5 Creative Lawn Game Ideas

Turn your lawn into a hotspot for summer fun with these fresh, easy takes on classic lawn game favourites. Perfect for family time or backyard playdates (for all ages!), this is the kind of fun that won't break your budget.

Flamingo Ring Toss

Set up 5 to 10 plastic lawn flamingos, assigning higher point values to birds that are farther away, and establish a not-to-be-crossed tossing line. Pick up rings at the dollar store, or create your own using pieces of rope and duct tape, then try to toss them over the flamingoes' necks. For after-dark excitement, put some neon pink glow-in-the-dark tape on each flamingo and toss glow-in-the-dark rings.

Pool Noodle Croquet

Use a mallet to pound two dowels into the ground, about 2 to 3 feet apart, for each "wicket." Slip the ends of a pool noodle over the dowels to form an arch. Make a "mallet" (for hitting balls through the wickets) by sliding a longer dowel into an additional pool noodle (make sure it's a snug fit). For croquet balls, use beach balls, playground balls, or soccer balls.

After Dark Glo-Bowling

Remove labels from 6 to 10 32-ounce plastic bottles and fill each one almost to the top with water. Drop an activated glo stick or two into each bottle and seal the bottles. Set these "pins" on the lawn, grab a volleyball, playground, or soccer ball, and start bowling. If bottles have trouble staying upright, add some sand or small pebbles to each one. For a more permanent glow, coat bottles with glow paint.

Tic-Tac-Toe

Create the board using bamboo stakes, pool noodles (weave them over and under to keep them in place), or pieces of rope placed directly on the lawn, or by putting brightly coloured tape on an old sheet. For game pieces, use pine cones, marigold flower heads (plant a few pots near the game area), stones, seashells, or large cut-outs. Or, make a large board and play the game as a tic-tac-toe toss, using different coloured bean bags as X's and O's.

Rockin' Dominoes

Collect (or buy) 28 smooth, round stones that are roughly similar in size and shape. (River rocks work well for this.) Use weatherproof markers or paint to mark the stones in classic domino fashion, with a center dash and dots on either side. Start by marking one with 6 dots on either side, then one with 6 dots on one side and 5 on the other, continuing down to 6 on one side and 0 on the other. Repeat the process with 5 dots, then 4, then 3, and so on, until your last rock has 0 dots on either side. Once they're dry, store the stones in a lidded plastic tub. For a lightweight domino game, cut up 2 or 3 yoga mats to form large dominoes, then mark them with waterproof craft paint.