5 Outdoor Family Games for Your Next BBQ
Organizing an outdoor family reunion like a BBQ during the warm summer months is a great way to bring extended relatives together in the same place. Once you know where you plan to hold the BBQ and the food you want to serve, the next logical step is researching some fun things to do with family. Check out the list of fun outdoor games below that even the teenagers in your family will enjoy.
The Best Outdoor Games for Family Get-Togethers
#1: Potato Sack or Three-Legged Races
Level of Effort: Minimal
A classic amongst outdoor games, a potato sack or three-legged race, is a great addition to any family BBQ. They both require very minimal effort to prepare and encourage teamwork while being a fun spectacle to watch. Organize your family members by age group to give everyone the best chance at winning. For example, you should pair young children together, so they do not need to compete with someone bigger and faster than them. If you want to mix up the ages, pair up the younger kids with an older child or adult. The materials needed to play include large potato sacks, or other canvas bags, big enough to children and adults to fit into for a sack race, or simply grab some rope to tie competitor’s legs together for a three-legged race.
#2: Giant Jenga
Level of Effort: Minimal to Moderate
Most people are familiar with the tabletop game Jenga where you stack wooden blocks in a certain pattern to form a tower. Players then attempt to remove blocks from the bottom and place them on top without knocking over the tower. Turn this into an epic outdoor yard game by increasing the size of the blocks and stacking them outside on the ground. Either buy a pre-made set of blocks, such as the Giant Tumble Tower, or make them yourself on the cheap. The pre-made game stands about five feet tall with 56 hardwood blocks. The blocks measure 8” by 3” by 2”, so it would be easy enough to construct it on your own.
#3: Beanbag Toss or Cornhole
Level of Effort: Minimal to Moderate
The beanbag toss, also known as cornhole, is an extremely popular outdoor game for both children and adults. You can find cornhole games at many sports tailgating events and even outside certain bars that cater to college students and interactive patrons. The simple game involves tossing a beanbag into a hole on a slanted wooden board set a specific distance away from the other board. The regulation distance is 27 feet, but that may be too long for younger children to play. It is super easy to build your own cornhole set, but you can also buy them if you do not have the time.
#4: Twister on the Lawn
Level of Effort: Minimal to Moderate
The classic board game Twister provides both players and spectators with tons of laughs as those participating attempt to place their hands and feet on the colored dots without falling over. The caller spins a dial with the four colors on it and calls to players to place their left or right hand or foot. Adapting the game to play outdoors is very easy, especially if you already have cans of spray paint at home. Simply cut a large hole around 10” into an old pizza box or piece of cardboard and use that as your template. A string can help you to keep the lines straight. You can use the spinner from the original game or make one yourself as well.
#5: Homemade Dunk Bucket
Level of Effort: Maximum
If you feel like putting in a little extra effort into your game selection, try your hand at making a homemade dunk bucket sure to impress even your most cynical family members. The person willing to get soaked sits under the bucket and someone else throws a tennis ball at the target to trigger the release and let the bucket dump water all over the person sitting below. Constructing the duck bucket should not be too difficult, but requires additional materials you may not have just lying around the house.