We love spending time in the yard with friends and family. We’ve gathered some DIY yard games together that you can make yourself and not have to buy. Save money and have fun!
Summer’s finally here and we all need some time together right now, relaxing and laughing.
Backyards are the perfect place to gather your loved ones, friends, and family. Be sure to make your backyard the one that everyone wants to visit.
These DIY projects can make your backyard a place everyone wants to come over and spend time in. Backyard projects are the best.
Let’s get started so you can get outside and enjoy your new toys!
Horseshoe Pit
Everyone remembers tossing horsehoes at family gatherings. Now you can make your own permanent horseshoe pit and toss a few in your backyard. Even while holding a cold drink in one hand!
Check out The DYI Network for complete step-by-step instructions. When it’s done, all you need to do is add sand and start playing!
Ladder Golf
Another oldie but goodie is the Ladder Golf game. It’s very similar to horseshoes but without the heavy shoes.
This is a simple game where one tosses gold ball bolas toward the ladder structure. The top rung is worth 3 points, the middle is worth 2 points, and the bottom rung is 1 point.
Momtastic uses PVC piping to make her ladder golf game that costs just a few dollars. Head over to her blog for the directions so you can make your own for the summer fun.
Yard Dice
Also known as Yard Yahtzee or Yardzee Dice, you can make your own huge yard dice. Just think of the almost unlimited dice games you can play in your yard or at the beach. Even the kids will be interested in playing.
Don’t purchase these, though! You can make your own from leftover 4″ x 4″ lumber. Remodelaholic has a DIY yard dice tutorial here.
Yard Dominoes
Dominoes originated in 13th-century China, and has been a favorite in the tabletop boardgame lineup ever since.
You can bring this tabletop game to your backyard by making very large dominoes following this tutorial from Tauni Everett.
Connect Four
The goal of the game is to get four of your color checkers in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally before your opponent. When it’s your turn, you drop a checker into one of the slots on top of the grid. The winner has four consecutive checkers in a row.
Build-basic.com has an easy-to-follow instructable on how to DIY your own Connect Four yard game.
Giant Jenga
This is a game of strategy and skill played with 54 blocks. Each block is three times as long as its width.
You build a tower with the blocks. Then you take turns removing a block from the tower and replacing it on the top of the tower. The one who topples the tower loses the game. You build the tower up again and start over.
DIY Pete has a step-by-step tutorial for a Jenga set that you can make in just a couple of hours.
Baggo or Corn Hole Toss
Baggo or Corn Hole toss is a fun game to play and makes the perfect DIY gift for Father’s Day.
There are two slanted boards with 6-inch holes that are 27 feet apart, measured from the front of the board.
Each team faces the opposite board and plays with four bags. Opponents alternate tossing the bean bags into the round holes until all of the bags are thrown. If a bag lands in a hole, it scores 3 points. If it lands on the board, 1 point. The first player to 21 wins the game.
Build Basic has instructions on how to build a baggo game at their site. You can find out how to make the cornhole bags and bigduckcanvas.com.
Pipe Ball
Pipe Ball is a fun game that combines skeeball with basketball and horseshoes.
Each player is given 3 tennis balls. The object of the game is to toss a tennis ball into one of the points to score points. The first player to reach 21 wins the game. Sounds easy, right?
Look at the picture and you can guess it might not be as easy as it sounds.
There are 10 pieces of pipe arranged together. The back row is taller, and each row toward the front gets shorter.
This Old House has the full tutorial of how to build your own pipe ball set here.
Zip Line
How about a zip line for your backyard? All the kids in the neighborhood will be coming to visit. I’ll be over too to try it!
Homesteading has a great DIY tutorial to build your own. He even describes the right kind of tree for your zip line.
Ring Toss
Ring Toss is fun for kids of all ages. I remember playing it at the fair when I was a kid.
Each player starts with four rings and tries to throw them over the stake. Players alternate turns until the rings are all thrown.
Score 5 points for each ringer, 3 points for any ring touching the stake, and 1 point for a ring within 6 inches of the stake and closer than your opponent’s.
Sara at Mom Endeavors has the tutorial to make the board and the rings for the ring toss game at her site.
Tetherball
Tetherball is a fun game to play among competitive adults or kids just looking for some fun.
The player serving first chooses the direction of the ball and hits it. The receiving player hits the all in the opposite direction. The objective is to hit your ball in your direction until the rope wraps completely around the pole.
Tetherball is very inexpensive to make using an upcycled tire and a metal pole. Plus, you can move it around the backyard to follow the sun or play in the shade. DIY Network has an easy tutorial on their site here.
Tic Tac Toe
A fun and easy game for everyone, tic tac toe will keep everyone entertained for hours.
The game is played in a grid of three by three squares. One side is O and one side is X. Take turns putting markers in empty squares. The first player to get three marks in a row (up, down, across, or diagonally) wins.
Seeking Alexi has a great DIY tic tac toe lawn game tutorial here. She even used it at her wedding reception for the guests to play!
Yard Scrabble
Now you can play your favorite word game outside without losing your tiles!
From the Carriage House has the full tutorial here!
DIY Summer Here We Come!
We hope you enjoy the summer and time with your family.
You’ll want to keep everyone entertained, so get the yard games out. Save some money and make all of the yard games that we list here yourself. Instructions are included.
You are probably planting your gardens now that summer is right around the corner. Head over to our post about the best herbs you’ve got to plant now. You’ll love them!
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