10 Backyard BBQ Games for Adults and Kids
There is a moment at every backyard cookout when the party stalls. The grill is going, the food is not ready yet, and everybody is standing around a cooler making small talk with a plate in one hand. That dead zone — usually the 45 minutes right before the food comes off — is exactly where a good pile of lawn games earns its keep.
Games do three things at once at a barbecue. They give people something to do with their hands, they mix guests who do not know each other yet, and they pull the kids out of the adult conversation without anyone having to organize a single activity. Best of all, most of these cost less than a brisket and pack into the corner of the garage between cookouts.
Here are ten backyard games that work for adults and kids at the same party, roughly ordered from most essential to most specific.
Pick the Games Before the Guests Arrive.
A little planning turns a bin of equipment into an actual party plan. Four things to sort out first.
Match the game to your space.
A cornhole setup needs roughly a 30-foot lane. A bocce court wants 60 feet by 12 feet. A washers box or a cornhole board can share space with the seating area; a Kan Jam or ladder toss setup cannot. Pace it out before the party so you are not rearranging the patio while people are holding drinks.
Keep the skill gap beatable.
The best backyard games reward practice a little and luck a lot. That is why cornhole and ladder toss outlast more technical games — a 9-year-old and a former college athlete can play in the same bracket and both have a real chance. If a game requires a lot of technique, it belongs at the "whoever wants to play" station, not the main event.
Set the stations apart — and away from the grill.
Two stations minimum, three if you have the yard: one throwing game near the adults, one kid-friendly activity further out, and a quiet zone near the food. Keep every throwing lane pointed away from the grill, the table, and any driveway where cars are parked.
Have one signature game and two backups.
Cornhole is the anchor at most cookouts. Add one throwing game and one thing for the kids, and you have covered almost every group. Everything past that is bonus, and you will be glad you did not try to set up six games.
1. Cornhole: The Game That Never Loses.
Space: about 27 feet between the front edges of the boards — 12 to 15 feet for junior play with kids. Players: singles or 2-on-2 doubles, four bags per side.
Set the boards 27 feet apart, split into teams, and take turns tossing underhand at the opposite board. A bag that lands and stays on the board is worth one point; a bag through the hole is three. Cancellation scoring is what makes it fun — a bag of yours cancels a bag of theirs, so only the difference counts each round. First team to 21 or more wins.
Kids' version: move the junior line up to 12 to 15 feet and let the little ones throw from there. It keeps the game competitive and keeps the boards from getting bombed all afternoon. Buy wooden boards rather than the cheap vinyl sets — they hold up for years, and a slightly heavy bag is easier to control than a floppy one.
2. Ladder Toss (Ladder Golf): Fast, Loud, and Addictive.
Space: 15 feet between the ladders. Players: 2 or 4.
Each player throws three bolas — two golf balls joined by a string — at a three-rung ladder. Top rung is three points, middle is two, bottom is one. You play to exactly 21, which means overshooting to 22 sends you back to 15 or 11 depending on the version you are playing. That "bust" rule turns the last two rounds into real drama, and it is the reason ladder toss gets more yelling than any other game in the yard.
Kid tweak: kids throw from a shorter line — five paces or so — and let them use the same bolas. The wrap-around-rung mechanic is satisfying enough that they will keep going without being told to.
3. Kan Jam: The Easiest Game to Learn at a Party.
Space: about 50 feet between cans. Players: 2-on-2.
Two teams stand at opposite cans, one player throws a disc and the partner tries to deflect it in. Land it against the can for one point, hit the can directly for two, and drop it in the top for an instant win. It takes 30 seconds to explain, which makes it the perfect game for the mix of people who show up to a cookout and have never played anything together.
Kid tweak: shorten the distance and let kids deflect for each other in pairs. It also works great as a cooldown game in the evening when the sun is low and everyone is standing around anyway.
4. Giant Jenga: The Crowd Magnet.
Space: a flat, level surface. Players: as many as want to stand around it.
Oversized Jenga blocks turn a coffee-table game into a spectacle. Build the tower before guests arrive, keep it on a hard flat surface rather than grass so it does not wobble unfairly, and let people pull a block whenever they walk past. The crash at the end is the entertainment.
Safety note: this is a barefoot-yard hazard once the tower gets tall. Keep it off the main walking path and away from the food table.
5. Bocce Ball: The Grown-Up Game.
Space: roughly 60 feet by 12 feet — or whatever long rectangle your yard allows. Players: 2 or 4.
One player rolls the small pallino, then everyone takes turns rolling larger balls as close to it as possible. Closest ball scores; multiple scoring balls on the same team all count. Bocce is the game for the group that is happy to stand in the shade with a drink in one hand and roll a ball every 45 seconds, which describes a lot of cookout guests after the second plate.
Kid tweak: shorten the court and use a lighter ball set. Bocce also plays well in teams of two with one kid and one adult per team.
6. Washer Toss: Zero Setup, All Skill.
Space: boxes about 21 feet apart. Players: 2 or 4.
Two boxes with a center hole, four washers per player, and simple scoring: three points in the hole, one in the box, cancelled by your opponent's best toss, played to 21. Washer toss is the sleeper hit of backyard games because the boxes pack flat, weigh almost nothing, and the whole thing sets up in two minutes.
Kid tweak: move the boxes to 12 to 15 feet and let kids throw from half the distance. Underhand only — no overhand throws with steel washers around other people.
7. Horseshoes: The Classic Every Generation Knows.
Space: stakes about 40 feet apart for regulation, 30 feet for casual backyard play. Players: 2 or 4.
A ringer is three points, closest shoe to the stake is one, and the first player or team to 21 wins. Horseshoes has one big advantage over most of the games on this list: grandparents play it. If you have a mixed-age cookout, this is the game that gets three generations throwing in the same pit.
Kid tweak: set a junior stake line at 20 to 25 feet, and consider lightweight rubber horseshoes for younger kids so nobody takes a steel shoe to the ankle.
8. Spikeball: The High-Energy Option.
Space: a 10-foot circle with room to move. Players: 2-on-2.
Four players around a small trampoline-like net, hit the ball down onto the net and keep it alive. Spikeball is fast, exhausting, and hugely popular with teenagers and anyone who wants to actually move during a party. Keep it well away from the food table — the ball ends up everywhere.
Kid tweak: modify the rule so kids can catch and toss instead of spiking, and pull the circle in tighter. It is also an excellent "teenager wrangler" if your guest list includes a group that outgrows cornhole.
9. Ring Toss and Bottle Bash: Built for Little Kids.
Space: small — a corner is enough. Players: unlimited.
Ring toss over bottles or bottle bash with a ring on a string and a pole. These are the games that keep a 5-year-old busy for an entire party while the adults are finishing dinner. Line up a few bottles or boards in a quiet corner, hand the kids the rings, and do not worry about scoring at all. Scoring is optional; participation is the point.
10. Water Balloon Toss and Backyard Relays: The Mid-Party Reset.
Space: an open strip of lawn. Players: teams of two or more.
When the afternoon heat peaks and everyone is standing in the shade, a water balloon toss resets the whole party. Partners start a few feet apart, toss, and step back after every successful catch. Last pair with a dry balloon wins. If you have a bigger, younger crowd, run a relay: sack races, three-legged races, or a sponge-and-bucket relay.
Practical note: announce the water games five minutes early so nobody gets a surprise soaking in the shirt they planned to wear home. And keep the wet zone away from the grill — hot coals and a lawn full of flying water do not mix.
How to Run a Simple Backyard Tournament.
You do not need a bracket, but a light structure keeps people engaged instead of wandering off.
Play a round-robin at the anchor game.
Put cornhole at the center and let teams sign up. Each team plays three short games to 11 points instead of 21 — that keeps each match under 15 minutes so nobody is stuck in a marathon while the food comes off the grill.
Run a one-shot challenge for the kids.
A single "longest toss" or "most bags in the hole in 60 seconds" contest gives kids a win condition without requiring a full tournament. A small prize — a pack of popsicles, first in line for dessert — is plenty.
Keep a scoreboard people can see.
A piece of cardboard with names on it posted near the drink cooler does more for engagement than anything you can say out loud. People check it all afternoon.
The One-Minute Backyard Game Plan.
| Game | Space needed | Players | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornhole | 27 ft lane (12-15 ft junior) | 2 or 4 | The anchor game — everyone plays |
| Ladder toss | 15 ft between ladders | 2 or 4 | Fast, competitive rounds |
| Kan Jam | About 50 ft | 4 | Beginners and mixed groups |
| Giant Jenga | One flat surface | Open to all | Spectacle and crowd mixing |
| Bocce ball | 60 x 12 ft | 2 or 4 | Relaxed adult play |
| Washer toss | 21 ft between boxes | 2 or 4 | Fast setup, small footprint |
| Horseshoes | 30-40 ft between stakes | 2 or 4 | All ages, grandparents included |
| Spikeball | 10 ft circle | 4 | Teens and high-energy guests |
| Ring toss / bottle bash | A corner | Unlimited | Little kids, all party long |
| Water balloons / relays | Open lawn strip | Teams | Hot afternoons and group energy |
Set up the anchor game before anyone arrives, add one kid-focused station and one backup, and point the throwing lanes away from the grill. Then let the cookout run itself while you work the tongs. For the rest of the logistics — timing, food quantities, seating, and cleanup — see our complete backyard cookout planning guide. If the party crowd skews toward a football Saturday, a few tailgating-friendly grill foods pair with these games perfectly. And when the last bag has been thrown and the coals are still glowing, keep the yard humming with creative backyard BBQ entertainment ideas.
