9 Fun Outdoor Games for Adults

Imagine this: You’ve managed to plan an adults-only get-together at your house (you’re thinking backyard barbeque), all your friends have had their sitters lined up for weeks, and it’s the first time you’ll all have a night away from the kids in what feels like forever. And then you realize that all the outdoor games you can think of are either for kids or heavily modified to be kid-friendly.

You need some fun outdoor games for adults, and you need them now! Well, read on because we’ve got you covered with nine fun outdoor games for adults.

Ring Toss

A carnival classic that gives you a chance to get an early start on some cold, refreshing brews—because you need bottles to throw the rings onto, you see. Go old school carnival with rings that are barely bigger than the bottlenecks, or use larger rings and let your guests have a chance at winning.

You can get as creative as you want as far as what counts as a target and a ring; some of our fondest Ring Toss game memories include that game in college where the ring was a hula hoop, and the targets were lawn flamingos!

Balloon Darts

Speaking of carnival games, blow up some balloons, pin them to a board or a tree, and throw darts at them! Even if you’re an expert dartsman, you might find a new challenge trying to hit balloons: they move in unpredictable ways, and something about them makes the darts just bounce off if it’s not a direct hit! Play for points and bragging rights or compete for a prize—maybe a giant carnival teddy bear if you want to commit to the theme.

Water Balloon Toss

If you have some balloons left over after Balloon Darts, fill them with water and play a few rounds of Water Balloon Toss. Everyone divides into teams of two, each team gets one water balloon. Teams stand about three feet apart, one person throws the balloon, and the other person catches it, then each person takes a step backward; repeat until the balloon breaks!

You can play one team at a time with everyone else cheering them on, or you can go full chaos and have all teams play at once until there’s only one balloon left flying all the way across the yard.

Twister

Bring this classic high school party game (if you went to high school in the ‘70s) outside for some fun this summer! Instead of bringing out your Twister mat, use temporary lawn paint or line up a bunch of different colored Frisbees to put your right hand on red and left foot on green. If you’re going to add alcohol to any of our fun outdoor party games, this one has to be in at least the top five because alcohol improves balance, right?

Tug-o-War

It’s a classic game for a reason, and the reason is that it’s a lot of fun! All you need for this one is two teams and a rope (and a referee, maybe, if that’s how you want to live your life). If you’re having a gathering with a lot of people—as in, too many people to play Tug-o-War on one rope at the same time—divide up into multiple teams and run a bracket! Up the difficulty by having the winning team chug a round of beers before the next round of Tug-o-War!

Capture the Flag

Sure, we’ve all played Capture the Flag in Battlefield, Halo, and Call of Duty, but have you ever played Capture the Flag in real life? If not, it’s time to make some changes in your life!

Simply split your guests into two teams, each team has a base and a flag (any piece of fabric will work), and steal the other team’s flag and bring it back to your base while protecting your flag. The rules are deceptively simple, and this crazy, fast-paced game is lots of fun!

Cornhole

Cornhole is the all-time, uncontested worldwide champion of the most fun outdoor game for adults since 1325 (that’s the year Cornhole was invented). Play it regulation-style, using the official rules, or incorporate any of the many sets of house rules available online to help with accessibility—or to make it into a drinking game! What can be better than getting a buzz on while tossing bean bags into holes?

Of course, the best way to play Cornhole is with your own custom Cornhole set from Cornhole Worldwide: contact us to get started designing your custom Cornhole set today.

Oversized Board Games

Thinking about moving your monthly game night outside to take advantage of the sun, the fresh air, and maybe some salty-tart margaritas? But what about all those tiny game pieces that fall off the table and get lost in the grass (until you find them with your bare feet)? The solution is to get your favorite board game in an oversized version!

Think Tumbling Tower, 4 In-a-Row, or maybe even rope off a chess board in your yard, hand your guests chess-themed headpieces and play giant, human-sized chess. It’ll be the most fun you had playing board games as an adult. See you next game night!

Limbo

If you’re looking for a fun outdoor game and you have little or no time to gather supplies, try Limbo! All you need is a pole—a broom, a clothesline, a jump rope—there are a million different things you can use to improvise a game of Limbo, and we’re not going to reveal why we know this—and some danceable music. Have two people hold the pole up while others take turns going underneath.

The standard version says you have to do this while leaning backward, but you can also have a lot of fun encouraging your guests to “freestyle” their wackiest ways of getting under the pole! Turn it into a drinking game by having each person take a sip of beer every time they make it under the pole successfully (we know drinking games usually punish rather than reward but trust us on this one).

And that’s it! Nine fun outdoor games for adults. Try one or more of these when spending time with your friends at your next backyard party or outdoor gathering this summer!