Games for sunshine, open space, and good company.
Backyard games are half rules, half vibes. The best ones are easy enough to explain in 60 seconds, fun enough to play all afternoon, and durable enough to survive 10 summers in the garage. These picks deliver on all three.
The king of backyard games. Portable, easy to learn, and scales from casual to genuinely competitive. Good sets last for years. Tailgates, cookouts, Memorial Day, July 4th - cornhole is always there.
Ancient Italian lawn game. Toss your bocce balls closest to the small pallino ball to score. Perfectly relaxed pace - you can hold a drink in one hand. Works on grass, sand, or any open surface.
Classic for a reason. Toss metal horseshoes at a stake 40 feet away. Ringers score 3 points, closest horseshoe scores otherwise. Simple, satisfying, and surprisingly skill-intensive once you get serious.
More athletic than it looks, more fun than you'd expect. A good badminton set includes net, poles, rackets, and shuttlecocks. Hit the shuttlecock back and forth without letting it hit the ground. Games go to 21.
Old money vibes, genuinely strategic play. Hit wooden balls through wire wickets in sequence around the lawn. You can knock opponents' balls out of position - croquet is surprisingly cutthroat. Pairs well with a pitcher of lemonade.