The 6 BEST Outdoor Games That Aren’t Cornhole (under $50!)

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Summer is almost here, and that means backyards, bbqs, and beaches! My husband and I (and our families and friends) love to play outdoor games while we’re hanging out, but we get tired of the same old cornhole (or bags – which you call it). We like to mix it up sometimes. Here are 6 other games that are fun, easy to set up, simple to play, and under $50! Score! (Bonus – if your dad is into games too, these would make great  Father’s Day gifts, too!)

1. Rollors –

Rollors is like a cross between bowling and bocce. The players set up the cones and then take turns rolling discs, trying to get them to land as close to their cone as possible. Each wooden disc has 2 different point values (one on each side), so you never know how many points you’re going to get! This game is pretty fast paced and is easy for kids to play as well. To see a video of how to play it, click here.  

You can also purchase an expansion to allow more people to play!

2. Spikeball – 

I bought Spikeball for my husband as a Christmas gift this year. I grabbed it on sale, and I couldn’t wait until summer to give it to him. At first, trying to figure out how it was played confused me, but after watching a video of it here (scroll down to ‘related video shorts’), I couldn’t wait to try it out! We waited all winter to pop open the box and try it out – and now we love it!

Spikeball is basically a cross between volleyball and four square. You put the net in the middle, and a team of two stands on opposite sides of the net. One team slams the ball into the net to send it at the other team, and that team has to volley the ball between the two of them to smack it back down onto the net to send it at the other team. 

In the reviews, people rave about it and say that everyone, from young to elderly, can play this game! It is seriously addictive and so much fun!

3. Bocce Ball –

Bocce ball is a game I’ve played since I was a little kid. We used to camp a lot during the summer, and we took this game with us. It’s super portable, and very easy to teach, if you’ve never played before. Basically, someone tosses the little white ball, and the players take turns tossing/rolling their ball to either get it closest to the white ball and knock the other players’ balls off course. The person who ends up closest to the white ball gets the point at the end of the round; then you start a new round!(Check out a video here – scroll down to ‘related video shorts.)

4. Ladder Toss –

Ladder Ball (Ladder Toss) is soooo easy to play! Teams of two (or 1 on 1) throw their strings at the ladder and attempt the wrap them around one of the bar.  The top bar is worth three points, the middle bar is worth two, and the bottom bar is worth 1 point. The first team to 21 points wins!

The ropes on this set are super thick, so they don’t risk getting knotted up like some of the more cheaply made sets. If you want to go a little bit fancier, this set is made of steel, and it includes a scoring system on the ladders! 

We love ladder ball because it’s easy to set up, and it’s quick and easy to teach the rules and play!

5. Kan-Jam Ultimate Disc –

My husband I do not own Kan Jam, but it is on my wish list for this summer! It looks like a game we would have tons of fun playing with family and friends. What I find really interesting, and unusual in many games like this, is that the team of two has to work together. You’re not just standing around waiting for your partner to take his turn. If he’s throwing, you’re acting as the deflector (See the little graphic up there?) to help guide the frisbee into the can. That makes it appealing to me, because there’s not a lot of stand-around-and-wait-time. 

I am begging my husband to get this game this year, since we have a house now with yard space. I can’t wait to try it out!

6. Molkky –

I’m really excited about this game! It’s called Molkky, and it’s all about knocking pins down. At first, you set up the pins like the picture above. Then you stand back 12 feet, and the first person throws the throwing pin. If you knock down more than 1 pin, you get the number of points that is the same as the number of pins (knock down 3 pins = get 3 points). But if you only knock down 1 pin, you get the number of points on the pin (knock down just the number 10 pin, get 10 points). The neat thing is, though, after you knock down pins, they get stood up right where you knocked them down, so slowly, they get more and more spaced out. The first person to score exactly 50 points wins!

Molkky comes in a nice wooden crate, so it’s easily transportable. This is an easy game for anyone to play, and it’s great to help kids learn to count, add, and strategize as they play! If you want to see a video of Molkky being played, click here.