Do you know where the grass is always greener? Under a lawn game.
Here in the Hudson Valley, our spacious back yards and abundant parks make it the perfect playground for outdoor fun. Lawn games are a fantastic way to enjoy the summer, and a treasured tradition in these parts. A Hudson Valley home is practically incomplete without a game to play in the yard.
In an age dominated by screen time, lawn games are the perfect antidote. They keep people engaged and bring friends and family together in a way that social media just can’t compete with. So get ready to ditch the devices and dive into some real-world fun with our roundup of the top ten lawn games for Hudson Valley summers.
We’ve broken our top ten picks down into three categories below: Toss and aim games, net and ball games, and precision and strategy games.
Toss and aim games
Bocce ball
With origins in ancient Rome, bocce ball has been a beloved pastime for centuries. This Italian classic spread throughout Europe and eventually made its way to America. You’ll find the highest concentration of bocce-ball players if you connect with the area’s Italian culture organizations such as the Italian Center of Poughkeepsie or the Ulster County Italian-American Foundation — but you also don’t have to leave your back yard to enjoy this simple and satisfying lawn game. It’s actually making a comeback, with more Google searches about the game every year since the search engine began.
Playing with eight large balls (four per team) and a smaller target ball called the pallino, players take turns tossing their balls, aiming to get as close to the pallino as possible. Points are awarded based on proximity to the pallino, and the first team to reach a predetermined score, usually 12 or 16, wins.
Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newbie, bocce offers a perfect blend of strategy and relaxation. It’s simple and accessible, requiring minimal equipment. It’s an ideal game for a sunny afternoon in the Hudson Valley, bringing together friends and family for fun and friendly competition.
Horseshoes
The Hudson Valley has a historical connection to the game of horseshoes. Our area has been a hub of horseshoe pitching activity, particularly during the early and mid-20th century. Numerous horseshoe tournaments and events have been hosted here, and you may still find a league or two if you look hard enough (the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association is a good place to start).
Of course, the game of horseshoes is also tied to our rural and recreational culture. Not to mention that when HITS comes to Saugerties, you should have no trouble finding game pieces.
All you need to play is one horse worth of horseshoes (four to be exact) and two stakes set 40 feet apart. Players take turns tossing horseshoes, aiming to encircle the stake or land as close to it as possible. A “ringer” (a horseshoe encircling the stake) scores three points, while a horseshoe within six inches of the stake scores one point. The first player or team to reach 21 points wins.
Fun fact if you want to impress at your next backyard horseshoe match: In competitive play, the “cancellation scoring” method is often used. In this method, opposing ringers cancel each other out. For example, if both players throw a ringer, no points are awarded for those ringers. The closest remaining horseshoe(s) to the stake would then determine the score for that inning.
Cornhole
Legend has it that a 14th-century German cabinet maker named Matthias Kuepermann invented this popular back yard game after seeing kids tossing rocks into holes. How’s that for inspiration? Fast forward to today, and it’s a staple at summer gatherings across the Hudson Valley and the entire country. Chances are you already are familiar with the game, which seems omnipresent in our area at backyard barbecues, outdoor festivals, microbreweries and roadside eateries.
Cornhole’s rules and scoring are almost identical to horseshoes, just with holes instead of stakes and bean bags instead of U-shaped metal. The game involves two boards with a hole near the top, set 27 feet apart (you needn’t get out the tape measure for a casual backyard game). Players take turns throwing bean bags, aiming to get them in the hole (three points) or on the board (one point) in a race to score 21 points.
Lawn darts
How did the act of tossing large, sharp metal darts into the air become an American pastime in the 1970s and 1980s? Blame it on aggressive marketing and the capitalistic drive to profit above all else — even if it meant children were regularly ending up in the hospital. It wasn’t until 1988 that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning on the potential dangers of lawn darts. This perhaps made them even cooler to some kids, and they kept ending up in the emergency room, which led to the CPSC banning pointy metal lawn darts the following year.
Today, the game is a pale shadow of its danger-tinged yesteryears (you can still find pointy metal-tipped lawn darts if you search online, but you didn’t hear that from me). That doesn’t mean the pastime has lost all its magic. The new and totally safe version of the game is played the same way as the weaponized one, but the darts just kind of flop onto the lawn versus streaking down from the heavens and piercing the earth — well, hopefully just the earth.
The objective is to land the darts inside the target ring, with points awarded based on accuracy — traditionally three points for a dart inside the ring and one point for the closest dart outside the ring. The first to reach 21 points wins.
Net and ball games
Badminton
Badminton sounds like the name of a British castle, but it traces back to ancient civilizations in Greece, China, and India. It evolved from a game called “battledore and shuttlecock” (catchy) before taking its modern form in 19th-century England.
Most of us have played this one in our school gym class or at a back-yard summer party. The only equipment needed are two to four lightweight rackets, a net and a shuttlecock (if you’re prudish you can call it a birdie). The game can be played singles or doubles, with players standing on opposite sides of a net. The objective is to hit the shuttlecock over the net, aiming to land it within the opponent’s court. A point is scored when the shuttlecock hits the ground on the opponent’s side, and the first to reach 21 points wins the game.
This is an easy one to set up anywhere, and requires just enough skill to be challenging, but not so much that it’s inaccessible. It’s also very hard to take the game seriously as the shuttlecock moves in unpredictable ways, resulting in a lot of flailing about, making it perfect for those who are less competitive in nature.
Volleyball
Volleyball, invented just down the road in Massachusetts by William G. Morgan in 1895, is an American institution. Again, most people have played this one in gym class. All it takes is one net, one ball, and two teams (officially six players each, but you can manage with less or more).
The objective is to hit the ball over the net to land on the opponent’s side while preventing it from touching the ground on your side. Teams score points through rallies, with the first to 25 points winning the set. Players rotatAe positions, can touch the ball up to three times per side, and must avoid net violations.
While you can set up a volleyball net in your back yard, many folks in the Hudson Valley find it easier to head to local parks where nets are already installed. Kingston Point, with its beachside volleyball courts, is a prime spot for a game.
Spikeball
Spikeball, a relatively new game, was invented in 1989 by Jeff Knurek and has surged in popularity in recent years, especially among young adults. Combining elements of volleyball and foursquare (aka ‘boxball’), it’s fast-paced and highly engaging.
The game is played with a small round net placed at ankle height and a bouncy ball. Two teams of two players each stand around the net. The objective is to hit the ball onto the net so that the opposing team cannot return it. Each team has up to three hits to return the ball, and points are scored when the other team fails to return it. The first team to reach 21 points wins.
Spikeball requires minimal equipment — a net and a ball — and can be set up almost anywhere, making it a perfect choice for back yards or parks in the Hudson Valley. Its high-energy nature and quick reflex demands appeal to competitive spirits and those looking for a fun, intense workout. It’s a fantastic way to get moving and enjoy the outdoors with friends and family.
Precision and strategy games
Croquet
Many of us were first exposed to croquet through Alice in Wonderland, but I can assure you that no flamingos or hedgehogs are harmed in an actual game of croquet.
Croquet is truly a classic lawn game, with roots in 19th-century England, where it was first popularized by British aristocrats as a leisurely outdoor pastime. It became so popular that the 1900 Summer Olympics featured it as a sport (France won).
The game is played with wooden or plastic mallets, balls, and wickets (hoops). Players take turns using their mallets to hit their balls through a series of wickets arranged in a specific pattern on the lawn. The objective is to navigate the course and hit a finishing stake before your opponents. Points are scored by successfully passing through wickets and hitting the stake.
Younger players will enjoy a more freestyle experience, laying out wickets willy-nilly to create a more interesting course to navigate versus the staid pattern of the official version. It’s the quickest way to turn your back yard into something resembling a mini golf course — except with tiny sledgehammers as clubs and no need to dig holes in your yard.
Disc golf
Speaking of golf, have you tried the disc variety? Disc golf has boomed in popularity over the last decade. It’s far more accessible and far less expensive than normal golf, but you get the same enjoyment of nature and the outdoors, and a similar challenge in developing skills, strategies, range-finding abilities and throwing techniques. It plays just like golf, except you’re throwing discs at metal baskets on poles with hanging chains to catch the disc (and make a satisfying ‘ching’ sound).
The Hudson Valley boasts some fantastic disc golf courses. A top three might include the hilly and scenic 18-hole course at Hunter Mountain, the diverse and picturesque Beacon Glades disc golf course, and the challenging, heavily wooded Gunks disc golf course. Warwick Town Park disc golf course, though a bit farther away, is a favorite among many local players. Don’t miss Kingston Point’s nine-hole course, either. While simple, it offers cool features and beautiful views.
Stump
For a game so simple, stump hits the nail on the head when it comes to having fun with friends in the back yard. Also known as Hammerschlagen, stump originated in German beer gardens and has become a popular lawn game in the U.S. The game involves a tree stump, nails, and a hammer. Players take turns trying to drive their nail into the stump with a single swing. The catch? You have to use the pointed end of the hammer to drive the nail.
basic rules are simple. Each player’s nail starts partially hammered into the stump. Players stand around the stump, taking turns striking their nail with one swift, controlled motion. The first to fully hammer in their nail wins.
What could be more Hudson Valley than having a raucous good time while standing around a piece of wood? That’s our element!
Join the family! 
