1. KubbOften called Viking chess, Kubb is a game of strategy and skill that traces its roots back to Europe. The game is played on a rectangular grass pitch where two teams square off to knock down the opponent’s wooden blocks, called kubbs. After a team successfully topples all of the short blocks using wooden batons, they must knock over the large king block in the center to win. It requires a mix of delicate tossing and tactical planning, making it a perfect step up from basic yard games.
2. SpikeballSpikeball has taken parks and beaches by storm, offering a fast-paced experience that tests your reflexes and agility. Inspired by volleyball, this game features a small, trampoline-like net placed at ankle height between two teams of two. Players have up to three touches to bounce a palm-sized ball off the net toward the opposing team. Because there are no boundaries once the ball is in play, participants must dive, sprint, and pivot across the lawn, making it an intense physical challenge.
3. Ladder TossLadder Toss, also known as ladder golf, requires a steady hand and excellent spatial awareness. The setup consists of two plastic or wooden ladders with three rungs, each worth a different point value. Players take turns throwing bolas, which are two golf balls connected by a nylon string, aiming to wrap them around the rungs. The intermediate challenge comes from mastering the spin of the bola and strategically knocking an opponent’s bola off the ladder to cancel their points.
4. KanJamKanJam transforms the casual pastime of throwing a flying disc into a competitive, high-energy sport. The game features two large plastic bins, or cans, set up across from each other on the lawn. Teams of two work together to score points by throwing the disc toward the bin, where a partner can deflect it into or against the goal. Scoring exactly 21 points to win requires precise throws, while an instant-win slot on the front of the bin adds an exciting element of risk and reward.
5. MolkkyMolkky is a Finnish throwing game that blends simple physics with clever math. Players use a wooden pin to knock down twelve numbered pins clustered together on the grass. If you knock down a single pin, you score the number written on it, but if you knock down multiple pins, you only score the total count of fallen pins. The pins are reset exactly where they landed, causing the playing field to expand and demanding careful calculation to reach exactly 50 points without going over.
6. Bocce BallWhile bocce ball is easy for beginners to pick up, mastering the game requires an intermediate understanding of angles and physics. Players score points by throwing or rolling large, heavy balls as close as possible to a smaller target ball, called the pallino. The true strategy emerges when players learn how to use their own balls to block opponents, or violently strike the pallino to shift the entire scoring landscape in their favor.
7. CornholeCornhole is a classic staple of backyard gatherings that reaches an intermediate level when players focus on specialized throwing techniques. Two angled wooden boards with a hole at the top face each other from a distance, and players take turns tossing fabric beanbags. While sliding a bag onto the board yields one point, landing it directly in the hole earns three. Serious players develop unique throwing styles, such as the airmail or the slick-side slide, to bypass defensive blocks left by their opponents.
8. CroquetCroquet combines the elegance of an old-fashioned garden party with the cutthroat strategy of a tactical board game. Players use mallets to hit colored wooden balls through a series of wire hoops, known as wickets, driven into the lawn. The intermediate complexity comes from the rules of roquet, which allow a player who hits an opponent’s ball to take extra strokes or croquet the rival ball far out of bounds, turning a gentle game into a battle of positioning.
9. Bottle BashBottle Bash, sometimes called Beersbee, is an active game that keeps everyone on their toes. Two poles are pushed into the grass twenty to forty feet apart, with a plastic bottle balanced on top of each. Teams take turns throwing a flying disc to strike either the opponent’s pole or the bottle itself. The defending team must catch both the disc and the bottle before they hit the ground to prevent the throwing team from scoring points, demanding constant focus and quick movements.
10. Washer PitchingWasher Pitching is a game of extreme precision that shares similarities with horseshoes but fits neatly into smaller backyards. Players stand at a distance and toss heavy metal washers into a wooden box lined with carpet, aiming for a small PVC pipe in the center. Landing a washer in the box scores one point, while sinking it into the center pipe scores three points. The weight of the washers and the bounce off the box require a refined throwing motion that takes time and patience to perfect.
Moving beyond basic lawn games opens up a world of strategic depth, physical coordination, and friendly competition. These intermediate games offer the perfect balance of accessible rules and high skill ceilings, ensuring that players remain engaged through hours of outdoor play. Gathering friends and family to master the techniques of these ten unique games will elevate any summer afternoon into a memorable tournament of skill and strategy on the grass.
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