Homemade Yard Games

Bean Bag Toss

• A fun game to play in the yard is bean bag toss. To play this game, you need an empty bucket or basin to place in the yard. Then, take enough old socks so that each player can have one and fill them three-quarters of the way with beans or rice and then knot them so that they are closed tightly. At this point, each player will try to throw her bean bag into the bucket from a specific spot. If everyone gets his bag in the bucket, the bags are retrieved and everyone will take a step back and try throwing from further out. If one player misses, she sits out and the other players keep moving backward until only one is able to make it and is named the winner.

Ball Toss

• You can create a ball toss game like the one that you play at the carnival. Set up several pots and pans or buckets in a line and gather up to 10 balls. If you don't have balls, simply make them from crumpled up newspaper and then wrap them in masking tape. Make a line with masking tape to stand behind on the ground and take turns seeing who can get more of her balls into the buckets. If you have several players, you can color code the balls by marking the tape with initials so the balls don't have to be gathered after each player has a turn.

Miniature Golf

• You don't need to head to the local miniature golf course to play. Start by placing bowls or boxes on their side around the yard. Find a yardstick or wrapping paper tube for each player. Make balls about the size of golf balls by crumpling up newspaper and covering with masking tape. Take turns putting the balls around the course from designated spots. The person who gets her balls into the holes with the least number of hits is the winner. It's a simple game to put together, but it can provide hours of fun for children and adults.