Sports You Can Play in Your Backyard with Friends

Those of us who grew up in rural or suburban areas probably have fond memories of playing in our yards or the backyards of friends, neighbors, and schoolmates. Whether it was lawn darts, horseshoes, or some other highly dangerous activity that should never have been designed for children, we still had fun. Fortunately, today’s backyard sports options for kids are a little safer.

Backyard sports are not only fun, they also provide great opportunities for children to stay active. Much like we did in our misspent youths, these backyard sports adventures help kids enjoy quality time with their friends or siblings and develop teamwork skills they can take onto the sports field with them one day. The size of the yard doesn’t matter. Big or small, there are plenty of engaging sports and games kids can play right in their own backyard!

This article explores a variety of sports that require minimal equipment and can be played with friends. Read below to find some classic favorites and creative new twists. Whatever your poison, there’s something for everyone!

Backyard Soccer

Overview

Soccer, or football if you’re reading this anywhere outside the US, is one of the most popular sports in the entire world. Consisting of a single ball and two opposing makeshift goals, it’s pretty darn easy to set up a game in your backyard. The ball should probably be a soccer ball but the goals can be anything you need them to be, from cones to sticks or someone’s superfluos pair of shoes.

How to Play

1. Set Up: Start by dividing the yard into two sides and place goals at each end. If you don’t have a proper soccer ball, any round ball will work just fine for the purposes of this game, though it might not behave the way a normal soccer ball would.
2. Rules: The rules are simple after that, simply play a traditional game of soccer. You could modify the rules to suit the space or skill levels of the players, however. For example, teams contain fewer players than necessary for a traditional soccer game. You could even play a “no hands” rule that even forbids goalies from using their mitts to touch the ball.
3. Time: A good soccer game doesn’t need a time limit, per se, but if you want something a bit more traditional, split the game into two 15-minute halves and take breaks as needed.

Benefits

• Soccer encourages teamwork and communication among players.
• Playing soccer improves cardiovascular fitness and coordination.
• Team sports like soccer enhance social skills as players learn to work together and resolve conflicts.

Backyard Baseball/Softball

Overview

In this writer’s humble opinion, playing backyard baseball feels almost more of an authentic American experience than going to a professional baseball game. Kids who play baseball or softball develop excellent hand-eye coordination and reflexes, all while learning about the importance of teamwork. As with soccer, you can easily adjust the rules and the playing field to fit the confines of the available backyard space.

How to Play

1. Set Up: Use a bat, ball, and any makeshift bases you can find. Frisbees, sacks, and even dirty shirts can be used to represent the bases. You’ll need quite a few kids for a decent size game, but if you don’t have enough players for a full game, you might try simplifying things and playing a game of kickball instead. The rules are basically the same, except all you’ll need is a decent-size rubber ball rather than a bat and baseball.
2. Rules: Divide the available kids into two equal teams. One team bats or kicks while the other takes to the field. Don’t complicate things by trying to stick to the old rules of the game. Instead, stick to simple rules so that you can keep things fun and fast-paced.
3. Variations: Besides kickball, players can opt to play “home run derby” where kids take turns trying to hit the ball over a designated line or into a specific area of the yard. Whichever you choose, be mindful about losing the ball over the fence!

Benefits

• Baseball develops coordination and motor skills.
• Playing baseball-like team sports teaches the fundamentals of batting, pitching, and fielding.
• Baseball fosters teamwork and illustrates the value of communication.

Ultimate Frisbee

Overview

Ah, ultimate frisbee, the favorite sport of the college sophomore. Despite the collegiate connotations, ultimate frisbee is an amazing sport for children to play, one that combines elements of soccer, basketball, and football all rolled into one! It’s easy to learn and a fantastic way to get everyone in the neighborhood moving.

How to Play

1. Set Up: All you will need is a frisbee and two end zones marked out. You can delineate these with cones, towels, or anything else that can be used to corner them off.
2. Rules: Players play the game by passing the frisbee to their teammates. The aim of the game is to catch the frisbee when it soars into the opposing team’s end zone. Players cannot run while holding the frisbee, however, which encourages strategic passing.
3. Duration: You can set a time limit that you and the gang are comfortable with, or play until one team has a certain number of points (e.g., first team to 10 points wins).

Benefits

• Ultimate frisbee enhances cardiovascular fitness and agility.
• Frisbee games encourage strategic thinking and teamwork.
• Situational exceptions exist, but ultimate frisbee is basically a non-contact sport that emphasizes fair play.

Capture the Flag

Overview

Schoolyard games can be just as enjoyable in your own backyard, and capture the flag is no exception. Capture the Flag is a classic outdoor game that promotes teamwork among kids and encourages strategy, while still allowing kids to be active and creative.

How to Play

1. Set Up: First, divide players into two teams, each with a flag. This flag can be any other piece of cloth or swatch of fabric, just so long as it looks cool. Set boundaries for each team’s territory in different parts of the yard.
2. Rules: Players win by capturing the opposing team’s flag and bringing it back to their territory without being tagged. If it sounds too simple, that’s because it is. Which makes it perfect for kids. If tagged, players must stand still, they are “frozen” until a teammate frees them.
3. Winning: True to the aforementioned simplicity, the game ends when one team successfully captures the other’s flag.

Benefits

• Capture the flag develops teamwork and strategic thinking.
• This game encourages running and physical activity.
• Classic team games like this promote communication and leadership skills.

Obstacle Course

Overview

If your backyard is anything like mine, it probably already looks like a makeshift obstacle course. If it’s clean and tidy for some reason, messing it up is easy as pie! Creating an obstacle course in your backyard is a fun activity that can invite the participation of your kids and their friends. The best obstacle courses incorporate various physical challenges and can be adapted for all ages and skill levels.

How to Play

1. Set Up: Use household items, backyard toys, leaves, sturdy furniture, and the like to create obstacles. Try to use objects that are safe and sturdy, rather than things like rocks, logs, or any sort of rusty or dangerous outdoor equipment. You can also put up cones to weave through, a jump rope to hop over, or boxes to climb upon. Basically, the only limit is your imagination.
2. Rules: Time each of the kids as they navigate the course. You can add challenges like crawling under a table or balancing on a line marked with colorful chalk if you want to make it a little harder or more time-consuming.
3. Variations: If you want to mix things up, change the course layout and/or add new challenges to keep things fresh and exciting.

Benefits

• Obstacle courses improve agility, strength, and coordination.
• Such activities encourages creativity in designing the course.
• These courses provides a fun way for kids to compete individually or as a team.

Tennis or Badminton

Overview

If you have enough space, you could set up a game that just about every elementary school kid loved and hated playing in equal measure; badminton! Sure, it sounds a little boring to some people, but badminton and tennis are both great ways for kids to improve their hand-eye coordination and agility.

How to Play

1. Set Up: If you have a net, great for you. If you don’t, you could use a net to mark the boundaries for your court. If you don’t have rackets, play with paddles or even just use your hands to toss the shuttlecock around. If you don’t have either….well, maybe look for another sport further down the list.
2. Rules: If you manage to get the bric-a-brac together, you can play singles or doubles. Keep score in the same way would if you were playing regular tennis or badminton.
3. Variations: Other variations include “mini tennis,” which uses a smaller court size and lighter ball. This makes the sport much easier for younger players to play.

Benefits

• Tennis and badminton enhance agility, balance, and coordination.
• Sports like these promote cardiovascular fitness.
• Badminton and tennis teach sportsmanship and fair play.

Tag Games

Overview

Everyone knows how to play tag, or at least they should, anyway. If they don’t this brief explanation of a classic backyard game should prove to be rather effective for new leaders. Tag is simple, fun, and great for burning excess energy from kids.

How to Play

1. Set Up: No equipment is needed for tag! Decide who will be “it” first, and set boundaries for where players can run. No hiding in this one though, this isn’t manhunt or hide-and-seek…though both of those would make great variations.
2. Rules: The player who is “it” tries to tag other kids. Once tagged, a player can either become “it” or join a designated area to be freed by their teammates. Both methods are exceptionally fun, but the latter encourages a bit more teamwork.
3. Variations: If tag doesn’t do it for you, why not try to play Freeze Tag. This variation has children tagging and freezing players until a designated teammate or teammates unfreezes them. There is also Shadow Tag, a variation where players must tag their shadow instead.

Benefits

• Tag encourages cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
• Playing tag promotes quick thinking and agility in kids.
• Some forms of tag foster social interaction and cooperation.

Cornhole

Overview

Cornhole is a popular lawn game that’s grown even more popular in recent years. Anyone who’s been at a backyard barbecue or block party has probably seen some people playing cornhole. This lawn game involves tossing beanbags into an opponent’s goal. The game combines skill and fun and can be enjoyed by kids and parents alike.

How to Play

1. Set Up: You’ll need a cornhole board and bags filled with corn or beans. Many such boards are available at hardware stores or online. If you don’t have a board, you can also create a makeshift one with a tilted surface and a hole. Beanbags can be created using household junk and kitchen supplies.
2. Rules: Players take turns throwing their bags toward the opposite board. Points are scored based on where the bags land. Those that land inside the hole are worth the most, those that land on the board, slightly less.
3. Winning: Players can play to a set score or amount of points, usually around 21 points.

Benefits

• Cornhole develops hand-eye coordination and accuracy.
• This fun game encourages friendly competition and social interaction.
• Cornhole is easy to set up and adaptable for all ages.

Cultured Athlete Says…

Playing sports in your backyard is a fantastic way for kids to stay active, build friendships, and develop important life skills. As you could likely tell as you read, many of us hold fond memories of many of these sports and are more than happy to impart them onto our kids. By encouraging children to be creative, work within limitations, and use their imagination, we can continue to foster these values among the next generation. Most important of all, these backyard games are a surefire way for children to have fun, and that’s what matters!