Yard Games Board idea deck
Browse 38 yard games game modes, play ideas, and challenge twists. Find a fresh idea, send it to the group, and start playing fast.
New ways to play with friends. STUD mode is optional. The boards work without it.
Use these as the main way to play yard games with friends. Open a full Activity Page when you want rules, timer, scoreboard, and sharing tools.
Play Idea 1 Cornhole + Bags Full Activity Page
Play 6 short cornhole frames with cancellation scoring. Highest net frame total wins.
Final frame requires each side to call one board zone before throwing.
Play Idea 2 Cornhole + Bags Full Activity Page
Throw from 3 agreed distances and score only clean hole shots. First player to clear every distance wins.
Miss all bags at a distance and move back one step on the ladder.
Play Idea 3 Cornhole + Bags Full Activity Page
Play mini-games to 7, then winners split and pick new partners. Best individual record after four games wins.
Last game uses blind-draw partners.
Play Idea 4 Cornhole + Bags Full Activity Page
Hit board, left half, right half, and hole in order. First player to clear the ladder wins.
The final hole must be called before the toss.
Play Idea 5 Cornhole + Bags Full Activity Page
Score only bags that push an opponent bag off the board or into the hole. First to 11 wins.
A pushed-in opponent bag cancels one of your points.
Play Idea 6 Cornhole + Bags Full Activity Page
Move boards closer and play to 15 using standard cancellation scoring.
Every overthrown bag adds 1 point to the other side.
Play Idea 7 Bocce + Bowls Full Activity Page
Play bocce where at least one scoring ball each end must use a safe bank off the agreed edge.
A banked ball closest to the pallino breaks all ties.
Play Idea 8 Bocce + Bowls Quick idea
Throw a long pallino each end. Closest legal ball scores, and first side to 7 wins.
If every ball finishes short of the pallino, replay the end from the opposite side.
Play Idea 9 Bocce + Bowls Full Activity Page
Standard bocce scoring, but a legal pallino move that improves your closest ball earns 1 bonus point.
A move that sends the pallino out of bounds gives the bonus to the other side.
Play Idea 10 Bocce + Bowls Quick idea
Each player gets one ball toward the target. Closest legal roll wins the round.
The round winner chooses the next target distance.
Play Idea 11 Bocce + Bowls Quick idea
Roll toward a target while calling left, center, or right finish lane before release.
Called lane plus closest ball scores 2 points instead of 1.
Play Idea 12 Bocce + Bowls Quick idea
Roll off a safe bank and stop inside a marked landing zone. Most clean bank-and-stop rolls wins.
Final roll must finish behind the target line without touching it.
Play Idea 13 Ladder + Ring Toss Full Activity Page
Before each bolas toss, call top, middle, or bottom rung. Called rung hits score.
Three correct calls in a row lets the player double the next toss.
Play Idea 14 Ladder + Ring Toss Full Activity Page
Start close to the washer box and move back one step after each cup hit. Farthest clean hit wins.
A rim bounce lets the player retry once from the same distance.
Play Idea 15 Ladder + Ring Toss Quick idea
Score ringers and leaners across 5 rounds. Highest total wins after everyone throws the same count.
Final round gives leaners the same value as ringers.
Play Idea 16 Ladder + Ring Toss Quick idea
Set 3 ring targets at different distances. Clear near, middle, and far in order before anyone else.
A miss on the far target sends the player back to middle.
Play Idea 17 Ladder + Ring Toss Quick idea
Only true ringers or cup hits score. First player to 5 clean scores wins.
Closest miss earns the next first throw but no points.
Play Idea 18 Ladder + Ring Toss Quick idea
Play ladder toss to 11. Anyone trailing by 4 or more can call comeback before a turn.
A called comeback turn scores double, but a zero-point turn loses 1 point.
Play Idea 19 Lawn Targets Full Activity Page
Play a short kubb game where each team gets 3 baton throws per turn. First team to legally topple the king wins.
A team that clears all field kubbs in one turn earns an extra king attempt.
Play Idea 20 Lawn Targets Quick idea
Set 5 baseline kubbs per side. Teams race to knock down their assigned line with equal throws.
A clean sweep with no missed batons wins instantly.
Play Idea 21 Lawn Targets Quick idea
Play to exactly 25 points using normal numbered-pin scoring. Closest legal exact finish wins.
Going over 25 resets that player to 15.
Play Idea 22 Lawn Targets Full Activity Page
Set a short croquet route with 5 gates. First player through the route and back wins.
Calling and clearing a tight gate skips the next gate.
Play Idea 23 Lawn Targets Quick idea
Partners throw a disc toward a safe can target. Deflections or direct hits score by the group's agreed table.
A clean catch after a deflection doubles that throw.
Play Idea 24 Lawn Targets Quick idea
Run 5 quick target stations with bags, rings, washers, rolls, or discs. Highest total after every station wins.
Each player may replay one station, but the replay score replaces the first score.
Add one twist to normal play for challenge points, bonus points, or bragging rights. STUD mode stays optional and only belongs after the group agrees.
Challenge Twist 1 Cornhole + Bags Full Activity Page Works with normal play
Call a clean airmail before the toss. Make it to earn 1 challenge point; miss the board and it counts against you.
Before a cornhole toss, call airmail. A clean hole with no board slide earns 1 challenge point. Missing the board completely on that called toss adds 1 penalty point against the thrower.
Challenge Twist 2 Cornhole + Bags Quick idea Works with normal play
Knock your own scoring bag off the board and add 1 penalty point against yourself.
If a player knocks their own bag from a scoring position to the ground, add 1 penalty point against that player. If the same toss also pushes an opponent bag off, the penalty point against them is erased.
Challenge Twist 3 Bocce + Bowls Quick idea Works with normal play
Touch the pallino without sending it out to earn 1 challenge point. Move it out and it counts against you.
In bocce, a legal ball that touches the pallino and leaves it in bounds earns 1 challenge point. If the touch sends the pallino out of bounds or ruins the agreed lane, add 1 penalty point against the thrower instead.
Challenge Twist 4 Bocce + Bowls Quick idea Works with normal play
Roll past the agreed back line and add 1 penalty point against you. Win the next end to erase it.
In bocce or lawn bowls, any roll that crosses the agreed back line adds 1 penalty point against the thrower. If that player wins the next end outright, erase 1 penalty point against them.
Challenge Twist 5 Ladder + Ring Toss Quick idea Works with normal play
Call a ladder rung before throwing. Hit it clean to earn 1 challenge point.
Before a ladder toss, call top, middle, or bottom rung. A clean wrap on the called rung earns 1 challenge point. A wrap on the wrong rung scores normally for the game but earns no challenge point.
Challenge Twist 6 Ladder + Ring Toss Quick idea Works with normal play
After missing the board, cup the next washer to erase 1 penalty point against you.
If a player misses the washer box or board completely, add 1 penalty point against them. If their next washer lands in the cup, erase 1 penalty point against that player before final settling.
Challenge Twist 7 Ladder + Ring Toss Quick idea Works with normal play
A clean ringer earns 1 challenge point. A dangerous overthrow counts against the thrower.
A confirmed horseshoe ringer earns 1 challenge point. A throw that sails beyond the agreed safe back line adds 1 penalty point against the thrower, even if the main game does not score it.
Challenge Twist 8 Lawn Targets Quick idea Works with normal play
Clear the last field kubb and leave the king standing to earn 1 challenge point.
When a team clears its final field kubb without accidentally knocking the king over, that team earns 1 challenge point. If the king falls early, add 1 penalty point against that team.
Challenge Twist 9 Lawn Targets Quick idea Works with normal play
Bust over the target score and add 1 penalty point against you.
Before play, agree on the exact Molkky target. Any player who goes over the target score adds 1 penalty point against themselves. Hitting the exact target earns 1 challenge point.
Challenge Twist 10 Lawn Targets Quick idea Works with normal play
Call a gate and clear it clean to earn 1 challenge point. Clip the wrong gate and it counts against you.
Before a croquet stroke, call the next gate. Passing through the called gate cleanly earns 1 challenge point. Hitting the wrong gate first adds 1 penalty point against the player.
Challenge Twist 11 Cornhole + Bags Quick idea Works with normal play
Call the bag zone, rung, hoop, or landing lane before the toss to earn 1 challenge point.
Challenge points count for you. Penalty points count against you. Use the final challenge score only in the way your group agreed before play.
Challenge Twist 12 Cornhole + Bags Quick idea Works with normal play
Use the final bag to cancel an opponent score and earn 1 challenge point.
In cornhole or a similar toss game, a player earns 1 challenge point when their final throw cancels an opponent score or knocks an opponent piece out of scoring position. A final throw that misses the board or target area adds 1 penalty point against that player.
Challenge Twist 13 Bocce + Bowls Quick idea Works with normal play
Recover from a short toss or roll with the next attempt to erase 1 penalty point against you.
If a player's toss or roll finishes short of the scoring zone, add 1 penalty point against them. If their next attempt scores or lands inside the agreed safe zone, they erase that penalty point against themselves.
Challenge Twist 14 Quick idea Works with normal play
Call a comeback frame while trailing and win that frame to earn 1 challenge point.
A player or team trailing by at least 2 points may call comeback frame before the next frame starts. If they win that frame, they earn 1 challenge point. If they lose the frame by 2 or more, add 1 penalty point against them.
