What is A Lawn Game: A Helpful and Complete Explanation

My friends and I were sitting here debating on what a lawn game actually is. Don’t ask me how we got on the topic. After some debate, we came up with what we think is a decent conclusion. However, I still wanted to see how close we really were.

So what is a lawn game? A lawn game is any game that can be played outside typically in a yard, on the grass. The major mechanic can be different from game to game, but often includes throwing balls, bean bags, darts, or other objects to score points. They tend to be low-key games, simple-to-learn games played by friends at social gatherings or parties.

Detailed Definition

Lawn games are just that. They are played outside on a lawn, most of the time in the backyard. They tend to be very easy to play and have very simple rules that participants can learn as they play. There isn’t any specific thing (such as a ball or any other object) that qualifies a game as a lawn game. Generally speaking, if it is played outside in a backyard setting, it will fall into this category.

Though lawn games can definitely get competitive (if you have a family like mine, everything is always competitive), they are usually very calm games that people play in social settings. They give people at an event or gathering something more to do, than just sit and talk, which can ease the tensions and bring the fun.

What are some of the most common lawn games?

Bocce Ball

Players and setup- This game can be played with 2-8 players split between two teams. The same number of balls (8) are used but can be divvied out to players depending on how many want to play. It is played on a grass court with walls surrounding each side (though the walls really aren’t required for recreational playing). It would be hard to play on a hard surface because the ball needs lots of friction to stop. They are also brittle and might break when constantly hitting hard surfaces.

How to play- The first team throws a separate ball—a small, white ball called the pallino—first to start the round. The teams alternate throwing balls from the same spot attempting to be the closest to the pallino.

Only one team scores per round (called Frames in bocce ball). The closest ball to the pallino gets one point, the second closest of the same color gets another point and so on. However, if Team A is closest and Team B has the second closest, only Team A gets a point. Every ball outside of that is disqualified. If Team A has the third closest ball, it will receive no points because Team B disqualified any other balls from scoring. So the closest ball, and every ball of that same color gets points. Team B’s closest ball disqualifies any of Team A’s balls that lie further from the pallino than Team B.

Croquet

Players and Setup- Croquet is typically played with 2-4 players, but can really be played with however many mallets and balls you have. Players must set up a course with the u shaped wires in whatever variation they like. At each end of the course, they place a large wooden stick that begins the game and will end the game as players hit it with their balls.

How to play- Each player must hit his or her colored ball, with a large wooden mallet, through each hoop from a specific direction. If they miss the hoop, they must go back and attempt again. Players may continue through hoops as long as they can successfully pass through a hoop on each attempt. A player’s turn ends when they don’t successfully hit a ball through a hoop. The player to pass through the hoops and hit the colored stick at the end of the course first, wins.

Corn Hole

Players and setup- Corn hole is usually played on grass but can be played in a parking lot, on concrete or anywhere there is a flat surface. The cornhole boards are set up directly across from one another at a distance of 27 feet—although, for practical purposes, it can be as close or as far as you’d like. It is usually played by two or 4 players at a time. But can really be played with up to 8 players because each team has 4 bean bags. When played with four, (or more) players on the same team throw across from each other.

How to play-

Players take turns throwing bags (4 for each team) back and forth to try to make them in the hole in the center of a board. A bag that has gone through the hole on the board is worth three points. A bag that is on the board at the end of the round is worth one point. Only one team can score during a round, so the team that scored the most points subtracts the other team’s points from theirs during that round. They then add that score to their overall score. For example, let’s say Team A scored 5 points and Team B scored 3 points in a given round. Team A would subtract the 3 points that Team B scored and actually earning only 2 points. Team B would receive 0 points this round. The first team to score 21 points (winning by 2) wins the game.

Ladder Toss

Players and setup- This game is meant for either 2 or 4 players. Players set up two PVC pipe towers, each with three horizontal rungs on them. They set them roughly 10 yards away from one another, though most people just line them up wherever looks good to the players. The objects being thrown are usually ropes with golf balls on each end. Each team gets 3 of these ropes with golf balls on the end to play (so really 6 players could play). When played with two players, both players line up on the same side and throw at the tower on the other side of the field. When playing with four, players line up across from their partner next to both towers.

How to play- Once set up, the players flip a coin for who goes first. That player then throws all three balls before the other player has a chance to go. Players attempt to wrap the ropes around the rungs to get points. Teams can only score if they have more ropes around a specific rung than the other team. If teams get the same number, the points cancel each other out. The top rung is worth 3 points, the middle rung worth 2 and the bottom rung is worth 1 point. So a team is capable of scoring up to 9 points in one round.

The game ends when one team gets exactly 21 points. If a team scores more than 21, they forfeit all points earned that round and must try to get exactly 21 points the next round. This makes the game interesting because players have to use a little strategy in order to win the game.

Occasions to play lawn games

Weddings

Because a lot of lawn games don’t actually have to be played on a lawn, they can be played at weddings during all times of the year. However, as you’d probably suspect, the best place to play them would actually be on a lawn. Wherever you choose to play them, they create a great way for those gathering with you to celebrate a wedding. Having a low-key game to play makes it fun to catch up with friends and family or get to know the people invited from the other side of the couple getting married.

House Warming parties

Lawn games are great for housewarming parties simply because you not only get to show off your new house, but you also get to show off your beautiful new backyard while having a great time with your friends. They give a bit more substance to the gathering than “hey, here is my new house!”, and they’re just fun to play.

Social gatherings

Social gatherings are fantastic places for lawn games because they give those at the gathering to do something to do other than just sit and talk. Though that might be the preference for some people, it helps those of us where it isn’t the case. Guests may appreciate the ability to make casual conversation while playing a light-hearted game that doesn’t require a lot of thinking. And if competition heats up while playing corn hole, then all the better!

Family reunions/parties

Talk about getting competitive! Family reunions are perhaps one of the best places for lawn games because aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and whoever else shows up can play the games together while catching up on each others’ lives. They can create a fun, yet exciting environment, where no one is looking at the clock waiting until an appropriate time to leave. And when competition does heat up, Grandma can show everyone that though she’s over 80, she’ll still take you down faster than you can say “owned”!