The best outdoor games to give as gifts this Christmas

Here in South East Queensland, Christmas Day usually means plenty of time spent outside enjoying fun in the sun and some friendly competition. That’s why, this year, we’ll be giving these backyard or beach games to our nearest and dearest – and probably keeping some for ourselves, too!

Croquet

Make like a fancy Englishman with a game of croquet, darling! Played in either doubles or singles (two players), croquet is played by striking a ball through hoops with a mallet. While the rules can become pretty complicated, in essence, the goal is to win by running the ball through the hoops in a specific order, to gain points. Relax the rules and play with your children – you may not stick to the point of the game, but you’ll have a tonne of fun whacking the ball through the hoops nonetheless.

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Giant dice

Why not take the fun of your family’s favourite dice game outside? With a giant set of dice made from wood, plastic or child-friendly foam, you can recreate your go-to family games in the backyard. We’re talking Yahtzee, Zilch, Bar Dice, Bunco… the list goes on. You might want to invest in a large bucket or tub to act as a giant cup when you need to roll multiple dice at once.

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Spikeball

Part volleyball, part handball, Spikeball is a new breed of backyard game – and a competitive one at that. Best played in two teams of two to three, a Spikeball game (and its many variations) starts with one team serving the ball onto the circular net, at which point it is the other team’s turn to either hit the ball onto the net or rally it amongst themselves. Each time the ball hits the net, possession changes – if a team lets the ball touch the ground when it is in their possession, the other team gets a point.

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Jumbo Jenga

Everyone loves Jenga – Jumbo Jenga just makes it bigger and better! The block tower game has been given a backyard-approved upgrade, but the same rules still apply. Like with regular Jenga, you simply take out a block and place it on top of the tower ensuring it doesn’t fall over. The fact that children might have to get onto their tippy toes makes it even more challenging (and fun!) and perfect for Christmas Day entertainment. Why not write fun trivia questions or challenges on the block, for players have to attempt before their turn is over?

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Finska

Go to the beach or park and you’ll no doubt see a game of Finska in action – but what exactly is it? Finska is a Finnish game which involves throwing a wooden block at a cluster of 12 wooden cylinders (all marked with the numbers one to 12). If you knock over one cylinder, you score its number – knock over more than one, however, and you score the number of cylinders you knocked over. The first to exactly 50 points wins, but if you score above 50, your score drops back to 25. It’s all about skill and strategy!

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Looking for some sustainable wrapping paper or gift decorations for your new outdoor games? Read our Sustainable Christmas Crafts blog!