There’s nothing better than a backyard BBQ with your friends and family, with laughter ringing out as you enjoy delicious food and drinks. It doesn’t take much to get the backyard party going; just a few outdoor party games and you’re good to go. Let’s prepare for your next party together!
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How Can I Make My Backyard BBQ fun?
Plan ahead and ensure you have plenty of food and drinks for your outdoor parties. Throw lawn chairs or blankets around the backyard, let people lay back, relax, and enjoy the sunshine. Prepare good music to get people in the mood for a birthday party or other special occasion! And lastly, take your backyard BBQ party to the next level with a good selection of outdoor games.
What Games Can You Play at a Barbecue?
We’ve rounded up a list of fun backyard BBQ games that’ll help you have a good time together:
Outdoor Olympics
Set up a range of outdoor activities and let your guests compete in teams to win the title of Backyard Barbecue Champions!
Corn Hole
Corn Hole is a fun outdoor game where two teams throw bean bags onto a raised cornhole board platform with a hole in the middle. Points are awarded for each bag that lands in the hole or on the platform.
Outdoor Pictionary
Draw pictures on a whiteboard and get the teams to guess what it is. The team who guesses correctly gets the point.
Backyard Bocce Ball Set
Backyard Bocce Ball Set needs two teams rolling balls toward a smaller target ball (called the pallino). The team that gets its ball closest to the pallino scores points.
Yard Pong
Yard Pong is just like a giant beer pong game! The objective is to throw the balls into buckets to eliminate opponents’ buckets. The first team to eliminate all their opponents’ buckets wins.
Hillbilly Golf
Hillbilly Golf, also known as ladder ball, ladder toss, monkey ball, and many other names, involves throwing two bolas (strings with weighted balls) at a ladder.
Pool Noodles
From jousting to water balloon toss, the possibilities with pool noodles are endless! You can get creative and make any fun backyard game out of it.
Tug of War
Tug of War never gets old. Have two teams, each team member pulling on the rope’s opposite end. The team who pulls the other across a middle line is the winner.
Yard Dice
Yard Dice is a super-fun popular game for all ages. The objective is to roll the die and get the highest number, just like in a regular dice game. Get creative with your rules, and let the fun begin!
Yard Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a classic dice game that’s easy to set up. Roll the five giant dice and try to get different combinations of numbers. Pick which numbers you want to change to get the highest score.
Minute To Win It Games
In a Minute To Win It game, teams must complete a task in one minute or less. You can get creative and make your own version of the game.
Frisbee Tic Tac Toe
Make a giant tic tac toe board, then get teams to throw the frisbee into the squares and form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. The first team to get three in a row wins!
Spikeball
Spikeball is an exciting, fast-paced game that aims to hit the ball onto the net so your opponent cannot return it without touching their side. The first team to 21 points wins.
Lawn Darts
Lawn Darts will have you throwing giant darts at a tiny target. Teams take turns throwing the darts at a target marked with rings of a different point value each.
Polish Horseshoes
The old-fashioned Polish Horseshoes game aims to throw a frisbee toward a stake or a bottle. The team who knocks the other team’s bottle off first or has their disc land closest to the stake wins!
Backyard Lawn Bowling Game
Set up your own giant bowling alley! Backyard Lawn Bowling is a fun game for two players or teams. The objective is to roll the bowling ball and knock down all the pins at the end of the lawn to score points.
Balloon Dart Art
Set up a board with balloons of different colors. Remember to put some colors inside with some spray paint, too! Give each player a dart and let them shoot at the balloons. The best part? You can marvel at the art they create along the way.
Croquet Set With Wooden Mallets & Colored Balls
Croquet is a classic game of hitting wooden mallets against colored balls to knock them through hoops or wickets. With two teams, the first to get all their balls through the course is the winner!
Ring Swing
A ring and a hook? That’s all you need for a fun game of Ring Swing! The goal is to swing the ring and drop it onto the hook. Whoever gets their ring on the hook first wins.
BULZiBUCKET
BULZiBUCKET is a game that combines the best of other iconic lawn games. The game has heavy-duty collapsible bucket targets and six hacky sacks. Teams take turns tossing the hacky sacks into the buckets, and the team with the most points wins.
Self-Sealing Water Balloons
What can you do with self-sealing water balloons? Throw them at each other, of course! Water balloon fights are a great way to cool off a hot summer day. Simply fill up the balloons with water, and the battle can begin!
Ring Toss
Ring Toss is that backyard game that’ll have your guests tossing away for hours. The objective is to throw rings onto a post and score points. Points are awarded for each ring that lands on the post or in a hole.
Backyard Tetherball
Set up a tetherball pole, and let the lawn games begin! Players must hit the ball with their hands, alternating after each swing. The player who can hit the ball around the pole twice wins.
Large Dominos
Everyone loves a good game of dominoes. Gather up giant dominos and let everyone go to lay them out. Take turns, and the player with the highest number of dominos wins!
Potato Sack Race
All you need are some sacks and an even playing field. The objective of the Potato Sack Race is to jump in the bags and race to the finish line. Whoever reaches the line first wins.
Sponge Ball Bucket Toss Game
Fill a bucket with water and give each player a sponge ball. Have them toss it into the bucket and the player who gets the most sponge balls in wins!
Spoons
Players have to pass around the spoons and the cards. Everyone has to grab a spoon when someone has four of a kind. Anyone who doesn’t get a spoon gets a letter. Once you spell “S-P-O-O-N,” you’re out!
Flip Cup
Flip Cup is one of the most fun backyard BBQ party games. Players have to stand in two teams, facing each other across the table. Each player has to flip plastic cups on their top, with the next player repeating until one side finishes first.
Oversized Chessboard Patio
Set up a giant chessboard for some friendly competition. Players must move their pieces around the board and take their opponents’ pieces to win.
Giant Checkers
Giant checkers is a fun game for two players who can choose their own pieces. The game involves moving the pieces across the board and capturing your opponent’s pieces.
Relay Race
Set up another classic party game called Relay Race around your backyard and assign teams. You can have teams race to do a task and then switch off. The team completing all the tasks and crossing the finish line first wins!
Giant Jenga
Giant Jenga always tops the list of great backyard games for two players or teams. The objective is to pull out blocks one at a time and build the tower higher and higher. The group or player who topples the tower first loses the game.
Kubb
Kubb is a game of tossing wooden sticks at targets (kubbs). The team who knocks down all their opponents’ kubbs first wins the game.
Limbo
Set up a bar or use a broomstick as the limbo pole. Have each player take turns getting under the stick without touching it. The players who can limbo the lowest without touching win.
Backyard Obstacle Course
Set up an obstacle course with any materials you have around. Have each player race through the course, and whoever completes it first wins.
Glowing Badminton
It’s nighttime, and you want to keep the fun going? Grab yourself some glowing badminton rackets and birdies, and hit the yard! The objective is to hit the birdie back and forth over a net.
Finska
Finska is a Finnish log-throwing game where you race to 50 points. The game involves throwing wooden logs onto a target and scoring points for each log that lands on the target. The team or player who reaches 50 points first wins!
Trivia
You can set up categories and have teams compete against each other. The team with the most correct answers wins the game. You can make even more competitive games by offering a prize to the winning team!
4-Legged Race Bands
Get your friends and family ready for a 4-Legged Race. Tie two people’s legs together with a band, and then have them race to the finish line. The team who crosses the finish line first wins!
Washer Pitching
Washer Pitching or washer toss is throwing washers into a box or hole. Set up the boxes at different distances and have players take turns throwing. The player or team who scores the most washers in the box wins.
Cross Net
Cross Net is a game that’s easy to learn and fun to play. The objective is to throw the ball back and forth over the net and score points. The team or player who reaches 11 points first wins the game.
Jumbo Connect Four
Jumbo Connect Four is played on a giant four-in-a-row board where the objective is to get four of your pieces in a row before your opponent. It’s a great game for friends and family and a fun way to spend time together!
Kan Jam
Discs and goals are all you need for a game of Kan Jam. Partners stand at opposite goals, alternating throwing and deflecting. One throws the disk, and the other redirects it to the goal. After completing one throw each, the flying disk is passed to the opposing team.
Beat That!
It’s called the “bonkers battle of wacky challenges” for a reason. Beat That! is the ultimate game for a backyard BBQ. The objective is to complete your challenges, no matter how zany they may be. The team who completes the most tasks within the set time limit wins!
Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is all about guessing. Each player has to tell two truths and one lie about themselves, and the other players have to guess which one is the lie. The player with the correct guesses wins.
Bean Bag Buckets
Another fast-paced backyard simple game for kids of all ages is Bean Bag Buckets. Have a game tower with four buckets of varying sizes. The game is to toss a bean bag in each bucket, with points awarded for each successful shot.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Clues
Don’t forget a scavenger hunt! Set up clues and tasks around your backyard for players to find. The first team or player to complete all the tasks and find the final clue wins!
Never Have I Ever
Let players take turns sharing possible experiences. Whoever has done the experience has to take a penalty. The last person standing wins!
Murder Mystery Game
Gather your friends and family for a thrilling murder mystery game where players have to solve a mysterious crime. The player or team who solves the case first wins the game!
The “Newlywed” Game
No, you don’t have to be newlyweds to play this game. Players can be single or married, and it’s still fun! The objective is to answer questions about each other and see who knows their partner the best.
Frisbee Football
Divide your guests into two teams and play a game of Frisbee Football! Each team must line up at a specified point. No player may cross that line until the Frisbee is in flight. The team who scores the most goals wins!
Giant Pick-Up Sticks
Take turns removing giant sticks from the pile without disturbing any other sticks. The first person or any team who removes the most sticks gets a reward!
Hit the Can
Hit the Can is the perfect backyard game for younger kids, older kids, and adults. Place empty cans on a wall and have players take turns tossing balls at them. Knock down as many cans as possible and count up the points.
Lawn Twister
Who doesn’t get excited about a Twister game? Get a giant Twister mat for your backyard and have players take turns spinning the wheel and seeing who can last the longest.
Keep the Balloon Up
A simple game that will get everyone involved is Keep the Balloon Up. Have players stand in a circle and pass an inflated balloon around. The game is over when the balloon touches the ground!
Human Ring Toss
Have your family members as the posts and let players take turns tossing hula hoops over them. It’s a fun game that tests your hand-eye coordination.
Pool Noodle Targets
Get creative with pool noodles and set up targets for players to aim at. The player or team who hits the most targets wins.
Musical Chairs
Set up enough chairs for each player and let the music begin! Whoever can find a seat stays in the game. Remove a chair each round, and keep going until only one player is left standing.
The Blanket Game
Grab a blanket and have two teams stand on either side. Each team has to choose a player, and when the blanket is down, whoever says the name of the other team’s player first, wins!
Charades
A classic game! Split into two teams and act out different scenarios. Players can use props or just their bodies to act out the scenes.
