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Outdoor Yard Games

Yard games can be fun to play at parties or cookouts where you have a group of people together spending time outside. There are tons of fun games that can be played in a yard with anywhere from just a few people to a large group, and are appropriate for young people as well as older folks who might want to participate. These games can be fun no matter how large or small your yard is.

Ladder Golf
- Ladder golf is a game played with two "ladder" like goal structures. Each ladder stands up like a goal and has three different levels on it. Game players are each given three sets of balls. Each set is actually two balls (typically golf ball-sized) attached together by a string. Participants stand behind their goal and take turns tossing their sets of balls at the other goal, trying to get their balls to wrap around one of the levels. Scoring is based on what level of the ladder you are able to get your balls wrapped around. The lower level is worth two points, middle level three, and the top level is worth five points. The game is typically over when one person or team reaches 20 points.
Bocce Ball
- Play bocce ball with a group of young and old people. Bocce ball is played with two sets of heavy colored balls and one smaller lighter ball. Participants throw the smaller ball, and then take turns trying to get the heavier colored balls as close as possible to the smaller one. The game is played with either two people or two teams of people. After throwing the smaller ball (the pallina), teams take turns tossing their four heavier balls and attempting to get as close to the pallina as possible, and knock the competition away from it. Point are given once all the balls are thrown: one point for each colored ball a team has that is closer than any other ball of the opposing team. The winner of the game is the first to get to 16 points.
Capture the Flag
- Play capture the flag at night in a larger yard. In capture the flag, all players are divided into two teams. Each team is given a "flag" which can be a shirt or any other object. The yard is divided in half with a certain boundary determined. Players organize missions to capture the other team's flag without getting caught. Players are "caught" when they are tagged by the opposing team while they are on the opposing team's side of the yard. A caught player has to return inside and can no longer participate in the game. The game is over when one team is able to successfully get the other team's flag and bring it back to their side of the yard.

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