DIY Outdoor Lawn Games for Back Yard Family Fun
Cheap Games to Build Easily with Low Budgets and High Fun-Factor
Sep 27, 2009
Creating a back yard play area can be a simple as mowing the grass and setting out some games, which can turn a backyard barbeque into a fun adventure. Games like Cornhole, Washers and Kubb are all games that can be made with a few materials that many people have already in their sheds, workbenches or kitchens or that require a minimal investment.
Cornhole: A Bean Bag Toss Game
The Cornhole game is a bean bag throwing game that is played with bean bags and an inclined target with a hole cut into it. The target can be made of 1" x 2" lumber and plywood with a cloth bag stapled underneath the hole to catch the bags. If it is being made as a permanent structure, using 2" x 4" lumber is recommended for stability and the entire project should be waterproofed with wood sealer or exterior paint.
A standard Cornhole target, according to the American Cornhole Association, measures 48" long by 24" wide. The front of the base measures between 2-1/2" and 4" tall and the back is 12" tall. The rules and equipment dimensions for Cornhole have been standardized by the American Cornhole Association.
The bean bags can be made by cutting 6-1/2" squares of fabric, sewing them together on three sides, with a double fold seam, turning them inside out, filling them with two cups of dry beans and sewing up the last end.
Washers: Tossing Washers at a Target
Washers is a quick and easy project for those wanting fast entertainment. It requires a 3" tall piece of 4" PVC pipe – trimmed to stand up evenly on its cut area, sanded smooth, if necessary – and several large washers, at least 2.5" in diameter and some brightly colored metal enamel paint in two or more colors.
Using the PVC pipe as a template, a hole should be cut in the carpet so that the pipe will fit snugly inside it.
The PVC pipe should be inserted into a hole in the ground so that the top of the pipe is fairly level with the ground and the ground should be packed around the outside of the pipe to ensure that it doesn't move. The washers are painted brightly with enamel paint, two per player with a different color for each pair or player. The players throw the washers and try to hit get them into the target cup. Full rules for Washers have been standardized and are described by the International Association of Washers Players.
Kubb: Pronounced "Koob" –The Viking Game
Kubb was widely played by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago and is a popular game on the Island of Gotland in the southern part of Sweden. Playing pieces are made from 4" x 4" lumber and wooden dowels cut to size and sanded smooth. One piece of 4" x 4" is cut twice as long as the rest to represent the "Kung" or King piece. The smaller pieces are the 10 "Kubb" or chopping blocks, 8 "Kastpinnar" or casting pins made from 1" dowels, and 4 "Hornpinnar" or corner pins made from 1/2" dowels.
The Kung is made from a piece of 4" x 4" lumber that is cut to 16" long. For those who are very crafty with wood, a crown can be formed on the top of the piece by carving the wood. The Kubb are made from 8" pieces of 3" x 3" timber, the Kastpinnar are made from 2" dowels cut to 12.5" long and the Hornpinnar are 1/2" dowels cut to 12" long. Wood weathersealing is recommended for all pieces to keep them useful for many years.
To play, the corner pieces are set up to identify the boundaries of the game, the Kubb are placed on end, standing five on each opponent's side and the Kastpinnars are tossed at the opponents pieces, trying to knock them over, then toppling the Kung. The full rules of Kubb have been standardized and are described by Old Time Games.
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