Awesome Homemade Backyard Games
Updated on May 13, 2019
Now that the weather has warmed up for the year, we’ve been trying to think of as many crafty and fun ways as we can to get our kids back outside playing after a long winter stuck inside hiding from the cold. That’s how we came up with the idea of helping them make some awesome backyard games and activities! We’ve been scouring the Internet for the last week looking for as many different DIY games as we can, with bonus points if it’s something the kids can actually help us make before they play with it.
Just in case you love the idea of making your own family some awesome DIY backyard activities and outdoor games just as much as we did, if not more, here are 15 of the very best ideas, designs, and tutorials that we’ve come across so far in our search!
1. DIY jumbo Connect 4
Are you the kind of person who knows a thing or two about basic woodworking and you’re not afraid of using power tools, especially if it means something extra fun at the end? Then you just might be the perfect person to give this awesome jumbo sized backyard version of the classic kids’ name Connect 4 a try! Get the details for making one of your own on Andrea’s Notebook.
2. Jumbo DIY yard Yahtzee
Did we really catch your attention when we started talking about the idea of classic games turned jumbo backyard summer activities but your kids have never been all that interested in Connect 4? Then perhaps Yahtzee is your game of choice instead! We love the way Momtastic made these jumbo dice from wood and got a metal bucket to shake them in and toss them from.
3. Awesome backyard slingshot
Are your kids a little more hyperactive and intent on really making things happen rather than focusing on a game or counting up the dots on some dice? Then perhaps you’d all get along a little better with this fantastic tutorial from Ryobi Nation that teaches you step by step how to make a backyard slingshot that will shoot a soccer ball all the way across your yard!
4. Giant DIY yard Jenga
Just in case you’re still totally intrigued with the concept of making giant backyard versions of classic games from wood, here’s a fantastic way to get everyone working together on the patio! Sure, the grass on your lawn might be a little too bumpy for your tower to stand solidly so you’ll need to do it on the cement or another firmer kind of ground but following Lemon Thistle‘s tutorial to make your very own jumbo Jenga is worth it.
5. Backyard mini putt course
Do you actually come from a family of golf lovers but your lawn isn’t exactly in the shape to be the ideal green? Perhaps you’ve actually just been looking for a fun way to get your kids interested in trying mini putt so that maybe you can take them golfing with you properly. Either way, we think you’ll appreciate the way James Costiglio outlines the step by step process of making your very own home mini putt course.
6. DIY pallet cornhole boards
Are you the kind of DIY lover who always prefers making things when you know they’re partially an upcycling project? Then we have a feeling you’ll really love the way HGTV made these fantastic backyard cornhole boards out of repurposed wooden pallets! This is a great project for woodworking beginners. Add some paint, grab (or make) some beanbags, and voila!
7. DIY backyard ladder toss game
Are you actually looking for something that you can either leave standing while it’s warm enough for your kids to use it so that anyone can play with it any time but also move it when you want to or when the weather gets too cold again? Then we have a feeling you’ll really get a kick out of the way Home Depot outlines the process for making these stands for a good game of backyard ladder toss!
8. DIY backyard dominoes
Have we really got you going about the idea of making your own jumbo wooden backyard classics and, by this point, you’re kind of considering making a whole set of options for your kids to play with all season long? Then we think you simply must take a look at the way Lemon Thistle made these awesome dominoes that will make any lazy summer night a game night.
9. Giant outdoor checkerboard
Just in case you’re still hooked on the idea of making all of the classics, here’s another one you simply can’t leave off your list if you want to teach your kids all of the best games out there that everyone should learn! A Home to Grow Old In guides you step by step through the process of making a giant outdoor checkerboard that uses painted mason jar lids as the checkers themselves.
10. Lawn flamingo ring toss game
Perhaps you are very interested indeed in the idea of making the all the classic backyard games, like we’ve been walking about all along, but you were also kind of hoping to find something a little more funny, novelty, and kitschy looking than the very wooden and slightly rustic things you’ve seen so far? In that case, we’d absolutely suggest taking a look at the way Sugar and Cloth made this fantastic ring toss game using funny potted lawn flamingoes!
11. Concrete and sod lawn chess board
Have we really caught your attention, possibly for good, with this whole concept of making jumbo classic backyard games to the point that you’re actually open to the idea of putting in something that’s a little more permanent? Well, especially if you live in a place that’s rather warm all year round, we definitely think you should take a look at how DIY Network used concrete and sod an alternative grid stripes to make a huge chess board with big painted wood pieces!
12. Jumbo backyard Kerplunk
Perhaps the idea that has caught your attention the best so far as you’ve been scrolling through our list was the concept of recreating a classic tabletop board game as a massive version of itself for your backyard, but you want more than just one? Then we really think you’ll get a kick out of the way All Parenting used wood, wire fencing, barbecue skewers, and plastic ball pit balls to make a huge version of the kids’ game kerplunk!
13. DIY football toss outdoor game
Did the idea of making your very own backyard toss game of some kind really appeal to you but your kids are actually very sporty and love practicing their skills in the backyard? Then why not make them something that will give them a lot of fun this summer and help them perfect their technique? This awesome football toss game featured on Cherished Bliss is the perfect example of what we mean.
14. Giant lawn Scrabble
For those of you who are extremely interested in the concept of making awesome jumbo versions of classic games for your backyard but you’re not great with wood and you were actually hoping to find something a little more affordable and simple to make? Then we think you simply must take a look at the way Constantly Lovestruck made this simple painted cardboard jumbo Scrabble that’s perfect for building word mazes all over your lawn!
15. DIY lawn Twister
Perhaps you’re actually only looking for backyard game ideas because you’re hosting a family barbecue or reunion this weekend but you don’t have a whole lot of time to work with? Then you’ll need something that the kids will love but that’s a little more low maintenance! We love the way You Plus Me for Always used environmentally safe paint to make circles right on their grass to use as a Twister board.
Have you made other kinds of awesome outdoor games for spring and summer before that your family really enjoyed playing with but that you don’t see here on our list? Tell us all about what you created and how you did it or link us to photos of your finished work in the comments section!