The Best Yard Games

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Fourth of July is coming up. And with it, plenty of outdoor time with friends, family, that neighbor you talk to twice a year, and your scared dog who just wishes this week would end already.

My fam is hosting this week. And with it, the usual debate of which yard games I set out, then patiently waiting to see if anyone decides to pick up the projectile and toss it across the yard to earn points (seriously, that's the point of nearly every yard game).

So, before I dig through the garage, I first must decide which ones are worth making their way to the yard, and which will remain in their dusty storage bin for another day.

Sounds like we need to rank things.

Yes, the OG. The one you played with Grandpa (or at least I did). There's something about the clanging sound of a ringer that triggers the nostalgia.

It doesn't need a gimmick. It doesn't need a rebrand. It's been the same game for over a century and it has no interest in your opinion about that.

(But seriously, shout out to the late Grandpa Duke, a three-time State Games champ for his age division.)

This one comes with a caveat. There are two types of washer boards — the five-foot version with three holes, or the small square one with a single hole in the center. I prefer the long board. The furthest hole is genuinely hard to hit without landing short, which makes chasing 21 without busting actually feel like an accomplishment.

The small board version is much more travel friendly, but I’m playing host so no travel needed.

If you haven't played Polish horseshoes, here's the concept: you're tossing a frisbee at a beer bottle balanced on top of a pole. Knock it the bottle off without your opponent catching it — 3 points. Opponent drops the frisbee (at any point) — 1 point.

It's my preferred frisbee game to some of the knockoffs that have emerged over the years, including Kam Jam. Plus, you play Polish horseshoes with a beer in your hand as a requirement, making catching the frisbee a humbling experience.

The classic. The crowd-pleaser. The one game everyone at the party will play, from the 10-year-olds to the grandparents.

What I love most is that cornhole reveals character. Are you a high-arching, land-it-soft, swish player? A low slider who protects the hole? Or are you the chaos agent who throws the bag on its side like a crazed knuckleballer?

You can learn a lot about a person from their cornhole style.

I spell it Kuub, as the Scandinavians intended; enough with this Kubb nonsense. Either way, it's pronounced Koob, and either way, it's the best yard game in existence. I admit, it’s more obscure, but it’s been my favorite for years now and I've even made Kuub sets to give as wedding presents. (What bride doesn’t want a basket full of freshly sanded lumber to haul home after the big day?)

You're throwing wooden dowels to knock over wooden blocks — but here's the catch: it's not just knock them all over and win. Any blocks you knock over get tossed to your side for your opponent to knock over on their turn. It creates this genuine back-and-forth tension where you feel in control until they go 6-for-6 and you’re behind. In the end, the only moment that matters: going for the King in the center.

If you haven't played it, there's still time to get an Amazon order in before Saturday. You won’t regret it.

I have nothing against people who love Spikeball. I own it. I've played it. But it drifts too far outside of what a yard game is supposed to be. Yard games are meant to be played with a drink in your hand, at a pace that lets you carry on a conversation. Spikeball gets too intense for a relaxing afternoon against your uncle who's had a few too many. Save it for the beach tournament crowd.

I wrote out the full case for bocce and had to cut it for horseshoes. Honestly, bocce has the edge in ease — you pull it out and go. Horseshoes requires hammering in stakes, measuring distance, some light construction. But nostalgia won out for me, as I’m sure some of those classic camping games hold a place for you, too.

There are dozens of games I considered that didn't make the cut — either they drift too far into full-on drinking game territory (beer darts) or they're just obscure enough that you would have no clue what I’m talking about without a ten-minute tutorial (hammerschlagen). The point is, maybe it’s time I launch a Top 10 for the Ranking Society.

Sadly, Giant Jenga would still not make the list (such a pain to travel with).

Not sadly, I stumbled across a game called Mölkky while compiling these rankings. I've never played but now I can’t stop thinking about it. Finnish. Wooden pins. Obscure scoring rules. It might be the next Kuub. Stay tuned.

OK, what’s a yard game I’ve never heard of or that missed the rankings that I need to try? I read all feedback and consider it every once in a while.

A reader pointed out that last week’s Tom Hanks movie rankings were based mostly on nostalgia from me being a 90’s kid. And, yeah, there is some truth to that. But also, Hanks was nominated for Best Actor in four of the five movies I ranked. And he won on two of them.