7 DIY Yard Games for Plenty of Fun ...

1. Bean Bag Toss

Whether you call it Bean Bag Toss or Cornhole Toss – no matter; it’s one of the most fun DIY yard games. It’s a simple game that anyone can enjoy. Hardly any rules are involved and you can make a set of bean bags small enough for little hands, as well as some regular sized ones. I’ve seen the “corn board” made out of a lidded cardboard box, but if you want one to last for a few years, there’s a tutorial at sailrite.wordpress.com.

2. Giant Jenga

Regular Jenga gets a tad tedious after a while. What you want is a BIGGG Jenga tower that really clatters when it falls over. I love the idea of a DIY giant Jenga because if you’re a woman who has never handled a saw before, this is a chance to cut your teeth! You could ask the wood shop to cut the pieces, but I think it’s more fun to get the lengths of wood and saw them yourself. No? You really don’t need to follow many instructions but abeautifulmess.com has a nice little story.

3. Twister

Yep – you can go buy one, but among the DIY yard games, Twister is fun to make as well as play. The tutorial at designsponge.com uses a drop cloth of 4’x 5” but I think you should go large and use a white cotton flat sheet instead. And like the tutorial suggests, there’s no need to stick with the traditional Twister colors – go with your creative flow!

4. Garden Skittles

Sorry, ladies – I couldn’t find a decent tutorial for this one so you’ll have to put up with my instructions, but it’s really simple. Garden skittles is really no different to tenpin bowling – you need something to knock down and something to knock them down with. So that means bottles and balls. Collect a few drinks bottles – all the same size. Then make them into skittles. They need to be weighted in some way and this is where you’ll need to get creative. They need to weigh enough so they fall over when hit, but not so heavy they just stand firm. You can consider things like rice, beans and sand. It’s up to you if you want to decorate the outside of the bottles. I think it’s more fun if you do and they look less like “here are some old bottles I filled” when you do. Get the kids involved and have the funkiest, brightest, most colorful skittles on the block. Have a selection of balls too. It’s then up to you to place the skittles and set the rules.

5. Designer Beer Pong Table

Of course you need some DIY yard games for adults only! The classic of course is the favorite drinking game – Beer Pong. I know my American sisters who love a game of pong will love this idea for July 4th – not too far away now, girls! – but you can let your imagination go to town and decorate it however you like. Instructions are here: mrkate.com.

6. Pipe Ball

So, none of the DIY garden games I’ve shared so far are challenging enough? Hold up, because Pipe Ball is coming. That is, if you’re handy enough to cut and stick differing lengths of drainpipe together. There’s a really good and easy to follow video at thisoldhouse.com, and here’s a rule set and scorecard here: img2.timeinc.net.

7. Glow in the Dark Ring Toss

Who doesn’t love a game of ring toss? And now, you can play it after the sun goes down. Use glow sticks to make the hoops and the pole and you’re good to go. Fun for all ages! Follow the instructions here: alittlelearningfortwo.blogspot.co.uk. I think it would be even better if you made a few targets, set them up at different distances and allocated points to each target.

I know that some of these DIY yard games might cost more than if you bought a retail version, but you can get a great deal of satisfaction from a DIY or craft project well done. Bragging rights at your next BBQ or picnic! Do you know of any other DIY garden games?