The Best Backyard Games

Badminton is a backyard classic, and it’s a great game to have on hand for outdoor get-togethers. To play, you’ll need a net, shuttlecock (you might know it better as a “birdie”) and at least four badminton racquets so you can play doubles. If you’re just getting started, consider buying a complete badminton set that has everything you need to play. When a player/team fails to return the birdie over the net, the other side gets a point. Points are scored after every serve, and the first player/team to reach 21 points wins.

A classic sport, baseball is often best enjoyed when playing with friends and family. Players can transform their own backyard into a full baseball field with a Homerun Kit. It includes a bat and a spaseball, 6 foul cones and a Strike Zone. Baseball is typically played between 2 teams of 9 players each. The team with more runs at the end of nine innings is the winner of the game. Looking for a more compact version? Check out the foam bat, ball and tee combo.

Do your kids love to play wiffle ball? Then it’s time to try blitzball, a game meant to keep the batter guessing every time they play! Blitzballs provides more speed, distance and curve than traditional baseballs. The set, which includes a plastic power bat and one blitzball, offers great backyard fun for all ages. You’ll be sure to strike out your opponent when they step up to the plate for some fun with this exciting new approach to a backyard classic. Pro Tip: It’s always smart to have extra blitzballs on hand!

If you’ve never played bocce, you’re missing out. Bocce is one of the oldest-known lawn games in the world, and it can be enjoyed with up to eight players of all ages. A bocce ball set will include everything you need to play: eight bocce balls and a smaller ball called the pallino. To start the game, a team will toss out the pallino which then becomes the target. Teams will then alternate tossing bocce balls toward the pallino, trying to get as close as possible.

You can also try to knock your opponents’ balls away from the pallino, which adds a level of competitive fun. Whichever team is closest to the pallino at the end of the frame gets a point — if a team has multiple balls closer to the pallino than the opponent’s closest ball, they will receive a point for each one. Whichever team scores in the frame throws out the pallino to start the next frame. Play continues in this manner until one side reaches 12 points (or whatever amount you decide).

At DICK’S, you’ll find a great selection of bocce ball sets from top brands. Learn more about this classic yard game with our guide on how to play bocce.

Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a hugely popular sport played all over the world. Why? It’s fun, easy to play and energizing. It’s a game in which players attempt to throw a frisbee disc from a tee box into a standing basket. It is similar to traditional golf in that players try to get their disc into the basket in the least number of throws, or strokes. The player with the least number of strokes in a round, which is 18 holes, wins.

Requiring very little equipment, DICK’S is your one-stop shop for everything you’ll need to hit the course. Browse the complete disc golf assortment and find the frisbee disc that’s perfect for you.

Put your Frisbee skills to the test with KanJam. How does it work? You’ll set up the two black “kans” at opposite ends of the yard – the regulation distance is 50 feet, but do whatever works for you. You and a teammate will stand at opposite kans. One player will throw the disc while the other can try to deflect it to hit the kan (one point) or, better yet, land inside of the kan (two points). If the disc hits the kan without any assistance from a teammate, you get three points, and if you can manage to throw the disc through the slot on the front of the kan, you win instantly.

The official KanJam game comes complete with two durable kans and an official 168-gram KanJam disc. 

Find out everything you need to know to get started with our article on how to play KanJam.

Wiffle ball is a simplified version of baseball that is perfect for young athletes just starting out in sports. Typically, there are two players and the objective of the game is to score the most home runs in five innings.