Outdoor party games can be just the thing for a summer get-together with adults. You don’t have to wait until the 4th of July to enjoy yourself, as you can try all these fun outdoor games any time you desire.
While it is nice to have family fun with kids and adults at a birthday party, sometimes there are no children around, and you need something to brighten up the BBQ.
You can learn all the best games you can play in our guide when the kids aren’t there. However, most of them you can play when kids are around, so you won’t feel too guilty leaving your kids out of these outdoor BBQ games. (Find the Best Lightweight Garden Hoses)
By the end, you’ll find all the best BBQ games adults can enjoy. Some come as purchased options with a lightweight carry case, so you can take them camping or to the beach, or the other options are to test your DIY skills and make your own summer adult BBQ games.
How Do You Make a BBQ Party Fun?
Backyard tossing games are some traditional types of outdoor party games you can find. You can purchase these in kits, although they don’t take too much effort to make these fun outdoor games for kids that are ideal for adults at a grown-up barbecue.
Cornhole Game
Corn Hole is a favorite BBQ party game for adults. Cornhole is known by many names based on where you live. No matter what you call it, cornhole is a classic BBQ party game and is easy to play.
You only need a cornhole set, a few friends, and space in your backyard where you can take it in turns to throw. It is simple to play one-on-one or in teams.
Every sandbag in the hole gets you 3 points, and every bag still on the platform loses you 1 point. Score 21 points before your opponents are harder than you think.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is another challenge in what appears to be one of the easiest backyard games. To play the horseshoes tossing game, you need two wooden stakes and four horseshoes. Traditionally, you’d place your stakes 40 feet apart, though it depends on your yard size.
Get three points for ringing a horseshoe on the stake and 1 point when they land within 6 inches. Pick a score to reach, and you can carry on until either side reaches this score.
Ladder Toss
There is history for this toss game, and it says it goes back to the wild west. Cowboys would throw snakes at tree branches or fences and compete for points, which is the premise of how to play ladder toss.
It can be known under other names like hillbilly golf, ladder ball, ladder golf, and others. To play, grab a ladder that has three rungs. You then need three bolas, which you can make easily.
The top tier gets you three points, the second two points, and the bottom rung is worth one point. All you need to do in this outdoor game is get as many points as possible with certain throws.
Lawn Darts
One of the best outdoor games is lawn darts. The BBQ party game for adults is like regular darts, yet you are outside and using your lawn rather than your wall. You can purchase glow-in-the-dark sets to have a fun backyard game when the light goes down.
All you need is a cheap set of target rings and lawn darts. Scatter the targets on your lawn and throw your darts. The darts are safe and make this one of the best backyard games for kids as it improves coordination.
Kan Jam
For one of the simplest party ideas, you can purchase a Kan Jam set. It is an easy-to-set-up BBQ party game for adults and is similar to playing frisbee, except you’re aiming for a target.
The Kan Jam game gets you to toss the discs toward a plastic trashcan, and the aim is to get 21 points. Hit the can, and you get points, although a partner can help by hitting the disk down, where you still get points. Get your disk in the slot or the top of the trash can, and you can win immediately.
You wouldn’t believe you could have so much fun, and the game is one of the most popular outdoor games in the USA.
Pong Golf
Pong golf is where you mix beer pong with golf. You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy this outdoor game. No matter, it is a fun BBQ party game for adults.
As with beer pong, the aim is to get the ball in all your opponent’s cups. You don’t toss the balls here, and you use a golf club to chip the balls into the cups. You can purchase an affordable golf set that has all you need for your Pong Golf backyard games.
What Are Some Fun Night Games?
Here you can find some popular BBQ games for adults you can play at night or in the day.
Kubb
Kubb is another game that’s been around for years. The game is older than golf. Players take turns throwing sticks at the opponents’ blocks. It appears simple, yet you only have a set number of sticks to throw. It gets exciting when one block remains to determine the winner.
The game is often used for team-building and can also deliver hours of fun with friends and family. If you are handy with DIY, you can purchase this classic of all outdoor games.
Giant outdoor games are some of the best to play, as you can easily see all the pieces. Here are some of the most popular you can come across. (Find the Best Rechargeable Flashlights)
Giant Yard Pong
You will have heard of beer pong, yet the cups here are huge, and you wouldn’t want to drink from them.
Each team will take turns throwing the sets of balls toward giant buckets. If the ball manages to find its way into the cup, the cup is removed. Any team that eliminates their opponent and they will win. If the sun is hot, you can even play giant yard pong in your pool! All the buckets and balls float, so you can dive in and start tossing in this fun game.
Giant Jenga
Anyone who’s ever played Jenga will love giant Jenga. It’s exciting and doesn’t need much strategy, although you need a good deal of stamina.
To play giant Jenga, stack blocks into a tower and each player takes turns to remove a block carefully. The aim is to make sure the tower doesn’t fall over.
Giant Bowling
If you don’t fancy going to a bowling alley, then you can have fun with giant bowling in your backyard as one of the best outdoor games or party ideas you can come up with. Giant bowling sets will come with pins and bowling balls you inflate. Much like regular bowling, all you have to do is knock down the oversized pins and race to the highest score possible.
What Do You Do At a Cookout?
Here are a couple of alternative summer outdoor games you can play at a garden party in your backyard.
Bottle Bash
Bottle bash is simple, and all you have to do toss a frisbee to knock a bottle off a pole. It takes 2 to 4 players where one throws, and the others defend the bottle. Like other outdoor games, first to 21 wins.
Kickball
If you’re playing kickball, you’ll need lots of space away from your grill in your backyard. Kickball is like baseball, yet you kick it rather than hit it with a bat. It is often a game kids play in school, yet it’s great for the whole family to enjoy.
Split into two teams, one team will field, and the other is the batting team. The pitcher rolls the ball toward the kicker, who kicks the ball before heading to first base. Baseball rules apply except for kicking.
What Do You Do At An Outdoor Party?
One of the best summer backyard fun party ideas besides getting the water balloons out is Bocce Ball.
Bocce ball is a fun backyard game, which is like bowling and skeeball mixed into one sport. It’s a great game for friends or guests you have over for some backyard summer fun.
Unlike other sports games, bocce ball is easy to get to grips with and doesn’t need skill or strength, and is as easy as ring toss.
One person throws the smallest ball, called the Pallino, which you use as the marker. The first player steps up and throws their bocce ball at the Pallino. Each person or team throws until all the bocce balls have been thrown. The closest to the Pallino wins the round and are the “in” team.
The winners are the first to 13 or any number of points you have put on the game.
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