Many of us grew up having fun in grassy backyards, Hill Hoists, outdoor swing sets and a game of backyard cricket always being on the cards.
Today, one in two Aussie homeowners use their outdoor yard space for entertaining friends and family.
Great Aussie Patios can help you make the most of your backyard in Perth by designing a patio area for hosting BBQ feasts and DIY backyard games for both adults and kids alike.
Break away from the screen and enjoy your yard with an outdoor lawn game or two!
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Table of Contents
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Backyard Crickets
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Outdoor Word Games
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DIY Glow in the Dark Bowling
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Chessboard Patio
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Backyard Twister
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DIY Giant Jenga
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Mega-Sized Beer Pong
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Ladder Golf
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Backyard Bocce Ball
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Cornhole
1. Backyard Cricket
Backyard cricket has stood the test of time and is without a doubt the most popular yard game in Australia.
A get-together with friends or family wouldn’t be the same without a dispute over the 'official' laws of backyard cricket.
Better yet, play by your unique family rules that have been passed down through generations.
The best part about backyard cricket is that you don’t need much space to get a game going. As long as you have a little side yard, you can make it work.
You also don't need a lot of equipment, the rules are easy to remember (or switch up if you have your own version), and it can be played over the course of an entire day (or week if you want to make your own mini test).
To play backyard cricket, you only need a cricket bat, a tennis ball, and some stumps. Don’t have any stumps?
That's fine! Simply grab a wheelie bin, an esky, or attach a scrap piece of paper to the side of your fence.
2. Outdoor Word Games
Have a word-lover in the family who is always up for a round of Scrabble?
Instead of playing indoors on a beautiful day, why not take it outside!
It will take a bit of time to create your set of outdoor Scrabble tiles, but once they’re done, you can use them over and over for countless hours of fun.
So start getting crafty and make your own stack of large cardboard Scrabble tiles!
It’s really easy to do — just use heavy-duty cardboard and coat the tiles with waterproof spray paint.
We recommend making at least 100 tiles in total, and don't forget to make the correct amount of each letter!
You can play regular Scrabble with the kids or spice the word connect game up by turning it into an adult drinking game you can play with friends.
For a tutorial on how to make these word yard games, check it out here!
3. DIY Glow in the Dark Bowling
Regardless of how old you are, glow-in-the-dark games always entertain.
Backyard bowling is a classic game. But adding a glow-in-the-dark twist takes bowling at night to a whole new level.
And it’s a lot easier than you think to make your own bowling set.
You'll need empty tall bottles of about 1.25L, a ball heavy enough to knock them over and glow sticks.
For an adult version, you can use wine bottles instead and drink whilst playing (also known as Flonky Ball).
Once you have your supplies gathered, activate your glow sticks and put two in each bottle.
You can also make your mini bowling ball glow in the dark without much effort. Get a hamster exercise ball and tape glow sticks inside of it and you're done!
4. Chessboard Patio
Life-sized versions of classic games are always good for outdoor entertaining and chess is yet another example.
If you want a creative weekend task, making your own chessboard patio is a project that can result in countless hours of fun.
If your DIY and craft skills are up to par, the finished chessboard also makes for a great statement piece.
You can scale the chessboard to fit your space, as big or small as you want. For a modern look, opt for a dark grey and white checkerboard.
You can also mix things up and use the design to inject colour into your backyard space.
Learn how you can make a giant chess patio game here!
5. Backyard Twister
It's incredibly easy to set up Twister, another timeless party game, in your backyard. You don't even need official Twister products to play!
To set up, you'll need four different spray colours. It's best to stick with the traditional colours to keep from confusing others.
Grab some scrap cardboard and cutting tools to create a circle stencil for the dots.
Simply spray paint red, yellow, green and blue dots onto your grass area for a DIY lawn Twister. You can even make your own spinner from cardboard if you don't have the one from the box!
A standard Twister game is made up of a 4 x 6 circle grid, so you can either stick with that or make a more unconventional playing space.
For example, add extra spots to create a larger version that can accommodate more people.
Learn how to make the DIY version here or go for an inflatable outdoor Twister that you can purchase outright.
6. DIY Giant Jenga
Magnify the classic Jenga with jumbo-sized blocks! Giant Jenga accommodates many players and a classic game will require a total of 54 giant Jenga blocks.
The aim of giant Jenga is exactly like normal Jenga - take turns removing the giant Jenga pieces by their edges and stack them on top of the tower, with three pieces on each level, until eventually, the entire tower crashes down.
The person who removed the final Jenga block that causes the tower to be knocked down loses the game.
To make your own giant Jenga blocks, you will need to be or know someone who is handy with wood. Buy some natural wood pieces from your local hardware store and with a bit of skill, you will be able to make your own Jenga blocks.
Serious Jenga gamers can even buy special tumbling block boards to move the game from ground to eye level. To really make the game as smooth as possible, sand down your wood Jenga pieces with sandpaper and stain them with varnish!
To learn how to make your own DIY giant Jenga block products, view a tutorial here!
7. Mega-Sized Beer Pong
Traditional beer pong is an old party favourite, but it too can be modified into a giant backyard game!
Enlarge the fun by replacing the standard beer pong cups with large buckets and ping pong balls with either cheap rubber balls or volleyballs.
The same rules apply as regular beer pong - take turns trying to throw your ball into your opponent's buckets, and each time you get one in, remove the bucket from play. To win, get rid of all of your opponent's buckets first.
It doesn't need to be an adults-only yard game either. Simply swap beer for cordial or juice for your kids and the whole family can play!
8. Ladder Golf
Also known as ladder toss or bolo toss, ladder golf is a classic beach or backyard game that everyone can enjoy.
To play ladder toss, you'll need two ladders with three rungs each. You can either buy a simple set, or you can use a handsaw to make them yourself from wood or PVC pipes.
You will also need six bolas, which are two golf balls connected by a string. Spray paint the golf bolas in different colours or buy multi-coloured golf balls to separate the teams.
Place the ladders at opposite ends of your playing area, as far apart as you want.
To play, players will take turns tossing their bolas, aiming to land them on the ladder to collect points.
To find out how you can make your own DIY ladder golf game, view this tutorial here!
9. Backyard Bocce Ball
Bocce ball is a classic backyard game that has been played for many generations. A
The rules of bocce ball are simple. Each player or team takes turns throwing their ball underarm toward the target ball, known as a pallino.
Once everyone has thrown their balls, the team or player with the closest ball to the pallino gets the point.
Bocce is not only simple to learn, but you can also play it almost anywhere, regardless of the size of your backyard. All you need are eight balls and a smaller ball for the pallino.
Many people choose to use a bocce ball court, but you can play on the grass for a simpler version.
10. Cornhole
Cornhole is one of the most traditional backyard games around, and for good reason.
It's a fun game that the whole family can enjoy, and it's also incredibly easy to make your own products if you're feeling a bit crafty.
To play cornhole, you need a platform or a board with a hole in the raised far end. You will also need several bean bags of two different colours.
You can make your own bean bags by filling zip-lock bags with rice, corn kernels or sand.
Players will then take turns tossing their bags at the board. A bag in the hole scores three points while bags that land on the board counts as one point. The game continues until someone reaches 21 points.
Cornhole is a fantastic backyard game because it doesn’t require a huge playing surface, a small yard will do.
Contact Perth’s Backyard Experts Today!
If you're wanting to play a yard game outside with friends and family, it's important that you have a well-designed location to do so.
For help designing your space and making the most of your backyard, call our friendly design consultants at (08) 9493 7115 for a quick and easy quote.
Request FREE Quote
Call (08) 9493 7115