The 10 Best Outdoor Games of 2022

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Playing outdoor games has many benefits. You and your family will get so much out of the fresh air, exercise, and quality time that fun is almost a guarantee. An outdoor game can help direct your family’s focus and encourage everyone to stay playing outdoors longer.

Look for games that are age-appropriate, durable, fun, and easy to use in your yard or outdoor space. While outdoor games are great for a summer party, they can also be enjoyable for a warm afternoon when you’ve got nothing else to do.

Use this guide to find the best outdoor games for your family, lifestyle, and budget.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Hakol Lawn Darts at Amazon

Perfect for the beach, yard, or park, these lawn darts are safe, fun, and easy for the whole family to play.

Best for Families:

4 Fun Giant Kick Croquet at Amazon

Fun and safe for ages 3 and up, this family game is a great addition to add to your collection of outdoor toys.

Best Active:

Spikeball Game Set at Amazon

Like a mix of volleyball and four-square, the game is fast moving and can be modified in a number of ways.

Best Budget:

Melissa & Doug Froggy Kickball at Amazon

This affordable pick is the perfect size for kids to kick, bounce, throw, roll, and catch.

Best for Big Kids:

Wood City Giant Tumble Tower Game at Amazon

Big kids will enjoy playing and can get creative with the way they use the blocks.

Best Splurge:

L.L. Bean Jumbo Connect Four at L.L.Bean

While a splurge, the game is fun for all ages and can be moved from the playroom in the winter to the yard in the summer.

Best for Toddlers:

Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Bowling at Amazon

Durable and made to last, this bowling set will entertain toddlers as they develop hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills.

Best Sport:

Franklin Portable Soccer Goal at Amazon

Great for the yard, park, or beach, the simple pop-up goal sets up in minutes and packs into its very own carry bag.

Best for Water:

GoSports Splash Hoop at Amazon

The floating basketball hoop is engineered to safely float and withstand lots of pool party people.

Best for Parties:

Joyin Outdoor Lawn Games at Amazon

If you’re having an outdoor party, this set will help keep your crowd busy with some easy-to-play games that are fun for all ages.

In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look For
Why Trust Verywell Family

Perfect for a beach day, yard, or park, these lawn darts are safe, fun, and easy for the whole family to play, especially since it’s rated safe for kids 6 and up. Use them during the day for lots of entertainment and once it gets dark, they glow, so there’s a whole new level of added fun!

Simply place the rings in the yard and challenge your crew to toss the rounded weighted darts to land in the rings. The darts can bounce and roll a bit, so it’s a challenge to get them in the ring. Included are four darts, two rings, and a carry bag.

Forget stuffy croquet and go for giant kick croquet! Fun and safe for ages 3 and up, this family game is a great addition to add to your collection of outdoor toys. Inflate the two giant croquet balls with the included pump, set up the stakes and wickets, and have fun kicking the ball through the stakes. Set up the course to be as simple or as challenging as your crew desires. This game works best in the grass.

Easy to learn but hard to master, you’ll get your heart rate pumping with a fun game of Spikeball. Like a mix of volleyball and four-square, the game is fast-moving and can be modified in a number of ways, depending on the number and skills of the players. Perfect for the backyard, beach, park, or anywhere else, the standard kit comes with everything you need and packs up into an easy-to-carry tote bag.

One of the easiest and most budget-friendly ways to entertain kids outside is to simply hand them a big ball. This Melissa & Doug kickball is the perfect size for kids to kick, bounce, throw, roll, catch, or play endless classic ball games. With options running from classic games like kickball for a crowd to imaginative play for one or two kids, having a big bouncing ball is a perfect toy. The ball arrives fully inflated but can be reinflated when needed.

Everyone’s favorite stacking game just got a whole lot bigger for some bold outdoor fun. Included in the set are 54 pine wood blocks, a carrying bag, and a tumble tower branded whiteboard to keep score.

Make sure you have plenty of room to store this 14-pound set and a place to play, especially since successful towers can be built over four feet high. Big kids will enjoy playing (and have the dexterity to manipulate the blocks) and can get creative with the way they use the blocks.

Make a statement with an oversized version of the classic strategy game. Perfect for a family game, this jumbo connect four is fun indoors or outdoors. The set includes the game board, collapsible stand, 42 two-colored playing pieces, a cloth storage bag, and instructions.

All the wood pieces are sealed, so they’re safe for outdoor use but needs to be covered if it’s being stored outdoors. While a splurge, the game is fun for all ages and can be moved from the playroom in the winter to the yard in the summer.

Durable and made to last, this indoor/outdoor bowling set will entertain toddlers as they develop their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. Included in the set are six plastic pins, one ball, and a plastic carrying bag.

Knowing toddlers, they will likely have just as much fun putting the pins in and out of the bag as they will setting up the bowling set. Highly praised by reviewers, parents appreciate that the pins and ball are hard plastic, so they’re easy to wipe clean and move from outdoors to indoors.

Bring the fun anywhere you go with a pop-up goal that suddenly makes any activity into a sporty one. Great for the yard, park, or beach, the simple pop-up goal sets up in minutes and packs into its very own carry bag for easy transport. Choose from four sizes and add a second goal to your shopping cart if you want to get into full-on game mode.

Make a splash with this sturdy, safe, and fun addition to any pool party. The floating basketball hoop is engineered to safely float and withstand lots of pool party people. Included in the set are the splash hoop, two basketballs, and a pump to inflate the balls. Reviewers praise how quickly the basketball hoop sets up and that it’s sturdy, doesn’t flip over, and can take lots of action.

If you’re having an outdoor party, this set will help keep your crowd busy with some easy-to-play games that are fun for all ages. Included in the set are four potato sack race bags, four egg and spoon race games, and two-legged relay race bands. While the gear may not last forever, the set is portable, easy to use, and a simple way to ensure there are some fun games at your outdoor festivities.

Final Verdict

Our top pick is Hakol Lawn Darts (view on Amazon). You can use them day or night, and they're fun for all ages. For the most active crowd, Spikeball (view on Amazon) is a fun game that’ll keep your crew moving and is appropriate for kids and adults. It can be played at the beach, park, or yard, and while a little costly, it’ll last for a long time. For a more budget-friendly option, the Melissa & Doug Froggy Kickball (view on Amazon) is versatile, inexpensive, and always fun for kids (and adults) of all ages.

What to Look for When Buying Outdoor Games

Entertaining

Outdoor games should be entertaining and engaging for the entire family. Look for games that can be played again and again and last more than a few minutes. Invest in a game that your kids (or friends) look forward to playing.

Playing outside is already important for a growing child as outdoor play allows children to build skills by using all of their senses. However, if a toy or game is not fun or does not meet a child developmentally, it can be boring or overwhelming - even when played outside. Check in with your kiddos to see what they think before making a final purchase, too.

Durable

Outdoor toys and games should be well made and durable. While not all might be suitable to be stored outdoors, they should at least hold up through the seasons and years of use. If your game needs to be stored indoors, select something that you have the space for in the off-season.

If you're going to be having smaller children play with the game, you'll want the game to be made of a durable material to avoid any pieces from breaking off. If any pieces break off, they can become a choking hazard for little ones with a curious mind or can simply break off into sharp pieces, posing an injury risk to everyone in the family.

Age Appropriate

Consider the age recommendations on the game before purchasing. Younger kids might be able to play a game with an older rating if they are supervised or playing with their family, but you won’t want them playing alone. Safety should always be a top priority.

For little ones, you'll want to avoid any games or toys that are too loud, shoots objects into the air, can fit entirely in their mouths, contain small batteries or magnets, and are made with toxic materials. Toys or games like this can pose choking or injury risks, and should be avoided altogether.

Once you've determined the toy is safe and fun for the whole family, you'll also want to consider if games help your children meet any of their developmental milestones. While this is geared mostly towards little ones, like toddlers, knowing where your child is at developmentally gives you an idea of what areas they could practice on or have already mastered.

Why Trust Verywell Family

Maya Polton is a former marketing manager and current freelance writer who covers food, home, and parenting. She’s also the mom of an 11-year-old son, an 8-year-old son, and a 4-year old daughter. Maya loves sending her kids outdoors to play, so any games that keep them out there for longer are great in her book. Her yard is littered with balls, goals, archery sets, NERF darts, and more. Since her kids are getting older, she’s thinking of joining the Spikeball craze and getting a set to play in the yard and on the beach.

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3 Sources

Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The power of play - how fun and games help children thrive. HealthyChildren.org.
How to buy safe toys. HealthyChildren.org.
CDC. What is a developmental milestone? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.