The 16 Very Best Outdoor Games

Number of players: 1-2 players | Difficulty: Easy | Terrain: Concrete, sand, snow

Although Kadima is beloved, it’s not for everyone. If you didn’t grow up perfecting your tennis serve, it can be hard to get a rally going — and even if you do have a killer backhand, the people you’re picnicking with might not. The solution, as our contributing writer Ivy Pochoda explains, is Street Racket. It’s a paddle sport played with an oversize yellow ball that is allowed to bounce, reducing the need for constant volleying. The rectangular playing field (which can be drawn with the game’s included chalk sticks or simply marked out in sand or snow) is divided into three squares. “Players stand in the two outer squares and compete over the middle square, which essentially functions as a net,” says Pochoda. “You score a point when your opponent either misses your square or is unable to return your shot from within their square, kind of like tennis.” The game, which can expand endlessly as you add more players and racquets and can also be played solo against a wall, is surprisingly fast-paced and fun; Pochoda is a squash pro and found it suitably challenging. If you tire of the usual rules, it even includes an app with more than 100 variations and exercises to complete.

Number of players: 2 players | Difficulty: Medium | Terrain: Hard surfaces

Pickleball can definitely be played outdoors, and it’s easy enough to jury-rig a net if there isn’t a court handy. “If you’re playing on a driveway or non-pickleball court, just use caution tape strung between two chairs,” advises Ajay Pant, vice-president of racquet sports at Life Time. You should also shop for outdoor balls that “are configured with appropriate holes to accommodate the wind.” Rosenberg likes this high-quality set of racquets and outdoor balls from woman-owned pickleball brand Big Dill, which he says is popular at summer camps (“where pickleball is definitely coming back in a big way”) and suitable for younger players.

Number of players: 4 players, 2 teams | Difficulty: Easy | Terrain: Beach and lawn

When picnicking in Central Park two weeks ago, I lost count of the number of Spikeball games happening on the green. Then, on a Memorial Day long-weekend trip to Montreal, I spotted it being played again by numerous groups in Park La Fontaine. Indeed, Salop says Spikeball has “quickly turned into a summertime staple,” growing in popularity over the past several years, and Rosenberg confirms that “it’s still very relevant” among summer campers. Susan Fox, the founder of Park Slope Parents, also told me it’s a popular family game she enjoys playing with her kids. Spikeball is like volleyball — but instead of hitting the ball over a net, you bounce the ball off of one. To play, you need four players divided into two teams of two, with the objective being to bounce the ball off the net in a way that prevents the other team from being able to bounce it back. Susan Hay, owner of Long Beach Island-based toy store The Haymarket, adds that “a team is allowed up to three touches to return the ball,” and a round, or rally, continues until a team can’t return it. She’s a fan, and Amazon reviewers are also near-unanimous in their praise, with one calling Spikeball “the greatest lawn game ever invented,” and another writing about playing it with both 5-year-olds and 65-year-olds.

Number of players: 1-8 players | Difficulty: Easy | Terrain: Lawn and concrete

If you’re tired of playing giant Jenga, you’re tired of life. The outdoor version of the classic game-night staple is even more fun than the real thing, requiring exactly zero athletic skill but plenty of bluff. Liam Macleod, the director and head camper at Camp No Counselors, notes that it’s as fun for a few as it is for many: “Giant Jenga is inclusive of everyone — you can play with two or 20 people.” Ellen Hockley Harrison, the founder of Greater Good Events, says it is “super-popular,” and Steve Hozan of Arcade Specialities adds that the “classic game of block-stacking, balancing, and tumbling, is simple and nostalgic.” Broughal agrees, calling it “low-key fun.” As with the indoors version, an easy way to customize the game, according to Maney, is to write questions on each block that encourage conversation. This makes it a great icebreaker for groups of new friends.

Number of players: 2 players | Difficulty: Easy | Terrain: Lawn and concrete

As with giant Jenga, giant Connect 4 is another way to take the living room outside. This classy-looking oversize wooden version of the beloved game will last forever and is surprisingly easy to transport with the included nylon carry case. It is a favorite of both Harrison and Steve Hozan of Arcade Specialities, who say it would make a great choice for anyone spending their outdoor time with little ones. “Everyone knows how to play this classic: Insert red or black chips with the end goal of connecting four of your chips in a series before your opponent,” explains Hozan.

Number of players: 6 players | Difficulty: Medium | Terrain: Lawn

Whether your cultural reference point is Bridgerton, Heathers, or family vacations on Martha’s Vineyard, there’s something delightfully kitsch about playing croquet. People have enjoyed this quintessential lawn game for centuries — and still do. “Dating back to the 1800s, it’s not as common anymore, but figuring out how to play the game is half the fun,” says Schaefer. The main objective is to hit your balls through a course of hoops that you design, scoring points along the way as you hit the balls through them in the right order. Schaefer’s favorite croquet set comes from (where else?) L.L.Bean, but is currently sold out. This similarly preppy set from Elakai is made from sustainably sourced wood that’s lacquered for weather protection.

Number of players: 2-26 players | Difficulty: Medium | Terrain: Lawn

Here’s a less-preppy wooden lawn game with Scandinavian charm. Strategist editor Maxine Builder discovered the Finnish take on pétanque, Mölkky, while traveling in Europe. She describes it as “a cross between bowling, billiards, and blackjack, with a mix of strategy, skill, and luck.” I’ve taken this game camping before, and it’s a nice one for standing around with a few drinks in the afternoon. To play, you first arrange the numbered pins on the ground in a diamond shape. Then, from about ten feet away, you take the “throwing skittle” and toss it underhand, toward the diamond. If you knock down a single numbered pin, you get points equal to the number displayed on it; if you knock down several pins at once, you get one point for each you knock down. In other words, “to earn five points, either you knock down five pins in one toss, or you take out the one pin with the number five etched on top,” says Builder. To win, a player must score 50 points — if you accidentally take down too many pins, your score goes back down to 25 and gameplay resumes. As with billiards, you start the next player’s turn “by standing the numbered pins upright exactly where they landed,” making each round more challenging than the last. Though it may sound complicated, each game goes by pretty quickly, and first-timers will have no trouble picking up the rules.

Number of players: 2 players or teams | Difficulty: Medium | Terrain: Lawn

The name kind of says it all: Four players split up into two teams of two, and teammates work together to throw and direct a Frisbee toward their opponent’s can to earn points. Think of Kan Jam as a sportier version of cornhole; a direct hit to the can earns two points, an assisted hit to the can earns one point, and a slam dunk into the top of the can earns three points, as well as plenty of bragging rights. The first team to 21 points wins — except when any person throwing the Frisbee manages to get it straight into a slot cut into the front of their opponent’s can, which automatically makes that team the winner. “You and your partner could be losing to another team in points, but all it takes is one well-placed disc throw for an instant win,” explains Macleod. The game also comes in a glow-in-the-dark version.

Number of players: 4 players, 2 teams | Difficulty: Medium | Terrain: Beach, lawn

For more higher-intensity outdoor parties and gatherings, Bottle Bash offers the simple yet addictive joys of hurling a Frisbee at a pole, in order to knock a large plastic bottle off the top of it. Drew Griswold, the director of adult summer camp Camp Halcyon, says that this game has given his staff and campers “countless hours of hilarious memories,” requiring “coordination, skill, a little danger, and a lot of teamwork.” Best played with at least two teams of two, it involves players taking turns throwing the Frisbee at their opponent’s pole to earn points, while the defending team works to catch the Frisbee and the bottle before they fall and hit the ground. If you fail to catch one or the other, the opposing team is awarded points. The other catch: You can only use one hand for the entirety of the game. Traditionally, the first team that scores either 15 (for shorter games) or 21 points (for longer games) while holding at least a two-point lead wins. The game can be played on a 20-, 30-, or 40-foot court depending on the players’ skill level. And never fear: The game’s bottles, though weighted similarly to standard beer bottles, are empty and made of plastic.