Barbecue With Me :: Backyard Living :: Backyard Games

Do your kids spend too much time inside watching television or on the computer chatting with who knows who? Then when you tell them to go outside and play that lasts for a hour until they are back inside letting you know they have nothing to do and are bored? For those long summer days you need to acquire some backyard games to keep everyone occupied and engaged in a fun activity. There are plenty of different options available and many new ideas in backyard games but I find the ones I grew up with best as every one has played them at one time or another and they do not require a lot of skill to have fun.

With the cost of gasoline and entrance fees to entertainment parks and then the cost of food and refreshments once inside, try putting that money into backyard games that can be played daily instead of one outing that is soon forgotten. There are lots of backyard games your family and friends can play that are low cost and fun for all ages and abilities.

Backyard Games

1) A set of horse shoes is a great backyard game the set can last a life time and they cost as little as $30.00. the horse shoe court is 40 feet long, adult men pitch from 37 feet and children, women and anyone over the age of 70 pitch the shoes from 27 feet. It is a good idea to play horse shoes as far away from your house as possible. If your children are real young they have sets you do not have to worry about concussions and trips to the emergency room!

2) You can play flashlight tag if you have a secure yard. Flashlights can be bought with the batteries included for less then a dollar fifty.

3) The backyard game of Croquet is different then regulation croquet, for one, regulation is played in teams and the backyard game is played by individuals. Regulation croquet is played on grass very much like a putting green however croquet originally was played on fields, so if you do not have a nice level lot, not to worry! The standard court is 50' x 100' . For family play, the court layout can be of any size or shape, and is often scaled down to fit the available space and obstacles such as trees and bushes. However the wickets should be at least 6' from each other. There are nine wickets, two stakes, four to six balls. Each player needs a mallet, you can buy croquet sets for as low as $35.00 however they are usually sized for children and not very durable, if your budget is at that level look for family sets that have two adult sized mallets and two children sized mallets. On the high side you can purchase a professional heirloom quality set costing as much as $5,999.00! I have a set I paid less then two hundred dollars for and I am quite happy with. I have had it for over three years and it is holding up well. Croquet is fun for all ages it is a sport where you get better the more you play regardless of age or gender and is a backyard game all families and their friends enjoy.

4) You can make a hopscotch court out of large stepping stones that are level with the ground, or if you have cement in the backyard use chalk or paint it.

5) How about volley ball? This backyard game is ideal for when you are entertaining as a lot of people can play it at once. If you can manage to serve you can score. Often times when you buy a volley ball set they throw in a badminton set with it. A volley ball court size is 29.6' x 59'. Badminton is 20' x 49' . Of course that does not matter with a backyard game but you should allow a safety zone of 10 feet around the play area so no one crashes into unsympathetic objects when trying to save a ball. You can switch from one backyard game to another depending on how many want to play. .

6) Do you remember slip and slide? We played on that for hours in the hot sun now they have ones big enough for three kids to race each other to the end.

7) Trampolines are lots of fun for children and adults as well. They can be dangerous but if you purchase a safety net, and a trampoline with padding covering the frame, hooks and springs, always supervise your children, only allowing one jumper at a time when in use they are a very good form of exercise. Meanwhile they will only think of it as play.

8) Bocce ball the ancestor of bowling is a lot of fun for all ages regardless of athletic ability. If you have young children or like myself my mother who is over 80 you can purchase lighter balls. Buy both types so that when you have a party every one can play! They even have sets that glow in the dark so one does not have to stop playing just because the sun has gone down! Bocce ball can be played upon any level surface, grass, packed dirt or gravel . Regulation length is 76 feet. Bocce ball takes from two to eight players per team. Each player is given two balls. Each player must then take turns rolling the ball toward the the smaller ball (the pallino), which someone has already thrown onto the field. The players are given points for the balls thrown closest to the pallino ball. Balls, including the pallino, may also be displaced by the balls of other players. So if you are looking for something to do that brings hours of enjoyment for families and friends and that everyone can play, Bocce Ball is a great backyard game.

9) Don't forget the sunscreen!

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