Outdoor Game Ideas
After hibernating all winter, it’s time to celebrate the summer season with a stylish back yard party. All you need to do is pick a date and theme, mail the invitations, and dust off your outdoor dishes, centerpieces and other elegant accent items.

While the above seems easy enough – especially if you are using an expert service like Posh Party Box – planning activities is a stumbling block for many hosts. Our suggestion is to feature activities that are age-and theme-appropriate.

Traditional Games
With summer comes the opportunity to host an old-fashioned backyard barbeque. Perfect for kids and adults like, a barbeque gives you a chance to get to know your neighbors and activities will help break the ice. Try the below to give your party a traditional flavor:

Potato Sack Race
When’s the last time you participated in a sack race? For many, the activity is a fond distant memory – one that’s perfect to share with kids! All you need are several burlap bags and some cones, flags or any type of marker to indicate the start and finish line (usually about 20 feet apart). There can be several races ending in a showdown final. Don’t forget to buy inexpensive medals for the winners!

Tug-of-War
What better way to build friendships and enthusiasm than through a good old fashioned game of tug-of-war? Tape or paint a line in a large grassy area. On a 100-foot rope (or longer), tie a colorful piece of cloth or flag in the center of the rope in each direction. On the ground, set up two markers about 20 feet apart. Form two teams of at least six staggered on each side of the rope, making the largest person the anchor. Whichever team pulls the opposite team’s mark across the mark on the ground wins!

Limbo
Well-suited for beach parties or luau, the limbo starts out easy and gets much harder – expect lots of laughs! Ask two guests to hold a long stick – a broom handle will work – as the other guests pass below the stick without touching it. Only their feet may touch the ground. After each guest has passed under the stick (be sure the limbo stick holders get a chance too!), lower the stick several inches. When a guest touches the stick he’s out. The last guest left wins!

Hula Hoop Contest
If you stop reading here because you think this game is for kids only, keep reading! A Hula Hoop contest is a great icebreaker! It’s also a wonderful, inexpensive option for an outdoor party. Purchase several hula-hoops and see which guests can spin the most hula-hoops at one time, or who can spin hoops the longest.

Water Balloon Toss
Regardless of the game, most kids like to get wet during the summer. Offer a water balloon toss to make sure everyone gets cooled off! The game is simple: form kids in two lines facing each other, each with a partner. Each pair of kids tosses a water balloon back and forth, taking one step back after each successful catch. The pair of kids who are the furthest away from each other with their balloon intact wins!

Bocce Ball
Open Bocce Ball is a classy option for any backyard party. Designed for two players or two teams of up to four players each, Open Bocce Ball is a great introduction to lawn bowling. The game can be played on most any surface including grass and sand. You can even play Bocce on hills or slopes to add a new element of strategy! Bocce Ball is played with nine balls. Eight balls are divided between teams by color. The ninth ball is the target ball, called a "pallino." Enjoy throwing, pitching or bowling the balls, trying to knock out opponent’s balls, and get as close to the pallino as possible. The game is perfect for playing with a glass of wine in one hand, very genteel.

Croquet
A popular game in the 1800s British Colonial Empire, the game became a favorite American pastime with famous entertainment and literary figures in the 1920-1940s. Croquet is a classic yard game that consists of hitting a ball through a series of wickets with a croquet mallet. There are several different styles of croquet: International croquet, American croquet, American backyard or nine-wicket croquet and extreme croquet. Croquet can also be played as a putting game.

Badminton
Badminton's history dates back to ancient Greece. Now a much-loved past time world-round, Badminton sets are inexpensive to purchase. A basic kit includes the racquets, shuttlecocks and net. The event can be played in singles and doubles. The first team to reach 15 wins!