Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. It’s also time to break out the lawn games that make barbecues and outdoor parties twice as fun. While there are the classic favorites like ring toss, horseshoes and croquet, modern games have taken over the grass in recent years. Check out our list for must-play lawn games this summer.
Bocce Ball
Originating in Rome, bocce is a ball sport extremely popular in Europe. Traditionally played on soil or asphalt courts, the game can be played between two people or teams of two, three or four. The match begins when one side throws the smaller ball called the jack, from one end of the court into a zone 16 feet from the far end of the court. If the first team misses twice, the other team is awarded the opportunity to place the jack wherever they choose within the zone. Colored balls are rolled, tossed or bounced, knocked around within the boundary line. Games are played to 16 points.
Cornhole
Everyone loves a good game of cornhole. The simple game involves two raised ramps with a hole at the end set up on opposite sides of each other. Each player/team (can play in singles or doubles), receives a set of colored bean bags and the first to get 21 points wins. As for scoring, a bag in the hole scores three points, while one that lands on the platform scores one point.
Ladder Toss
A lawn game played by throwing two balls connected by a string, or bolas, onto a ladder, ladder toss (also called Ladder Golf by some companies), is reminiscent of the days when teenage punks would throw a pair of sneakers over telephone wires. Illustrating the same technique, equipment includes two ladders and a set of three bolas per team. Each ladder has three rungs, each with a different point value.
