If you’re looking for fun outdoor games for families and backyard parties, we’ve come up with this list to inspire you! Featuring the best yard games for the whole family, plus some activities that you can do in your pool.

The best outdoor games for families and entertaining include cornhole, ping pong, volleyball, giant Jenga, croquet, and more!

One of the things we love most about having a swimming pool is that it creates so many opportunities to have fun at home. There is so much that you can do with your backyard space — you can install a hot tub, attractive lighting, and architecturally interesting accessories like a waterfall. The possibilities are truly endless!

Your backyard oasis also makes for a wonderful place to play outdoor games for families. You don’t necessarily need to have a pool to play these games, but many of them are so much more fun in the water. If you’re stuck for inspiration and aren’t sure about the best outdoor yard games, you’ve come to the right place!

Cornhole

If you’ve never played cornhole before you’re in for a treat! This popular yard game is easy to play and set up. All you’ll need is a cornhole board and bean bag set, plus some space to set up your playing field. 

The concept is simple: toss the bean bags into your opponent's cornhole board for points. Whoever gets the most points wins the game!

Ping Pong

One of the most classic outdoor games for families, ping pong can be played on a backyard table or in your pool! Set up your volleyball net of choice and then separate into teams! You earn points every time the opposing team fails to send the ball back to you over the net. The first team to get 11 points is the winner.

Pool Volleyball

Just like ping pong, you can set up your volleyball net in your yard or in your pool! This game is a great choice if you want to include everyone in the family. Split up into teams and start to play. You can learn the official volleyball rules here. The most important thing to remember is that the first team to get 21 points is the winner. You can, of course, feel free to tweak the rules to your liking.

As a bonus, most volleyball sets come with badminton rackets and balls. This means you’ll benefit from a two-in-one outdoor game!

Giant Jenga

You’ve likely already played the standard-sized Jenga — it’s a board game night classic! The giant version of this game of chance is even more fun and can (and should!) be played in the backyard. 

Gather your family and friends around a sturdy table and begin to build your Jenga tower. Split up into teams or you can also play individually. Players must remove the Jenga blocks one at a time while being careful not to knock down the whole tower. Play until someone knocks the tower down!

Croquet

Another one of the best outdoor yard games is croquet. It’s old school and fun — people have been playing croquet for hundreds of years for a reason! Design your course with croquet hoops first. Then, you’ll have to hit the balls through the hoops to complete the course. 

You’ll score points as you go (read more about the official rules here), and you need to finish the entire course in order to win.

Ring Toss

Ring toss is one of the best yard games for the whole family. It’s easy to play, and even young children will get the hang of it quickly! It’s very simple: set up the ring toss posts in your backyard, then throw the rings until they land on the posts. 

Feel free to get creative and make your own rules here — double points for double rings, triple points for triple rings, etc. 

Try out one of these best outdoor games for families at your next backyard bash and you’re sure to have a great time!