Outdoor games have a way of doing that. They get everyone laughing, moving, and remembering that a little friendly competition is good for the soul. Well, unless you lose. Then it’s good for someone else’s soul. 😂
Ree Drummond knows a thing or two about ranch games, too. Her family has done everything from sack races to calf scrambles, and these days, even pickleball has made its way to the ranch—with dogs wandering onto the court and baby Sofia cheering from the sidelines, obviously. “I grew up playing lawn games, and I loved practicing croquet with my grandpa as a kid,” Ree reminisces. “I can’t say I have the perfect lawn for this anymore—the cows and horses claim most of our land, and the ranch dogs reign over what’s left! But I still love the idea of gathering around in the yard for an old-fashioned family face-off.”
So grab a ball, draw a chalk line, set up a net, or just start chasing somebody across the lawn. These nostalgic and fun outdoor games are made for long summer afternoons, backyard cookouts, family reunions, and any day that could use a little more laughing!
Have more family fun this summer:
Jenga
The original stacking game has been a hit since 1982, but new supersize versions, designed to be played outdoors, are becoming just as popular. Ree’s daughter Alex and her friends at Texas A&M took a set for a test drive and proved that giant blocks add up to big-time fun: The crash is much more dramatic!
Croquet
As old-timey as it seems, croquet
is actually pretty young for a lawn game. The modern version, as we know it, hit peak popularity in Great Britain in the mid-1800s and took the United States by storm soon after. It became a groundbreaking sport for women when three female competitors entered the 1900 Paris Olympics in croquet—the first time women participated in the games.
Pickleball
Pickleball is a newer obsession for a lot of families, but it already has the feeling of a summer tradition because it gets everyone outside without requiring too much skill. You can play doubles, keep the scoring loose, and let the beginners learn as they go! Ree even gave it a try on the ranch with Alex and Mauricio, plus Sofia watching from the sidelines and the dogs wandering into the action.
Sack Races
Sack races are old-fashioned in the best possible way. Everyone climbs into a sack, lines up, and hops toward the finish line, which sounds easy until you’re halfway across the yard and realize your balance has left the premises. Ree once wrote about getting tangled up with Ladd during a gunny sack race at the ranch, which resulted in about as much laughter as you’d expect!
Kickball
All you really need for kickball is a rubber ball, a few bases, and a group of people willing to run across the yard like they’re back at recess. It’s a great game for big summer gatherings because everyone already sort of remembers how to play, even if the rules get a little fuzzy once cousins and neighbors are involved.
Bocce
This game is played on college
campuses around the country, but
it’s ancient—and we mean ancient.
(Think the Egyptians then the Middle Ages.) All you need is a little open space, a set of balls, and a group that doesn’t mind getting oddly competitive over who landed closest to the pallino. It’s simple, a little old-fashioned, and the kind of game that gets everyone involved.
Four Square
Four square belongs on the short list of games that should never have been left behind in elementary school. Draw the court on a driveway or patio with sidewalk chalk, divide it into four sections, and let everyone bounce the ball from square to square until someone misses or gets knocked out of the top spot. The best part is that the rules can be as simple as you want!
Water Balloon Toss
A water balloon toss is one of the easiest ways to make a hot day feel like summer when you were little. Everyone pairs up and tosses the balloon back and forth, stepping farther apart after each successful catch until, eventually, somebody gets splashed. Kids love it because the rules are easy, and adults usually end up joining once they realize that getting wet isn’t the worst thing that can happen on a ninety-degree afternoon.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is one of those classic yard games that feels right at home near a picnic table or a barn. Players take turns tossing horseshoes toward a stake in the ground, trying to land as close as possible or, if the summer gods are smiling, hook one around the stake. It looks easy until you try it!
Three-Legged Race
Tie two people together at the ankle and you’ll learn a lot about their communication skills in about four seconds. The three-legged race is a classic because it looks so simple from the sidelines, then immediately turns into a sideways shuffle of panic, laughing, and someone yelling, “Left! No, your other left!”
Cornhole
Cornhole is popular for a reason: people can play it at a cookout without having to stop their conversation or change out of flip-flops. The goal is simply to toss the bean bags onto the board or into the hole, but somehow the smallest change in distance or wind can make a person feel like they’ve never used their arm before.
Tug-of-War
Tug-of-war is pure family reunion material. All you need is a rope, a line in the grass, and two teams who start out smiling and end up digging their heels into the ground like the honor of the entire household depends on it.
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