HANCOCK COUNTY — As the old song goes, it’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy.
In the couple of weeks of long summer days before school resumes, some backyard do-it-yourself games might be just the prescription of livening up the rest of the break. Here are some ideas that are new takes on old favorites that can turn any yard into a fun game space.
BACKYARD TWISTER
Grab a few cans of spray paint, and you have the makings of a backyard Twister game.
The great thing is, you don’t have to stick to the dimensions of a standard Twister mat. Create as big of a grid as you like with colored dots so a big group can play.
Look for cans of water-based marking paint or chalk paint, which will wash away, and grab a cardboard box. Cut a hole the size of the dots you want in the bottom of the box to use as a template, which will not only make uniform-shaped dots, but also minimize the overspray.
You can mimick a real Twister mat by spraying four rows of six dots each — in red, green, blue and yellow — or go off grid and spray colored dots randomly.
To create a spinner, trace a round plate onto a foam board and cut it out, attaching a foam spinner with a tack. Another option is to have a caller call out colors randomly, or blindly pull colors out of a hat.
FRISBEE TIC-TAC-TOE
Another easy backyard game is Frisbee tic-tac-toe. Buy six flying discs — three each in contrasting colors — or mark discs you already have with X’s and O’s. Spray paint a tic tac toe grid onto the grass, or chalk one out on the driveway. Players take turns tossing their Frisbee onto the grid until someone lands three in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
Go bigger by creating a larger grid and inviting more players to join in. The size is only limited by the size of your yard and your imagination.
FLAMINGO RING TOSS
Embrace a beachy vibe by creating a flamingo ring-toss game. Purchase a few pink flamingo yard decorations at a local lawn and garden store and a few rings that will easily fit around each flamingo’s head.
Stake the flamingos in the ground, or place them in pots filled with sand or gravel if playing on a hard surface.
Look for plastic rings or glow necklaces at a local dollar store. Buy rings in different colors, or cover them in spray paint or colorful duct tape. Divide the toss rings up among players, and start tossing.
Tally points based on the number of rings each player lands around a flamingo’s neck, or stagger the flamingos, awarding more points for those that are farther away.
BACKYARD JENGA
Everyone loves the classic tabletop game of Jenga. Take the fun outdoors with an oversize version made of simple boards.
To create a nice sized tower, you’ll need six 8-foot-long 2-by-4 boards. Whether using scrap lumber or buying new, only straight boards will do. Examine the lumber to make sure there are no curves.
Measure the boards into 10½-inch-long pieces and mark with a pencil. You should get nine pieces from each board.
Smooth blocks are either to play with, so sanding them will make the game more fun.
When setting up the tower, only use a flat surface, and set them up in layers of three blocks each, alternating direction with each new layer.
Players take turns pulling one block from the middle or bottom of the stack, until the tower comes topping down.
For some added variation, paint the ends of the blocks in various colors, challenging players to only pull out certain colors on various turns.
DIY DOMINOES
A few pieces of lumber can also be used to create an oversized backyard domino game.
To make the 28 dominoes that come standard in a double-six set you’ll need at least 28 feet of boards. Any lumber that’s 6 inches wide will work.
Cut the lumber into sections twice as long as they are wide. This will create the scale size you need. Sand the edges down and stain the wood with whatever color wood stain you have on hand, but exterior paint will also do.
Once they’ve dried, it’s time to add the dots. For a clean look, create a stencil for the dots and lines in each domino, or stop by a craft store to pick up a paint pouncer, which dabs on paint in round circles.
To create a standard set of dominoes, you’ll need one of each of the following: 0/0 through 0/6; 1/1 through 1/6; 2/2 through 2/6; 3/3 through 3/6; 4/4 through 4/6; 5/5 and 5/6; and 6/6.
No matter what backyard games you choose to create and play, don’t forget to mix up some ice cold lemonade and perhaps break out frozen treats for the ultimate outdoor play day.
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You can visit these websites for more details.
sugarandcloth.com/diy-flamingo-ring-toss-yard-game
onecreativemommy.com/frisbee-tic-tac-toe
dreamalittlebigger.com/post/giant-lawn-dominoes
mommatoldmeblog.com/2014/07/summer-fun-outdoors-with-lawn-twister
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